Nassir had not wanted to be reborn into Norland and the universe of *City of Sin*, but he had not been given a choice in the matter. Fortunately, he had not been left out to dry by the mysterious god who brought him, he had been born into one of the more powerful families on the continent and was blessed with talent few ever had. There was not much else he could ask for, given the circumstances. There was one thing that he wished was different, he wished his mother was less of a hard ass.
Even now at just shy of eight years old he was already up before dawn training on how to use the sword.
"Again" his mother called out from the side, her voice impassive as always.
He swung the sword following the forms she had taught him months ago. It was hard, not just because his body was that of a young child -his bloodline and rune more than made up for that- it was something else. There was something in the moves themselves that made them difficult to do and comprehend, even for his mind. Regardless he persisted because he saw improvement. Only weeks ago he could barely lift the sword, now he was able to get to the third form before he tired out.
With his instructions clear he began the sequence of forms over again. He would continue to do so until the it was time for breakfast or until his mother was satisfied. Whichever came first- it was usually the former.
"Remember, your feet are the most important" his mother said from the side, her way of telling him his footwork needed to be adjusted.
He moved his feet slightly, where he remembered his mother telling him they should be when she first showed him the technique. Immediately he felt his struggles ease slightly. It really was all in the feet.
"Good, you adjust fast. This will help you a lot in the future. Those with quick minds live longer."
This gave him a slight pause and reminded him again what type of world he was now in. Faust and Norland and the other continents of this plane were not like his home world. Peace was not a thing here, not even for the powerful. Strength and Conquest ruled. If you did not have the strength to protect yourself or the ability to be under someone who could protect you, you did not have a good life.
Even those like him from powerful families, while they had some privileges and resources. The responsibilities on their backs were heavy and should they fail to reach them, the best they could hope for would be becoming a stallion for their bloodline. The worst, outcasted and exiled from the family. A fate truly worse than death.
He was one of the lucky ones in this regard as he would most certainly become a stallion, given his bloodline purity is so high. That was not a future he wanted to see though. If he was gonna have a lot of sex - which he planned on doing- it would be on his terms!
Fortunately, he had no plans of becoming a wastrel. He had been gifted too many benefits to do so! Born as the eldest child of the Emperor, born with a natural rune, and with a high purity of a powerful epic grade bloodline. He would be a fool to squander such an opportunity. And with the help of his mother who was also a legend in her own right, he would reach heights untold. But unlike his father and mother, he would not reach them using internal energy, no he would be a mage.
Learning the sword didn't hurt though. In the story Richard proved that spellswords were a powerful combination and who was he to go against facts.
Time passed quickly as he thought and before long he finished the third form flawlessly and moved into the fourth, but as he brought his sword down for the slash he felt his arms give away and his legs felt like jelly. With a sigh he let the sword fall from his hands and pierce into the stone floor. He sucked deeply on the air as he tried to catch his breath.
He felt a hand land on his shoulder. He looked up to see his smiling mother looking down at him. "Your forms were perfect then. Soon you will be capable of reaching the fourth form. You are progressing exceptionally Nassir."
He couldn't help but smile at the compliment. He might be from a different world with memories of a different life, but what person did not like to hear a mothers compliment. He could've been in his sixties and if an eighty year old woman complimented him he would be over the moon.
A blush rose to his cheeks as he relished in the feeling.
"Thank you mother, I will do my best to not disappoint you." he declared, standing straight even though his body screamed in protest.
"It is not me you must not disappoint, my son."
"I know mother, I must show my value to father and the family." he said almost robotically, his mother nodded in approval, "But I still wish to prove I am worthy of being your son too." he said looking up at her with bright eyes.
His mothers smiled widened a little "You have not disappointed me yet. Now, come your father has called a meeting of the family. We must arrive on time and you still need to bathe and dress."
Nassir nodded his head, but in truth he did not want to go but there was no budging one this with his mother nor did he wish to offend his father. When it came to his father his mother was almost fanatical in her reverence of the man and he could not for the life of him understand why that was so. Sure, he was Emperor and was powerful in his own right, but that did not make up for the reverence she held for him. She practically worshipped him.
He had heard that she had once been his follower up until his birth and her reverence would make since if she had been a follower from a weak or lowly family, but his mother was from the Turing family. The third strongest family in the alliance. And she was a member from the main branch and carried the bloodline strongly in her. He reverence for the Emperor should not be as strong as it was.
In the grand scheme of things it mattered little that his mother loved her husband so much. It was just a peculiarity, one he noticed was not reflected in the other wives of the Emperor or his many other mistresses running around the palace.
While his mother adored his father, he did not know how to feel with his father. He was sure he had seen the man more than any of his other siblings would see the man in their entire lives. He was summoned to visit the man twice a week over dinner. Where, while gorging as much food as his body could handle, he would give a succinct and detailed summary of everything he has done within those days. All the while being stared down by the most powerful man in the Empire. It was truly a hellish affair. He did not even get to truly enjoy the food, his tongue did not even touch most of it.
His father valued ones appetite over everything else and how much one could eat mattered tremendously to him. And if he wished to stay in the man's good graces he needed to form a bottomless pit of a stomach. So on days where he met with his father he did not eat and was prepared to sleep until mid day the next day after consuming the energy rich foods.
As far as Nassir knew, his father had only met his other siblings twice each. Once on the day they were born and a second time on their first birthday. After that the man is absent from their lives completely.
But now his siblings would meet their shared father for a third time. And although he did not know why they were meeting , he had a good idea why. It was just the time he was looking for. He was hoping that now he would finally be able to get off this damned island in a few years at least.
Soon he was bathed and dressed in his finest clothing and headed towards the grand dining room. The walk was a short one as his quarters was located nearer the central area of the Castle, a great privilege his mother had been given. When they arrived the doors were opened by the knights guarding the door. The room was already fully packed which worried him some, but when he did not smell any food his shoulders lightened.