Elio Harbinger, a boy with sun-kissed skin, his brown medium-length hair tied in a messy ponytail, and his azure blue eyes, gazed calmly out the airplane window; he looked to his right to see his brother calmly reading a book. His brother's hair was shorter, but his brother's eyes were light green.
"Mom and Dad send us to gramps and Grandma," Elio said as he returned his gaze outside; with a yawn, he spoke lazily, "Kinda sucks; I wanted to know what meeting Mom and Dad were going and how dangerous it could've been to send us away."
Theodore Harbinger turned the page of his book and released a sigh."Well, from the information I managed to get, it seems tension is rising in the north, so Dad decided to hold a meeting with all twelve Wardens, though it looks like there's also tension in Japan," Theodore said as he turned the page of his book.
Elio seemed intrigued as he looked below, his eyes sharpening and narrowing as a small smile appeared on his lips. He huffed a bit and yawned again. He took out his phone and looked at his messages. He had numerous contacts, but he received more messages from his mother.
[Mother]: Elio, please take care of yourself. Also, please eat fewer sweets. I know how your mother and father spoil you two, especially you. Also, please refrain from doing anything, and I mean it. Don't go to places that pique your interest. Also, no! And I mean no dating!
Elio looked at the message with a deep expression, giving a thumbs up, and muttered, "I don't even date; I'm too young." Elio looked at his other contacts and read all the messages from others.
"You're fifteen, Elio. You have so many who have a crush on you, yet you deny it or ignore it; I can name them all childhood," Theodore said as he closed his book.
Elio snapped his finger as he opened his palm, a small ball of fire as he glared at his brother. "First off, that's when I was a kid, and second, you know I only have my heart set on Nero,"* Elio said, only for Theodore to sigh.
"Elio...look, she left, she rejected you, and you knew very well how the Claudius is, especially how they see dad," Theodore said with honesty, "and...she'll probably be betrothed to someone else."
Elio slumped in his chair as he looked at his phone, then at his gallery. Nero, his heart Thudding hard, as he looked through them, her smile, her eyes.
"I fucken hate it, but...I'll get the power to take her back."
"Even if you get the power you necessarily need, we are talking about the Claudius, currently with one being part of the eleven wardens of the south, Elio." Theodore ruffled Elio's hair gently, yet his eyes showed truth and honesty. "Their power is so great, it complex, especially father's, and the rest, the people call it gifts from god, and others called it a curse from the devil," Theodore said calmly.
"But everyone has their perspective and opinions, but what I see is it's a gift for those that want to help, just like Father, but a curse as our lives are shorter."
"Yeah, I know, but...why Japan? Doesn't Asia have their own? The twelve Shugosha?" Elio said as his senses spiked.
"Indeed, and it seems one of them finally senses our presence," Theodore said as he stood up, and his eyes changed to a yellow color as his hair became fiery.
The plane Theodore and Elio were in was sliced in half. Elio, with his laziness, smiled, and Theodore glared at the person —a tall, elegant woman with dark gray eyes and red, diamond-shaped pupils.
"Wow, isn't that the Shugosha? I forgot her name," Elio said calmly; Theodore sighed as he grabbed Elio and jumped off; the woman followed, the star marked on her forehead, and Theodore's eyes narrowed.
"Five, tsk great, just great," Theodore said as wings of red sprouted on his back; like flames, he fired off.
"Gonna flash~," Elio said as he snapped his finger, and a ball of flames pulsed. He threw it up.
-Flash-
The ball erupted in a blinding light. The woman's eyes narrowed, but her focus remained as the horn-like object on her forehead pulsed.
But Theodore's wings grew bigger, and the woman followed. The water below shot upwards to them like pillars. Theodore maneuvered around as the already visible stars on his cheek pulsed four.
"Okay, why is the old lady attacking us?" Elio said as he rubbed his chin. Theodore dodged a pillar of water that shot upwards in front, but then it became far greater than the woman.
"Wait." It was quiet, but yet Elio heard it. He raised an eyebrow and then smiled as he escaped Theodore, pulling him by the ear.
"What are you doing?" Theodore said as he grabbed Elio by the collar.
"She told us to wait," Elio said with a lazy smile, but Theodore's left eye twitched.
"And you want to? Are you stupid or insane" Theodore said coldly and almost angrily.
"Hey, insane runs in the Harbinger blood, plus, what's the worst that can happen?" Elio smiled as he yawned; Theodore clenched his jaw but stopped, his fiery wings flapping to a halt, and turned to the woman, who stood on a pillar of water.
"Yo!" Elio waved, but the woman looked at Elio as she walked closer. Pillars of water shot upwards from the water as the woman approached. A bigger one shot up, and Elio wiggled off Theodore and landed casually.
"How...did you hear her?" Theodore said as he landed, his wings still spread open. His right hand twitched, ready, as a blazing sword of flames on his left morphed, his eyes fixed on the woman.
"Dunno?" Elio said as the woman looked at Elio more intently. Elio noticed and smiled.
"Stop staring~ I'm young but too young~," Elio said but got a slap on the back from Theodore.
Elio looked down; the water looked like glass, yet he could see the fish and other sea creatures swimming beneath it. He casually went to the edge to know that it was like a waterfall; it was moving, but the top was like a platform.
"Intresting~"
The woman was amused."He's...strange...yet he's amusing...and warm."
Theodore heard and sighed as he nodded; he didn't let his guard down, yet he understood; Theodore was also so protective of Elio for many reasons; the past, the past of Elio, always haunted him, those dead, lifeless eyes of Elio he once saw, what his family from father side did with his little brother.
"He's..different," Theodore said as he looked at how Elio casually touched the running water.
"Okay, why did you attack us," Theodore said as he pointed his sword to the woman, who looked at Theodore with a calm, almost stoic expression.
"....I...wanted to ask if my student can have a match with him," the woman pointed at Elio, and Elio burst out laughing. And Theodore's wings seemed to become more fiery, like they wanted to burst, as Theodore had a tick mark on his forehead.
"That's all?! Are you serious? You're a Shugosha; why...fuck, did you have to destroy our plane? Their others may be others who can spar with your student," Theodore snarled, but Elio was having trouble controlling his laughter while the woman looked more amused by her reaction from Elio.
"Haha, okay...I accept; oh my god, my stomach hurts from laughing," Elio said as he stood up and wiped the tears from the laughing.
"I chose because...your two are from the Harbinger family, from Europe; I heard how a student, specifically you," the woman pointed at Elio, "the achievement you made, how they consider you the powerhouse, a one-star rank, and how you lead a group to the finals of the tournament," the woman's said.
"Elio, you aren't seriously going to accept," Theodore said, but Elio walked to the woman; Theodore released a sigh.
"Hey, sure, I led, but it's all about strategy, timing, and syncing; after all, it's not all about power," Elio said calmly and casually; Theodore, on the other hand, eyes narrowed but softened on Elio,
"so, where is this student of yours?"
Then, just in time, a girl landed beside the woman; Elio looked as he stared awestruck; the girl was the same age as Elio, but those red eyes, that beautiful blue silver hair, with a rose on the right top, sun-kissed skin, wearing regular clothes a blue shirt and pants, yet Elio shook his head.
"You are?"
The girl looked at Elio with the same expression that the woman had: calm, almost stoic, yet her eyes never left Elio's.
"Lethe" was all the girl named Lethe said as she walked close to Elio; she tilted her head and looked at him.
"You're warm...and smell...sea salt with coconut," Lethe said calmly and stoically. Yet, the eyes never lie; they held interest and intrigue as they slightly narrowed, and Lethe's nose twitched from Elio's scent.
"Are you....going to be attending...the academy?" Lethe said as she circled Elio, who was now intrigued himself as he saw an imaginary image of Nero; Theodore's eyes narrowed but stared at the stars in Lethe collarbone that were pulsating, two stars, then stared at Elio; his visible stars were on Neck calm, but a bit red, like flames.
"It's better if this is settled at the academy; my brother would be joining; also, may I know the name of the Shugosha?" Theodore asked as he stared at the Shugosha woman who was watching Elio and Lethe.
"Fleurdelys," the woman calmly turned around as the pillar began to lower itself. Lethe followed but turned her head and gave a slight smile, nodding. "Let's meet at the academy."
Theodore grabbed Elio and flew off in a burst of flames.
_
Japan
"So that was a great start," Elio yawned as he grabbed a popsicle from the store; Theodore was now normal. His eyes were sharp and light green, and his short brown hair was noticeable. He sighed as he looked at Elio.
"Next time you want to do somthing, please, for the love of god, talk to me; what if she was an enemy or possibly could have kidnapped you?" Theodore looked at Elio seriously, who was paying for his popsicle.
"Bro, calm down, will ya?" Elio unwrapped his popsicle, red and glistening, as he enjoyed the refreshing taste, as he hummed, "Plus, I don't just do without thinking. Father, being a warden, has more power, especially our last name; she knew who we were and wouldn't risk it," Elio hummed as they walked out of the store and stayed under the shade.
"With how tensions are rising, it seems some other places are having problems with somthing; they probably want to keep everything and act to keep people from panicking or getting scared."
"Whatever it is, it won't matter. Father will probably call out to his own meeting with his great friends; Mother would use her power to leverage the media and others to keep everything hidden. After all, one should be trusted as Father is a cautious man." Theodore looked up at the blue sky as it was clear, "Now I just need to explain to Father about the plane... Mother would probably not like it."
Elio shrugged as he finished his popsicle, the stick he spun between his fingers. "Mother won't; she would probably confront the Shugosha, Fleurdelys, so don't lie or leave anything out; it's difficult to hide things from Mother." Elio turned to Theodore, who nodded as he took out his phone.
"I'll call her later; for now, let's head to gramps and Grandma." Theodore began to walk, and Elio burned the popsicle stick as he followed.
"I wonder what Alexander or Silvio are doing," Elio muttered as he took out his phone; he went to messengers, a group chat named The Six Dumdasses.
Alex_the_Great: Fuck! I forgot my homework. Sil, lend it to me, please, man
The_Rich: Wait, we had homework? I'll bribe.
Sil: Absolute dumbass
pendragon: Are you two retarded or just special
Sil: They are both, I swear to God; how did I even become friends with you two?
Alex_the_Great: Maybe because you care, and also, I bailed you out whenever your sister takes you to train, though I don't mind
The_Rich: Facts, I learn more from your sister than the teachers, if you know what I mean.
Sil: Kill yourself, both of you
Nicolas: Don't tell them that; they would probably kill themselves
Elio looked at the chat and scrolled up. "Out of all the chat, this looks civil and normal."
as Theodore and Elio walked, Theodore spoke on the phone, and Elio looked around lazily, his eyes wandering around as he smiled a bit; it was a fantastic neighborhood, especially since he visited his grandparents in the past when he was saved; he knew some of the neighbors and also had some childhood memories here.