[one… two… three… yeah…]
With a surge of newfound determination, Aerion propelled himself upwards, his small hands scrabbling for purchase on the smooth, gilded edge of his cradle. His tiny legs, still wobbly and uncoordinated, swung precariously over the side.
[hey, hey, hey, this body is not strong enough. I want to get out of it. I have much more control over my body now then few days ago… Should I jump? Hmm, it's not high enough to hurt me… Right?]
One moment he was clinging precariously to the ledge, his brow furrowed in concentration, the next his grip slipped. A surprised 'oof' escaped his lips as he landed unceremoniously on his padded backside.
His crimson eyes widened, not from the slight impact, but from the sound itself. The 'oof'… it hadn't just been a sound of impact. It had been a vocalization.
A word. Or at least, a sound that resonated with meaning, a distinct syllable formed by his own vocal cords. A strange clarity, sharp and sudden, pierced through the lingering fog of his infant confusion. He hadn't spoken since… since the accident, the fragmented memories of his past life a hazy backdrop to his current existence. Since waking up in this… diminutive body. The realization hit him with a jolt of pure, unadulterated joy. He was speaking again.
[I… I… I can speak again.]
A silent exclamation of triumph echoed in his mind.
[ Oh man, I remember trying so hard, straining with all my mental to form a clear word, but only nonsensical, childish murmurs escaped my mouth… I'm happy because this 'oof' is not a simple sound of pain but an actual word describing one…. Man… I mean, if I continue trying, then I would speak again soon, very soon.]
Areion open his mouth and with force he let out cracking sound. "I…..a…m…."
A wave of elation washed over Aerion. He happily, if somewhat clumsily, crawled towards the giant, imposing door of his room with intricate carvings. He reached the cold, unyielding surface and tried to push it with all his limited, childish might.
[Ahhhh, this is heavy]
He grunted, the effort making his small face scrunch up in concentration.
Using the door for support, he slowly, painstakingly, pulled himself up onto his two feet, his body still wobbling precariously as his underdeveloped muscles struggled to maintain. He positioned himself, leaning slightly forward, inclined towards the middle of the massive double door, his tiny hands pressed against the cold stone.
[One, two, three, push. ]
Aerion braced his small body against the unyielding weight, angling himself against one of the ornate panels. His face flushed a deep cherry red, and a visible tremor began to ripple through his small frame as he strained against the immense resistance. A low grunt, deeper this time, escaped his lips with the exertion.
In a few moments that felt like an eternity, with a low groan that seemed to emanate from the very depths of the wood and stone, the doors began to inch open, a sliver of light spilling into the dimly lit room. Emboldened by this small, hard-won achievement, Aerion continued to push with renewed vigor, his small muscles burning with the unfamiliar strain.
[Hmm, I think this is wide enough for me to pass by.]
The soft pat-pat of Aerion's hands and knees against the polished stone announced his escape into the long corridor. Maria, clad in her gleaming armor, ever vigilant beside the stoic, figure of Raksh, spotted the small runaway immediately. A faint smile, a gentle curve of her lips, touched her face as she watched his focused, determined crawl. With a quiet clink of her armored greaves, she stepped forward, blocking his view, gently halting his progress just as he reached the doorway. Rakhsh still, rumbled softly in response that seemed more curious than alarmed.
[Hmm, who is she? …. A guard? Why is she standing in my way,…. A guard hmmm? She's kind of hot, not gonna lie.]
Aerion's thoughts, though still filtered through the lens of his past life, were increasingly colored by the innocent observations of his current age.
She knelt gracefully in front of him, her gaze warm and her smile widening. She reached out a gloved hand and poked his cheek softly, her touch surprisingly gentle.
"Where are you going, my lord?" she asked, her voice a melodious murmur.
[Bruh, her voice is also sweet…] Aerion mused, his attention momentarily diverted by the pleasant sound.
Spotting a clear, inviting path to his right, Aerion renewed his journey with sudden, toddler-like vigor. The soft pat-pat of his hands and knees intensified into a rapid pat-pat-pat , a tiny drumbeat echoing in the quiet hallway as he sped across the polished stone, his newfound mobility filling him with unadulterated glee.
Maria, surprised by the unpredictable movement, began to walk alongside him, her long strides easily matching his frantic crawl. She spoke to him in soothing tones, gently asking the young prince to return to his room, but Aerion merely responded with delighted giggles and the occasional happy babble, thoroughly enjoying his unexpected freedom.
[Man … Being a child is so fun… I'm enjoying this shit; I can throw a tantrum whenever I want….]
A mischievous thought flitted through his mind, now tinged with childish glee.
Lucian, his brow furrowed in thought as he walked towards the throne room for his audience with their father, noticed Maria's voice and the unusual urgency in her tone. He glanced back, his silver-blonde hair catching the light, and his eyes widened slightly as he saw the unexpected scene unfolding.
Arieon, crawling with surprising speed down the corridor, with the usually composed General Maria walking briskly beside him, attempting to coax him back to his chambers. Understanding dawned on Lucian in an instant. He sighed softly, a hint of amusement playing on his lips, and positioned himself directly in Arieon's path. The small prince, his focus entirely on his escape, stumbled, his soft head bumping gently against Lucian's leather-clad feet. He looked up innocently, his crimson eyes wide and guileless. [Brother….]
Lucian sighed again, a more heartfelt sound this time, and gently scooped Arieon up into his arms. The infant looked at him with wide, curious eyes. He takes lucian's hair strands in his small hands.
[Huh? Didn't he have black hair? Why is it blond now? Did he color them or something? Are you trying to mimic me? Huh… insecure enough?]
Aerion's internal monologue continued, a blend of his limited understanding. He started making exaggeratedly weird faces, scrunching his nose and puffing out his cheeks, just to see if he could elicit a reaction from his stoic older brother.
"Apologies, Master Lucian…" Maria said, catching up to them, a slight flush on her cheeks. "Lord Arieon opened the door of his room and started running around."
Lucian's brow shot up, his gaze fixed on the still-gurgling infant in his arms. "He opened the DOUBLE DOOR himself?"
"Yes, master," Maria confirmed, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "I have never seen an infant do this before, and not to mention that door is locked by Lady Vivienne's spell, a ward that only a select few in the family can open."
Lucian's eyes narrowed in thought. "Even Caius and the royal guards can't open that door, so that means Mother allowed him to open it too… or…" He trailed off, a new thought dawning on him.
"It seems like it; there is no other explanation for it," Maria agreed. "But even for an infant, lord is way too strong and tactical."
Lucian looked down at Arieon, who had now abandoned his attempts at making faces and was instead happily batting at Lucian's long, silver-blonde hair. "mhmmm… General…."
Maria blinked, tilting her head slightly in question. "Yes, master?"
Lucian, still looking intently at Arieon, asked without diverting his gaze, "What was I like?"
"What? I didn't follow, master," Maria replied, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
"I'm saying, what was I like when I was the same age as Arieon?" Lucian clarified, his gaze softening as he watched his younger brother's innocent play.
Maria smiled gently, a fond memory surfacing. "You were and you are a highly gifted child, master. Although, at the same age as Lord Arieon, you couldn't even sit up properly, let alone talk about opening the double door of your room or crawling wild. But there is no doubt you have your father's genius."
[Yes, buddy… She is saying you suck in sweet words.]
Aerion grinned smugly, a wide, toothless expression, while playfully tugging on a lock of Lucian's hair.
"Not gonna lie, this is kind of annoying and embarrassing to see my younger brother hold much more potential than me."
Lucian murmured, a wry smile touching his lips. But internally, a sense of pride and a protective instinct began to stir within him. His eyes softened as he gently caressed Arieon's cheek, and Maria nodded, understanding the gentle irony in his words and actions.
"I'm waiting to see what comes after he is blessed with shaktih," Maria mused, her gaze thoughtful.
"I think we have some years before that happens. The average for a child to awaken shaktih is thirteen, but Master Lucian, as I said, you are highly gifted. It was never a shocker for us that you awakened as early as nine, and Master Caius is on his way to awaken too."
"Caius needs more time; he is still unstable with paranh control," Lucian said, a hint of concern in his voice as he recalled his younger brother's struggles with his innate abilities.
"He sure is a little unstable, but he can improve under your guidance, Master Lucian," Maria offered encouragingly.
Lucian continued to absently play with Arieon, who, growing increasingly impatient, nipped playfully at Lucian's finger, his toothless grip leaving a faint wet mark. Lucian's mind drifted back to memories of Caius's frustrated attempts to control and form the intricate energy construct known as SāraJibh, the effort often leaving him collapsing in exhaustion, drenched in sweat.
"I'm not guiding him," Lucian said, his tone firm. "Caius is harboring some feelings inside his heart that are making him unstable. Whatever it is, he needs to deal with it alone."
"You think? Hmm… I understand your reasoning," Maria replied, her gaze thoughtful.
Aerion, having left his tiny gums marks on Lucian's finger, pondered the unfamiliar words he had just heard.
[Okay… What was that shakith and paranh? I heard about them way too much since I'm concious in this body. Are these things related to some supernatural power? But that's for later. First of all, should I speak now? ... I'm going to make him faint if I do ... let's start with something unsuspicious like Lucian ….. His name. Right.]
Aerion clutched Lucian's shirt, his small hand fisting the soft fabric, and deliberately turned his big puppy eyes upwards, focusing all his infant attention on his older brother's face. Lucian looked down at him, a gentle smile returning as he softly touched Aerion's cheek.
"Yes? You want something? Are you hungry? If you are, can you wait a little longer? Mother is with Father out of the castle for some work."
Aerion tried to mimic an expression of curiosity, his brow furrowing in a way he hoped looked convincingly innocent. After a few deliberate moments, he looked up at Lucian again, his crimson eyes bright and intensely focused. He opened his small mouth his face red as he try to force word out, and a tiny, unclear voice emerged, cutting through the quiet of the corridor. "L…Lu….Lucian~"