Albus Alistair POV:

A sunny day, clouds non-existent, birds chirping outside, humming their beautiful tune from within the forests that surrounded our village. The villagers walking about in the village, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere our land exudes. Children laughing, playing; mothers talking to one another about their problems; fathers guffawing loudly, enjoying a days’ worth of booze and conversation.

A nice day. Really.

“You ready, Albus?” Tadashi asked, a wooden sword in his right hand.

Tadashi was well-built but wore clothes that didn’t show his well-toned body, giving him a slender-bodied look. His jawline was chiseled, and his skin was a pearly white, but was lightly tanned from working in the fields, looking more akin to ivory. He was tall, very much so, surpassing even my father. Most would assume he was an enemy of men based off his good looks alone, but even the men in this village look up to him.

Tadashi had been training me for three years now in both martial arts and sword techniques. Today for instance we were training with the sword through sparring. I had already been covered in bruises and dirt from our previous sparring sessions, and the subtle, yet very apparent, question that resided within me kept eating away at my very conscious.

‘On such a beautiful day, why do I have to spar against this thing that calls himself a man?’

Deciding to weasel my way out of a senseless beating, I made up an excuse: “You know, older brother, it just so happens that I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. Now that I think about it, you haven’t eaten today either, have you?” I nodded, smiling to myself. “What say you we visit the shops in the village and get some fo-”

Tadashi, ignoring my words, blurred behind my back, swinging his sword to my ribcage.

Barely noticing his attack, I jumped forward, dodging his blow.

Gathering myself, I spoke: “I didn’t finish talking older brother! That was dirty!”

“In battle, people won’t wait for you to finish speaking.” Tadashi retorted, digging his feet into the ground, leaping towards me in a flash.

Tadashi stabbed his sword towards my lower abdomen. Parrying, I slashed with my sword towards his chest.

Just before I made contact, Tadashi leaned towards the right, dodging my slash entirely. He pivoted his right foot in a kicking position, as I brought up my hands to block his incoming kick.

But-

‘A feint?!’

Tadashi repivoted both feet into a boxing stance in inhuman time, wooden sword now held with the blade pointing towards himself, as he sent a blurry, nearly distorted, left hook to my stomach.

The hook was too fast, and, judging by my misjudgment in his earlier motives, I wouldn’t be able to dodge his attack at all! Forming an X shape with my arms to defend my stomach, Tadashi’s left hook pierced through my defenses, connecting with my stomach with an enormous amount of strength, making me cough out what I thought was blood.

“Ack!”

Luckily it was only my breath that got squeezed out of my lungs.

Not giving me time to rest, Tadashi sent a right uppercut while I instinctively held my stomach to give some sort of relief to my body. Surely holding my stomach wouldn’t help my situation at all, what’s done is done, after all. But, despite the undoubtable fact that it won’t help, it brought momentary relief. Mental relief perhaps?

Feeling the wind garner together from his uppercut, I knew that should it connect, I’d be knocked out promptly. I instantly straightened my hunched forward body, leaning both my head and body back, seeing his uppercut, as if time itself slowed down, nearly take my head off.

Having dodged the punch, I regained my stance and swung my sword towards his right side, hoping – a desperate wish – to catch him off guard, but to no avail as he dodged. I continued to slash at every direction, but he easily dodged with an expressionless face.

“Good. Keep it coming Albus.” Tadashi complimented flatly, before I threw a feint with my sword. In my eyes, thanks to the adrenaline, everything was slowed down. Because of which I was able to notice Tadashi’s body flinch, quickly reacting to my feint.

‘He fell for it!’

Half pivoting my left foot, I sent a sideways right kick towards his upper abdomen.

Tadashi, for the first time in our spar, grinned. His left hand extended outwards, catching my kick.

‘He didn’t even budge!’ I thought, shocked by my older brothers sturdiness.

Pulling me in by my foot, he wrapped his left arm around my leg, picking me up effortlessly. “Uwaaaah!” Then threw me to the ground in solemn fashion. My back took the brunt of the throw, but the pain spread throughout my entire body. “Owwww!!!”

Tadashi was in front of me, gazing down at me with a brotherly smile, as he pointed his wooden sword – that he barely used at all this fight – towards my throat. “I win.”

Staring at him, I sighed and extended my hand out for him to help me up, accepting my defeat. He grabbed my hand, pulling me up. I stretched widely in an attempt to wash out the pain.

“Fuckkk, My body hurts!” I groaned, twisting my body. “Older brother, how much longer do I have to fight you? I mean honestly, I won’t be able to beat you, ever! I’m already better than most kids my age. Hell, I could probably beat a C or even B ranked monster now. Come on. Take me adventuring outside of the village.”

“Language Albus, and its sensei.” Tadashi said, slapping the back of my head.

“Ow! Why?!”

 “What do you think our mother’s going to do if she hears you talking like that? She’ll kill you first for cursing, then me because I let you say it, then our father because he more than likely did something wrong somewhere.”

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head, continuing my stretch. “True. But she isn’t here today. I think she went to the Ms. Sakura’s; something about her not feeling well. She hadn’t told me much besides that, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. Anyways, older brother, take me to fight monsters. I’m already six years old and more than capable!”

“I see.” He plopped himself on the flowerless grass we stood on, surrounded by a field of flowers, patting next to him for me to sit. He didn’t speak until I sat next to him. “It’s true that you’ve grown strong these couple of years. You catch on to what I teach you very quickly. Age doesn’t seem to be a number if were talking about your abilities, truth be told. You’re more than capable of taking care of intruders; monster and rogue mage alike, by yourself. However, I still feel you’re not ready to go out there yet.”

This again. Everyone says that. I’ve asked my father and mother multiple times, but they never let me venture out of the village, even if I ask to accompany them.

I’ve only gone once with everyone to the city for a banquet my father was supposed to attend, but I was always at my father’s side, and we never left to explore or anything. I was fairly young as well; I can barely remember anything that happened at all.

I stared at the cloudless blue sky. “Aren’t you guys being a little overprotective? I mean, I get you all are worried about my wellbeing and all, but I’m practically an adult now. A man needs space, you know.”

I heard Tadashi stifling back a laugh, before bursting out in laughter, like a dam busting from overflowing water.

I stared at him; eyes filled to brim with contempt. “Oi, I didn’t say anything that was funny.”

“Excuse me, but that was a very amusing thing you said.” He said, wiping away the tears that formed in his eyes. “Anyways, it’s true that you are growing. You’re strong and you can hold your own against our father and I.”

A smile, nurtured by my older brothers compliments, appeared on my face.

“However, not everyone’s going to hold back on you like him and I. If our father or I came at you with the intent to kill, could you live through that? I doubt you would be able to withstand the killing intent he and I emit.”

“Tsk.”

I knew that already. I know how strong older brother and my father are. My father was a part of the royal guard and even fought side by side with the prince. And my older brother lived on the battlefield for some time. To be able to live through a war is more than enough to determine ones strength. I’m pretty sure my father is stronger, but my brother can hold his own against my father even when my father is going all out – if he’s ever gone all out.

I sighed. “But not everyone’s a freak of nature like you or father, right? The both of you are extremely strong to the point where it takes only one of you to protect our village. I know that I’m weak compared to the two of you, but I have little doubt anyone else in this village can beat me in a battle. I wanna see the city and make new friends.”

“Are the kids here not enough for you, my liege?” Tadashi mocked, bowing his head slightly.

“Shut up, it’s not that. I enjoy being with them, but they all treat me like I’m their king, even their parents! If what you said was true, and that the world won’t treat me the same as the villagers do, then I want to see it for myself, cruel or not. Maybe I could even find a wife or something.”

“What? A wife? Why would you not want to find one here? After all, when I die, you’ll be the one inheriting the land. Might as well find a wife that’s accustomed to living here.”

“Then how come you don’t have a wife yet, huh?” I teased with a sly grin.

“Well, that’s… shut up were talking about you, you brat.” Tadashi rebuked, slapping the back of my head, mercilessly.

“Ow!” I blurted, rubbing the back of my head. “It’s the same reason as me, right? Not trying to sound egotistical, but all girls here have a crush on either me or you. It’s like they were raised like that, or, maybe, they feel obligated to do so.”

“That does sound very egotistical. But they don’t feel obligated to do so. Love isn’t something that can be thought of and immediately felt. It happens at random when the heart desires someone, or something, intensively. No one has control over that. It’s like the heart, in return to providing us life, gets to have awareness.”

“Awareness? Like they’re their own entity?”

He nodded. “Our hearts think for themselves, and, as such, we have no idea what they’re thinking. But, oddly enough, it’s our hearts conviction that leads us down the right path.”

“The heart itself contains essence separate from whom houses it... That’s strangely deep.”

 Tadashi giggled. “You’ve helped save the villagers from wild animals that have attacked the village when neither I nor our father were here. It’s only natural for the ladies hearts to fall for you. You’re their hero in shining armor.”

“That last part of what you said contradicts your main statement older brother.”

“It does?”

“Uh-huh, what you just described is called codependency. They shower me with reverence and love; in return I offer body and soul for their protection. A hidden consensus that people unconsciously follow. I do agree, nonetheless, with the main statement in which you said that love isn’t something that can be thought of then felt. I want something genuine, not something that’s obligatory.”

“That’s one pessimistic way of looking at things.” Tadashi replied with a slight frown.

“I suppose so, but that’s what I believe. Just as we all have free will to choose what we wish to believe in. That’s what makes us human.” I winked.

“Yeah, yeah. You win.” Tadashi acquiesced. “How about this: If you can withstand my bloodlust, then I’ll take you out adventuring in the woods.”

I excitedly tugged at Tadashi’s shirt sleeves. “Do you mean it! Promise me right now!”

“I promise, but like I said, only if you’re able to withstand my bloodlust.”

“Yeah! I heard you the first time! Besides, judging from the bloodlust you emit when warding off animals that come to the village, its nothing compared to our mothers bloodlust when we get her mad.”

“True.” He chuckled. “Then let’s get started.”