Markus, his father, and his sister stood by their mother, relieved to see her up and well. She sat up in her bed, constantly reassuring them, "Guys, I'm fine. Don't worry; the elixir worked wonderfully."
Markus's father felt glad to see her recover. She attempted to get up, but everyone quickly urged in unison, "Sit down and stop acting tough." She looked at them unamused and asked, "How am I acting tough, though?"
Markus replied, "You always do this. You try to get back to housework immediately after being injured." Markus's mother turned her face away, acknowledging that she was as predictable as ever.
Mark's father stood up and told his wife that he would handle the housework until she was fully recovered.
"NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Markus's mother shouted, waving her hand dramatically. Markus and Jessie pulled their father back towards the bed next to their mother, insisting he take care of her while they managed the housework. Nobody wanted a repeat of the last time their father tried to cook; their mother still vividly remembered the food poisoning that followed.
The children called their uncle Paul, asking him and his friend to help them fix any damage done to the house while they cleaned and prepared dinner for everyone.
Paul and his friend agreed to help, so they grabbed some tools and a plank from the cellar.
They began fixing the house by patching the roof, repairing the window, and removing the barricades that had been set up at Markus's father's request.
Then the children eagerly started getting dinner ready. Jessie ventured into the garden, where she skillfully picked the freshest vegetables and aromatic spices, filling her basket with vibrant colors and fragrant scents.
Meanwhile, Markus prepared for his hunt. Armed with a sturdy bow and a sharp knife, he ventured into the thicket, where he set out enticing bait. He nestled himself quietly in the underbrush, eyes keenly scanning the area, waiting for a rabbit to appear. Just as three curious rabbits approached the bait, Markus took a deep breath, steadied his aim, and released three arrows in swift succession, each one finding its mark and pinning the unsuspecting creatures to the ground.
Markus tirelessly caught more rabbits to ensure that the entire group would have enough to eat. With skilled hands, he expertly skinned each rabbit and carved the tender meat into manageable pieces for Jessie to work with. In the kitchen, Jessie transformed the raw meat into a flavorful dish, expertly seasoning it with a blend of herbs and spices. She thoughtfully mixed in fresh, fragrant aromatics like garlic and rosemary, rubbing them deep into the meat to enhance the flavors. After marinating the meat, she heated a generous amount of oil in a large wok over medium heat. As the sizzling sound filled the air, the delightful aromas began to waft through the house, promising a delicious meal for everyone.
Everyone all gathered after they finished fixing up the house to enjoy a hardy meal.
A week as past and Markus as done most of his training with Nova since his father was busy taking care of his mother. He learn how to use the basic moves for fire, ice and light.
**Abilities Gained:**
* **Fire Bolt (Burst Variant):** Creates a small bolt of fire to launch at an enemy. This variant consumes more energy and is inefficient, but it delivers powerful damage.
* **Ice Lance:** Forms a medium-sized spike of reinforced blue ice that is launched at a target at Mach 20.
* **Light Daggers:** Creates daggers made of pure plasma that move at the speed of light and can be controlled mid-flight.
* **Radiant Burst:** A large explosion of plasma/light energy erupts beneath the target's feet.
* **Overheat:** Increases blood flow, muscle size, strength, and speed of the user by overheating the body.
The villagers have turned aggressive towards Markus's family, blaming his father for the deaths of other villagers who were under the black rave's control. Their jealousy clouded their judgment, leading them to label Markus's family as power hungry murderers. As a result, Markus sought help from the head priest, who moved his family to another town. The priest provided them with a decent piece of farmland along with a minor noble title to deter people from attacking them.
As the family settled into the new town, Paul and his gang also relocated there because the villagers from their hometown had labeled them as accomplices.
The family was in disarray, their lives completely uprooted, but they decided to make light of a bad situation. Markus's father buried his rage and focused more on farming and taking care of his family. He decided to increase his daughter's training, not wanting her to be defenseless and providing her with something to take her mind off things.
Markus's mother lost most of her friends, remaining close only with her brother Paul, his wife, and her best friend June, who was the one who made the elixirs for the family.
Jessie lost all her friends, except for her best friend, who was her cousin Paul's youngest daughter. Jessie was hit the hardest by everything that happened; she was left depressed for a long period of time. Markus's departure for school made it even worse. He wanted to stay, but doing so could provoke trouble with the priest, and moving closer to the capital would put them in danger with the nobles.
This broke Markus's heart. He wanted to be there for his family, but he had to go to ensure their safety. As the carriage, sent by the head priest to take him to the knight academy, made its way to the capital, Markus was filled with rage and determination. He vowed not to let people walk over him or endanger his family again; he needed to become stronger for their sake. The aura emanating from the carriage unsettled the driver, who sensed a pure bloodlust radiating from within. He felt as if he was transporting a beast rather than a human, little did he know how right he was.