Gloomy clouds enveloped the warm autumn sky as rain poured down on Mount Ya'arseele. It had been like this since the break of dawn. Nonetheless, there was barely any wind to rustle the honey-colored leaves, waiting to fall from the trees.
The sound of the water running downstream could be heard through the forest, and the smallest of critters hunkered down in their holes.
Situated on the side of the mountain, a lone three-story building stood welcoming wayward souls inside its walls. Most were already up, but a wiry-looking young man with copper skin and messy white hair was quietly sleeping as the droplets tapped nonstop against the windows.
Normally sleeping in during the week meant being assigned chores, but on a day like this, when the rhythmic patter could be heard, Daemon felt sleeping would be the best way to soothe his mind.
His dreams hadn't been so pleasant as of last month when he turned fifteen.
Burying his face into the soft cotton pillow, he rolled on his side, and a satisfied smile graced his lips.
Bang!
Suddenly a blunt object slammed into his temple, and sharp pain erupted through his head. As Daemon grimaced and abruptly sat up, his eyes snapped open to the sight of an older youth standing over him with a wooden sword in his hand.
"It's after 9:30. Welcome back to the land of the waking brother!"
The young man's voice was slightly nasal, and a smug expression tugged at his lips.
"What was that for Vincent?!"
Daemon shot the boy a glare as he massaged his forehead.
"Mother sent me to wake you for training." Vincent replied with a shrug.
"Not like this, you dolt!" Daemon's voice rose slightly as he clenched his fist in front of his chest.
He thought of retaliating, but his eyes then focused on his brother's toned arms, and a memory of their past training sessions resurfaced. Ever since he was a little child, he had failed to land a single blow on his brother's body, let alone dirty his clothing.
Daemon hated admitting it, but the blond bastard was simply the better fighter.
His stomach suddenly rumbled as he tried not to think about those losses.
"What about breakfast?"
Vincent fell silent at his words before donning a blank expression. He raised his arm to strike once more, and quickly Daemon sprang to his feet.
"I'll be sure to remember this," he sniffled disdainfully.
"What? Are you going to cry?" Vincent lightly laughed as he lowered the sword. "We both know you're too prideful for that."
'I really hate this guy.'
Daemon relaxed his brows and sighed, "Why don't you leave already? Isn't your job here done?"
"Not quite. I was also told to take you to the training room." Vincent waved a finger and said, "I'm sure you're excited..."
"About?" Daemon asked curiously.
"Obviously training. You'll be learning a few new combat arts today," said Vincent. ''I snuck into Mother's office yesterday and spotted your name on a list along with Henry's and Kayn's."
"Are you sure that was me?" Daemon raised a brow and turned towards the bathroom on the opposite side of the room.
He knew not to immediately believe those words since his brother had always treated him like a playmate. The others also tended to avoid Vincent unless they needed help due to his pranks, and when it came to pranks, Vincent was one of the best in the whole house.
As Daemon went to freshen up, Vincent rolled his eyes and replied. "There are no other Daemons in this house. And besides, this is a good thing; who knows, you might learn something interesting."
'Sounds like you already know what the lesson is about,' Daemon grumbled inwardly, then rinsed out his mouth, placing his toothbrush into the cabinet nailed to the wall. "Could you go pester Abel about this instead? I heard he's been skipping out on training."
"I know, but he shrinks back whenever I bring it up…" Vincent tilted his head to the side in thought. ''Got any ideas on how to get him to participate?"
"Why not have Mother talk to him?" Daemon proposed as he stepped out of the bathroom.
"I already tried that, but she told me to figure it out on my own," Vincent replied.
He shook his head wearily for a second before walking to the open room door. Without turning around, he then said with a casual tone, "Don't take too long to change. I'll be waiting outside."
'What's the point of waiting outside if you're just going to leave it open...?'
Daemon watched his brother's back peeved; the boy made no attempt to shut the door on his way out. He had a feeling Vincent did this on purpose to mess with him; however, he wasn't going to let it spoil his mood any further.
After calmly closing it, he moved towards the small closet to get dressed for the day, musing on what tricks his brother would play.
...
Two minutes later, having changed into a linen shirt and black trousers, Daemon stared at his mirror with uncertainty. His attire felt too similar to Vincent's.
'Maybe I should go with a different colored shirt or add some accessories.'
As that thought ran through his mind, he noticed a book missing from the bedside table. He was pretty sure he knew where it was.
Since they shared the same hobby, Abel, one of his many brothers, had a habit of taking books from his room, regardless of how many times he told him to get them from the library instead. He double-checked, and, sure enough, volume one of his favorite novel, "Monarch Of The Mysterious," was missing.
Now feeling defeated, Daemon headed towards the door for his boots. Tugging them on, he tied the coarse black laces and glanced back at the wall positioned left of his bed.
The same poster had been there since before he could remember.
"Protectors, Not Weapons."
The paint used had long become discolored, and the four edges were torn, but that simple quote remained vibrant.
They were his mother's words.
In the past Daemon thought them a heroic aspiration, but now he wasn't so sure.
Once upon a time, she was a war hero serving under the kingdom of Aegis. Then she'd thrown it all away, the title she worked for, and the love she had found along the way.
It was an act of treason like none had ever seen since the founding of the nation, yet the king, Charles V Darwin, had forgiven her of the transgressions in honor of her achievements under his kingship.
His kindness, however, wasn't for free.
In exchange for her freedom, she was commanded to lead her troops to resolve the civil unrest spreading through the capital of Koinonia, a neighboring kingdom to the east.
The city of Emporio was said to have been beautiful, bustling with all kinds of people, but by the time they had arrived, half its population had died during the conflict. The nation endured, and rebuilding began swiftly with support from Aegis, but the scars ran deep.
And it was there, in the recovering capital, she'd found them. Children crawling out of crates. Stumbling from under rubble. Sitting quietly in the burnt remains of their homes. Some clutched knives in trembling hands, and others were too numb to speak.
Nonetheless, she gathered them all and brought them here. To the House of Red Hill, a place where they could enjoy their childhoods before conflict could take it.
'This place was meant to be better than any militarized school. But they would have at least sent us outside after all the beatings we take...'
'Seriously, sometimes I wonder how any of it is considered training...'
As Daemon sighed, a heavy feeling settled in his chest.
At this moment Vincent peeked his head inside and asked, "Aren't you done yet?"
"Will you shut up?" Shuffling out of the room, Daemon stepped past Vincent with a frown.
The duo quietly headed towards the training grounds on the first floor, passing through the foyer and by the door of an empty classroom, the library, and the infinity.
As Daemon approached the doors of the training room, he paused at the entrance. The storm outside the windows had come to a gradual stop, and he could now hear the murmurs of his siblings.
"Did you see Castiel leaving with Mother during breakfest? I heard a priest's coming today to adopt him!"
"What? No way, Cass doesn't even speak."
"Isn't he Mother's favorite? Why would he be leaving?"
"It's probably just for a job. Think about it, why else would Diana be taking things so seriously?"
Daemon's brows creased as he heard their words. The chatter usually annoyed him, but he had already accepted that breakfast and training were precisely the hours when the family was the most talkative.
Curious, he straightened his shirt and looked back at Vincent. "Who's leading the combat class today?"
Vincent tilted his head slightly back and recalled something. "Speaking of which, Diana is the one leading the session."
"Huh? That...wild beast?"
"Yep." Vincent tapped his wooden sword on his shoulder and chuckled, "You should have seen the look on everyone's faces when she showed up."
Daemon glared at his brother once more.
'This isn't funny; she might actually kill me!!'