Lake was only a baby when his father remarried. The only mother he ever knew was his step-mother. When he was two, his first sibling was born. Even though Lake and Wesley had different mothers, and were vastly different boys, they were true brothers nonetheless.
Eventually, however, Wesley’s mother grew to be cruel and abusive as she fell into bad habits, poor choices, and addictions to things that children their age should never see. When their father died of an accident, she became the head of the household and turned the boys out onto the streets at the young ages of 14 and 16.
At first, they stayed close to the city, (they had grown up there, after all.) But then people started becoming curious about Lake’s name and parentage, and since they could no longer protect themselves properly if found out, they left for Saint Leon. There they wandered until they found a small farming town, where Lake was able to get a job and Wesley was able to go to school.
Eventually, however, Wesley’s mother grew to be cruel and abusive as she fell into bad habits, poor choices, and addictions to things that children their age should never see. When their father died of an accident, she became the head of the household and turned the boys out onto the streets at the young ages of 14 and 16.
At first, they stayed close to the city, (they had grown up there, after all.) But then people started becoming curious about Lake’s name and parentage, and since they could no longer protect themselves properly if found out, they left for Saint Leon. There they wandered until they found a small farming town, where Lake was able to get a job and Wesley was able to go to school.
“I’m home!” Wesley called out before tossing his bag on the floor. He came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, eager to see what was for dinner.
Lake was cooking something in a pan on the stove, not bothering to look at his brother, staying focused on the food in front of him. “How was school?”
Wesley shrugged and then remembered that Lake wasn’t looking at him. “The usual. The history teacher was extra boring today, but I think I have notes on all the actually important things now.” He swung his feet a bit under the table. “So, what’d you do at work today?”
Lake picked up the pan and set it on top of a potholder on the table. “Mostly helped harvest the crops.” He paused, then grinned. “And I have good news, too.” He sat down in his chair next to Wesley. “The boss said that when he retires in a year or two, he’ll let me have the farm.”
Wesley slowly processed this. “That means...”
“That means we’ll be completely independent.” Lake finished for him. “We’ll be able to pay all the bills more easily, since we’ll be selling the crops ourselves. You won’t have to get a job over the summer anymore.”
Wesley stared at him with a stupidly happy grin on his face.
Lake grinned back. “This is the best thing to happen to us for- well, for years.”
“I can’t believe it, this is great! This is more than great, this is fantastic!” Wesley said enthusiastically.
“Yeah. We might even be able to send you to a university someday.” Said Lake delightedly.
Wesley lit up at the suggestion. “You really think so?”
Lake nodded. “If we’re smart, and we save our money, we should have enough for Saint Leon University. It’s an expensive school since it’s in the capital city, but it’s far less expensive than many other schools are.”
Wesley looked like he couldn’t possibly smile any more without defying the laws of nature.
Lake almost laughed joyfully at his brother’s excitement, but held himself back. “We’d better eat before the food gets cold, okay?”
Wesley looked down at the food, having gotten about it, and then started to dig in with all the vigor of a hungry teenager. Lake joined in and they spent the evening excitedly making plans for the farm.
Lake was cooking something in a pan on the stove, not bothering to look at his brother, staying focused on the food in front of him. “How was school?”
Wesley shrugged and then remembered that Lake wasn’t looking at him. “The usual. The history teacher was extra boring today, but I think I have notes on all the actually important things now.” He swung his feet a bit under the table. “So, what’d you do at work today?”
Lake picked up the pan and set it on top of a potholder on the table. “Mostly helped harvest the crops.” He paused, then grinned. “And I have good news, too.” He sat down in his chair next to Wesley. “The boss said that when he retires in a year or two, he’ll let me have the farm.”
Wesley slowly processed this. “That means...”
“That means we’ll be completely independent.” Lake finished for him. “We’ll be able to pay all the bills more easily, since we’ll be selling the crops ourselves. You won’t have to get a job over the summer anymore.”
Wesley stared at him with a stupidly happy grin on his face.
Lake grinned back. “This is the best thing to happen to us for- well, for years.”
“I can’t believe it, this is great! This is more than great, this is fantastic!” Wesley said enthusiastically.
“Yeah. We might even be able to send you to a university someday.” Said Lake delightedly.
Wesley lit up at the suggestion. “You really think so?”
Lake nodded. “If we’re smart, and we save our money, we should have enough for Saint Leon University. It’s an expensive school since it’s in the capital city, but it’s far less expensive than many other schools are.”
Wesley looked like he couldn’t possibly smile any more without defying the laws of nature.
Lake almost laughed joyfully at his brother’s excitement, but held himself back. “We’d better eat before the food gets cold, okay?”
Wesley looked down at the food, having gotten about it, and then started to dig in with all the vigor of a hungry teenager. Lake joined in and they spent the evening excitedly making plans for the farm.
Then one day, Wesley found Shou.
He was coming home from school when he spotted something going on in an alleyway. There was a small, ragged child half collapsed against a wall, half wrapped in a blanket and covered in bruises and other injuries. And, of course, there were some bigger children, about Wesley’s age, who were saying things he didn’t dare repeat while they continued to hurt their victim.
When he saw the oldest one roughly kick the child in the ribs, he dropped his book bag and readied himself to take action.
“Hey jerks!”
The boy that had kicked the child turned and looked at him, glaring. “What do you want, Einar? Can’t you go poke your nose back where it belongs? Or has that mutt you call a brother made you forget your manners already?”
Wesley hissed a bit under his breath. “Leave the kid alone, and I’ll leave you alone.”
They laughed at him. He glared at them harder. He’d grown up in a military city. Even if he didn’t look like it, he could fight just as well as they could, maybe even better. “You don’t know who you’re messing with, dimwits.”
“Oh really now?” A girl asked cockily. “What are you, some sort of equalist hero? We all know that the races are better off left pure. Everyone agrees on that much.”
“I’m not some sheep, I can make my own choices, unlike you who just parrot every opinion you hear from your parents. Now leave the kid alone or I’ll make you!”
One of the boys scoffed, so he did the dirty thing and kicked him straight up the legs, leaving his opponent to fall over in pain.
The other boy yelled profanities at him, so Wesley punched him in the face and kicked him in the gut, dodging the sloppily aimed blows with ease. Lake’s lessons had been much more difficult than this back alley fight was turning out to be.
The girl was the only one left now, so he merely shoved her hard into the brick wall and scooped up the small child that they’d been bullying, before running off in the direction of home. In the direction of Lake. Lake, who would help, who always fixed things and knew what to do.
About halfway home, he slowed to a walk, a stitch in his side burning as he hurried. He held the younger kid close, not pausing or slowing to even look at their face. That could wait. First he needed Lake.
When he got home he was about to shove the door open with his shoulder since his hands were full of child, but it swung open before he could even touch it. He stumbled clumsily straight into a big person. A person who was slightly too big for his age. A person with skin that was tanned from labor under the sun. A person with equally blue eyes and hair when he looked up to see who it was.
Lake.
His brother.
He ignored the disapproving glare and shoved the child at him.
“Wha-?” Lake took the bundled-up child uncertainly. “Wesley, what were you doing after school today? Where are your books? And why did you just hand me a child?” Lake asked sternly.
“I… well. They were hurting him? Her? The other kids were being mean and- and I don’t know, I just grabbed the kid and left?” Wesley answered, tripping over his words.
Lake let out a carefully controlled sigh.
“Wesley,” he started.
“I’m sorry-”
“Nope. Not now. You can apologize and all that after we fix this. Then we’re going to talk about what happened, alright?”
Wesley deflated a bit. “Alright.”
Lake went over to their somewhat decent sofa and laid the child down. Said child just shakily curled up into a smaller ball as if they thought that they had only been brought here for a different brand of torture.
“Hey there,” Lake said gently. “It’s okay now. You’re safe. You probably want to get cleaned up, right? Cleaned up and warm and fed and all that?”
The blanket bundle shifted a bit, a pair of eyes peeking out now.
Lake slowly sat down next to the child.
He gestured to his brother. “Wesley here is going to make you some food, so when you’re ready to eat, you can have that.”
Well then. He went off to the kitchen at the cue, leaving Lake alone with the small child.
Gradually the blanket-bundled child stopped shaking and poked a head out.
Lake smiled encouragingly.
The child looked at him for a couple seconds and then hid back inside the blanket, once again fully hidden.
So he started reading a book instead. It wasn’t a very interesting book, just one about agriculture, but it seemed to put the child a little more at ease, and soon they poked their head out again to look around.
It was a boy, a young boy, only about 10 perhaps, but still too small for his age. He had what was probably fluffy hair that was currently dirty tangles, and it was hard to tell what color anything but his eyes were. Although said eyes changed color almost every time Lake looked at him, which meant that he was probably a halfie.
Lake bit back a sigh and focused on keeping his posture open and friendly. Hopefully the kid would start warming up to him soon.
He scooched about an inch closer, and looked up at Lake with a scrutinizing gaze. But as soon as he realized that Lake was looking back, even though it was just out of the corner of his eye, he dropped his gaze elsewhere.
By the time that Wesley was done with the soup, the boy had gotten close enough to Lake to touch and was ever so slightly leaning against him.
When Wesley held the bowl of soup out to him, he just stared back at it, so Lake accepted the bowl, and Wesley sat down on his opposite side to peek at the boy in a not-so-subtle way.
Lake stirred up the soup a bit and then shifted so that he’d be in a better position to feed the kid if it came to that.
“You want some soup, pal?”
The boy looked at the soup, then up at Lake, and nodded.
Lake smiled, and gently handed the bowl over. He watched as cautious hands explored the dish with the spoon before scooping up a carrot to taste. The boy blinked slowly, and continued to eat.
Soon enough the bowl was empty, and the boy was sleeping in Lake’s lap, the older one gently stroking his hair, already loath to give the child up to anyone else.
That night Lake and Wesley talked for a long time. They talked about many things, but mostly about the boy. The boy they then took in, who they eventually discovered was named Shou, who soon became an Einar and made a home in their hearts as their youngest brother.
Life was better than before now that they had Shou. If anything, harder, yes, but better all the same.
Things weren’t easy, but it was enough.
Life was enough.
He was coming home from school when he spotted something going on in an alleyway. There was a small, ragged child half collapsed against a wall, half wrapped in a blanket and covered in bruises and other injuries. And, of course, there were some bigger children, about Wesley’s age, who were saying things he didn’t dare repeat while they continued to hurt their victim.
When he saw the oldest one roughly kick the child in the ribs, he dropped his book bag and readied himself to take action.
“Hey jerks!”
The boy that had kicked the child turned and looked at him, glaring. “What do you want, Einar? Can’t you go poke your nose back where it belongs? Or has that mutt you call a brother made you forget your manners already?”
Wesley hissed a bit under his breath. “Leave the kid alone, and I’ll leave you alone.”
They laughed at him. He glared at them harder. He’d grown up in a military city. Even if he didn’t look like it, he could fight just as well as they could, maybe even better. “You don’t know who you’re messing with, dimwits.”
“Oh really now?” A girl asked cockily. “What are you, some sort of equalist hero? We all know that the races are better off left pure. Everyone agrees on that much.”
“I’m not some sheep, I can make my own choices, unlike you who just parrot every opinion you hear from your parents. Now leave the kid alone or I’ll make you!”
One of the boys scoffed, so he did the dirty thing and kicked him straight up the legs, leaving his opponent to fall over in pain.
The other boy yelled profanities at him, so Wesley punched him in the face and kicked him in the gut, dodging the sloppily aimed blows with ease. Lake’s lessons had been much more difficult than this back alley fight was turning out to be.
The girl was the only one left now, so he merely shoved her hard into the brick wall and scooped up the small child that they’d been bullying, before running off in the direction of home. In the direction of Lake. Lake, who would help, who always fixed things and knew what to do.
About halfway home, he slowed to a walk, a stitch in his side burning as he hurried. He held the younger kid close, not pausing or slowing to even look at their face. That could wait. First he needed Lake.
When he got home he was about to shove the door open with his shoulder since his hands were full of child, but it swung open before he could even touch it. He stumbled clumsily straight into a big person. A person who was slightly too big for his age. A person with skin that was tanned from labor under the sun. A person with equally blue eyes and hair when he looked up to see who it was.
Lake.
His brother.
He ignored the disapproving glare and shoved the child at him.
“Wha-?” Lake took the bundled-up child uncertainly. “Wesley, what were you doing after school today? Where are your books? And why did you just hand me a child?” Lake asked sternly.
“I… well. They were hurting him? Her? The other kids were being mean and- and I don’t know, I just grabbed the kid and left?” Wesley answered, tripping over his words.
Lake let out a carefully controlled sigh.
“Wesley,” he started.
“I’m sorry-”
“Nope. Not now. You can apologize and all that after we fix this. Then we’re going to talk about what happened, alright?”
Wesley deflated a bit. “Alright.”
Lake went over to their somewhat decent sofa and laid the child down. Said child just shakily curled up into a smaller ball as if they thought that they had only been brought here for a different brand of torture.
“Hey there,” Lake said gently. “It’s okay now. You’re safe. You probably want to get cleaned up, right? Cleaned up and warm and fed and all that?”
The blanket bundle shifted a bit, a pair of eyes peeking out now.
Lake slowly sat down next to the child.
He gestured to his brother. “Wesley here is going to make you some food, so when you’re ready to eat, you can have that.”
Well then. He went off to the kitchen at the cue, leaving Lake alone with the small child.
Gradually the blanket-bundled child stopped shaking and poked a head out.
Lake smiled encouragingly.
The child looked at him for a couple seconds and then hid back inside the blanket, once again fully hidden.
So he started reading a book instead. It wasn’t a very interesting book, just one about agriculture, but it seemed to put the child a little more at ease, and soon they poked their head out again to look around.
It was a boy, a young boy, only about 10 perhaps, but still too small for his age. He had what was probably fluffy hair that was currently dirty tangles, and it was hard to tell what color anything but his eyes were. Although said eyes changed color almost every time Lake looked at him, which meant that he was probably a halfie.
Lake bit back a sigh and focused on keeping his posture open and friendly. Hopefully the kid would start warming up to him soon.
He scooched about an inch closer, and looked up at Lake with a scrutinizing gaze. But as soon as he realized that Lake was looking back, even though it was just out of the corner of his eye, he dropped his gaze elsewhere.
By the time that Wesley was done with the soup, the boy had gotten close enough to Lake to touch and was ever so slightly leaning against him.
When Wesley held the bowl of soup out to him, he just stared back at it, so Lake accepted the bowl, and Wesley sat down on his opposite side to peek at the boy in a not-so-subtle way.
Lake stirred up the soup a bit and then shifted so that he’d be in a better position to feed the kid if it came to that.
“You want some soup, pal?”
The boy looked at the soup, then up at Lake, and nodded.
Lake smiled, and gently handed the bowl over. He watched as cautious hands explored the dish with the spoon before scooping up a carrot to taste. The boy blinked slowly, and continued to eat.
Soon enough the bowl was empty, and the boy was sleeping in Lake’s lap, the older one gently stroking his hair, already loath to give the child up to anyone else.
That night Lake and Wesley talked for a long time. They talked about many things, but mostly about the boy. The boy they then took in, who they eventually discovered was named Shou, who soon became an Einar and made a home in their hearts as their youngest brother.
Life was better than before now that they had Shou. If anything, harder, yes, but better all the same.
Things weren’t easy, but it was enough.
Life was enough.
And then Wesley graduated school.
Shou was a prime target for bullies, being the only halfie in the area with the exception of Lake. Now that Wesley was no longer there to keep kids at bay, all the older kids found sport in goading and taunting him, knowing that his temper would always get the better of him in the end, no matter how hard he tried. He had a reputation, after all.
And if there was one thing he hated the most, it was when they insulted his family.
“Your brothers are just cowards-”
The boy who said that got a shoe in the face. They were holding him by the arms since they had learned by now that he’d punch them when given the chance, but there was nothing keeping his feet on the ground.
He gave that kid an extra hit in the “unmentionables” to boot.
It wasn’t until he’d taken several hits to the face himself and had nearly wrenched himself free of the hold that they had him in, hair black with anger, that a teacher had bothered to actually show up.
Shou was a prime target for bullies, being the only halfie in the area with the exception of Lake. Now that Wesley was no longer there to keep kids at bay, all the older kids found sport in goading and taunting him, knowing that his temper would always get the better of him in the end, no matter how hard he tried. He had a reputation, after all.
And if there was one thing he hated the most, it was when they insulted his family.
“Your brothers are just cowards-”
The boy who said that got a shoe in the face. They were holding him by the arms since they had learned by now that he’d punch them when given the chance, but there was nothing keeping his feet on the ground.
He gave that kid an extra hit in the “unmentionables” to boot.
It wasn’t until he’d taken several hits to the face himself and had nearly wrenched himself free of the hold that they had him in, hair black with anger, that a teacher had bothered to actually show up.
He sat outside, on the steps, a cold cloth to his nose, face showing a trail of pain all the way from forehead to chin on the side. It throbbed and hurt, the blood from his nose warming the cloth and staining it red.
He was going to get suspended again. His brothers were going to be disappointed. Lake would probably fix up his face for him and then give him extra chores. Wesley would probably sneak him some hot cocoa after Lake had gone to bed and stay up late with him goofing off to cheer him up.
Except… things at home were more tense now. Now that Wesley had graduated, Lake wanted to send him to Saint Leon University, just like Wesley had always dreamed, but he also knew that Wesley didn’t want Lake to do that. He heard the conversations between them, late at night and early in the morning, when he was supposed to be sleeping.
Last night, for example, when he’d had yet another dream about being abandoned by his father. He’d gotten up around midnight, when the moon was at its highest.
He’d slid out of his bed, bare feet touching the cool wooden planks of his room, and pattered to the hall. He’d been hoping that someone was up. Preferably Wesley, since Lake was overworking himself these days.
He stepped carefully down the stairs, doing his best to make sure that he didn’t step on any squeaky boards. But then he paused when he heard voices in the kitchen.
He froze, listening. He couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, but he could tell that it was about the draft again, and that the conversation was tense.
Lake and Wesley were probably arguing about it again. Wesley wanted to go. Lake didn’t want him to. They’d had plans for a long time to send him to Saint Leon University, and Lake wanted him to be able to fully realize his dream of becoming a real scholar.
Now that Shou had found a true home, a true family, he wasn’t about to let it go. He didn’t want Wesley to go, as selfish as he knew it was. He didn’t say it out loud, but he could tell that his brothers heard his unspoken words anyway.
Wesley turned out to be the one who picked him up from school that day. He sighed and hefted his workbag higher onto his shoulder, slinging his other arm around his younger brother.
“So, Shou. You gonna tell me how you got that pretty little paint job there?” He asked as they started down the path to home.
Shou groused a bit. “John and his cronies.”
Wesley nodded understandingly. “They got you again, eh?”
“Yeah…” He said despondently.
Wesley pulled him a bit closer, almost tripping as he did so. “Those teachers are utterly useless, if you ask me. It’s a miracle anyone graduates from that school.”
“Wes, you graduated from that school.” Shou reminded him.
“And not a minute too soon, you little twerp.” He softened. “But I do wish I could keep them off your back for you…”
Shou nodded. He missed the feeling of security from the older days.
“But let’s not focus on the negative, eh? There’re a lot of good things we can talk about instead.” He flashed Shou an impish grin. “I got some sweets from a girl at work. There are some molasses ones. I know you like those. Better have some before Lake rides up your pants about the trouble at school.”
Shou huffed a small laugh and accepted a handful from Wesley. “Thanks, Wes.”
Wesley grinned and shrugged, purposefully looking away to hide his fondness. “Someone’s gotta spoil you. Make up for all those years without it, you know?”
Shou stuffed a couple of the candies in his mouth. “Sure, just keep telling yourself it’s not my incredibly attractive personality.”
Wesley laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately.
They spent the rest of the walk home bantering between the two of them, taking and giving verbal jabs in play.
When they got to the house, Wesley separated his arm from Shou’s shoulder and opened the door announcing the fact that they were home in case Lake was there. He wasn’t usually, but Wesley did like the feeling of doing that, anyway.
But, to their surprise, Lake was there, sitting at the kitchen table and frowning a bit at a letter he was reading. He startled and shoved the paper back into his pocket and stood, putting away his worried face and trading it for a stern one when he saw them.
“Shou, your face.”
Shou wilted a bit, and his hand drifted up to it, remembering the pain that had faded during the frivolous conversation during their walk home.
“Come here.” Lake gestured him over and he came, like a puppy that knew it was in trouble.
Lake gently took his smaller face in his slightly too big hands and examined it, giving him a good looking-over. The bruises were more pronounced now, a smattering of discoloration dancing up his face. Lake frowned disapprovingly. This was the third time this month already he’d come home like this, although typically the injuries weren’t as noticeable. Normally, the bullies were at least smart enough to abuse him in more… subtle ways .
Lake caught himself when he saw the distress on Shou’s face. He’d been putting too much pressure on his brother’s face, and he dropped his hands at his side, turning to the counter and grabbing a towel, then wrapping it around a piece of ice from the icebox. He took a moment to calm his demeanor, then handed the compress to Shou.
“Here. You know the drill. Go sit on the sofa.”
Shou looked like he was about to say something about the letter. But thought better of it and didn’t, going to sit on the sofa as told.
Lake forced himself to relax more. Everything was fine. Well… other than the bullying problem, everything was fine. And everything was going to be fine as well. As long as he lived, he would make sure of that. For the sake of his brothers.
He would make it be enough.
Wesley gave him a look that he knew meant that he’d be interrogated over the letter later. But not now. Right now Shou needed them. And since they were here they would do their best to help.
But after Lake had finally carried Shou up to bed and shut his brother’s bedroom door, Wesley took him by the arm.
“Lake-”
“Not now, Wes.” He said quietly. “I- this isn’t your concern right now.”
Wesley’s face stiffened. “It’s the draft, isn’t it?”
“Wes…”
“So it is. Lake, you… you know you can’t go.”
“Wesley, I- there’s no other option.”
“Yes there is.”
“What-”
Wesley looked down at the ground abashedly and then up, this time with more confidence. “I can go.”
“But- Wes, you’re- you’re only 18, you just became an adult a few months ago.”
“If you go, you know what’ll happen.” He said stubbornly.
Lake took in a sharp breath, then sighed. “I… I can’t let you. If I don’t go-”
“-then you’ll be safe here, with Shou.”
“But I can’t- “
“I can. I can go. Lake, if they find out you’re a dragon halfling they’ll- they’ll deport you at best.”
Lake ran a hand through his hair. “What am I supposed to do? Send my younger brother off to war and hope for the best?”
“Yes. It’s the best choice for all of us.”
“No, no it’s not. I can hide it, Wes, I’ve been hiding it for years!” He caught himself and lowered his voice again. “I’ll survive. I’m a fighter, we both know that. You’re- you’re not.”
“I’ll be fine. A war can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“But what if it does? What do we do then? What if you never come back and all we get-” Lake choked back a sob.
“But you won’t.”
“You’re being stupidly cocky, Wes. War isn’t a plaything.” He retorted.
Wes flinched. “You think I don’t know that?” He hissed. “I’m only thinking of all of us, Lake. Shou needs you more than me. It’s not a big deal. I- you were planning on sending me off to university anyway, right?” He kept talking, words rushed. “This’ll be like that. Except- except you won’t have to help me pay tuition and I’ll be earning money instead.”
“No.”
“But Lake-”
“No.” This time his voice was more firm. “We’re not talking about this right now, Wesley.” He rubbed his face tiredly. “We can finish this conversation tomorrow. At a decent hour when the sun is still up. I’ll think of something. I refuse to send you off to answer the draft.”
Wesley almost spoke again, but then stopped himself. “Very well.”
“Good night.”
“Night…”
That was the last time they saw his face for two years.
He was going to get suspended again. His brothers were going to be disappointed. Lake would probably fix up his face for him and then give him extra chores. Wesley would probably sneak him some hot cocoa after Lake had gone to bed and stay up late with him goofing off to cheer him up.
Except… things at home were more tense now. Now that Wesley had graduated, Lake wanted to send him to Saint Leon University, just like Wesley had always dreamed, but he also knew that Wesley didn’t want Lake to do that. He heard the conversations between them, late at night and early in the morning, when he was supposed to be sleeping.
Last night, for example, when he’d had yet another dream about being abandoned by his father. He’d gotten up around midnight, when the moon was at its highest.
He’d slid out of his bed, bare feet touching the cool wooden planks of his room, and pattered to the hall. He’d been hoping that someone was up. Preferably Wesley, since Lake was overworking himself these days.
He stepped carefully down the stairs, doing his best to make sure that he didn’t step on any squeaky boards. But then he paused when he heard voices in the kitchen.
He froze, listening. He couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, but he could tell that it was about the draft again, and that the conversation was tense.
Lake and Wesley were probably arguing about it again. Wesley wanted to go. Lake didn’t want him to. They’d had plans for a long time to send him to Saint Leon University, and Lake wanted him to be able to fully realize his dream of becoming a real scholar.
Now that Shou had found a true home, a true family, he wasn’t about to let it go. He didn’t want Wesley to go, as selfish as he knew it was. He didn’t say it out loud, but he could tell that his brothers heard his unspoken words anyway.
Wesley turned out to be the one who picked him up from school that day. He sighed and hefted his workbag higher onto his shoulder, slinging his other arm around his younger brother.
“So, Shou. You gonna tell me how you got that pretty little paint job there?” He asked as they started down the path to home.
Shou groused a bit. “John and his cronies.”
Wesley nodded understandingly. “They got you again, eh?”
“Yeah…” He said despondently.
Wesley pulled him a bit closer, almost tripping as he did so. “Those teachers are utterly useless, if you ask me. It’s a miracle anyone graduates from that school.”
“Wes, you graduated from that school.” Shou reminded him.
“And not a minute too soon, you little twerp.” He softened. “But I do wish I could keep them off your back for you…”
Shou nodded. He missed the feeling of security from the older days.
“But let’s not focus on the negative, eh? There’re a lot of good things we can talk about instead.” He flashed Shou an impish grin. “I got some sweets from a girl at work. There are some molasses ones. I know you like those. Better have some before Lake rides up your pants about the trouble at school.”
Shou huffed a small laugh and accepted a handful from Wesley. “Thanks, Wes.”
Wesley grinned and shrugged, purposefully looking away to hide his fondness. “Someone’s gotta spoil you. Make up for all those years without it, you know?”
Shou stuffed a couple of the candies in his mouth. “Sure, just keep telling yourself it’s not my incredibly attractive personality.”
Wesley laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately.
They spent the rest of the walk home bantering between the two of them, taking and giving verbal jabs in play.
When they got to the house, Wesley separated his arm from Shou’s shoulder and opened the door announcing the fact that they were home in case Lake was there. He wasn’t usually, but Wesley did like the feeling of doing that, anyway.
But, to their surprise, Lake was there, sitting at the kitchen table and frowning a bit at a letter he was reading. He startled and shoved the paper back into his pocket and stood, putting away his worried face and trading it for a stern one when he saw them.
“Shou, your face.”
Shou wilted a bit, and his hand drifted up to it, remembering the pain that had faded during the frivolous conversation during their walk home.
“Come here.” Lake gestured him over and he came, like a puppy that knew it was in trouble.
Lake gently took his smaller face in his slightly too big hands and examined it, giving him a good looking-over. The bruises were more pronounced now, a smattering of discoloration dancing up his face. Lake frowned disapprovingly. This was the third time this month already he’d come home like this, although typically the injuries weren’t as noticeable. Normally, the bullies were at least smart enough to abuse him in more… subtle ways .
Lake caught himself when he saw the distress on Shou’s face. He’d been putting too much pressure on his brother’s face, and he dropped his hands at his side, turning to the counter and grabbing a towel, then wrapping it around a piece of ice from the icebox. He took a moment to calm his demeanor, then handed the compress to Shou.
“Here. You know the drill. Go sit on the sofa.”
Shou looked like he was about to say something about the letter. But thought better of it and didn’t, going to sit on the sofa as told.
Lake forced himself to relax more. Everything was fine. Well… other than the bullying problem, everything was fine. And everything was going to be fine as well. As long as he lived, he would make sure of that. For the sake of his brothers.
He would make it be enough.
Wesley gave him a look that he knew meant that he’d be interrogated over the letter later. But not now. Right now Shou needed them. And since they were here they would do their best to help.
But after Lake had finally carried Shou up to bed and shut his brother’s bedroom door, Wesley took him by the arm.
“Lake-”
“Not now, Wes.” He said quietly. “I- this isn’t your concern right now.”
Wesley’s face stiffened. “It’s the draft, isn’t it?”
“Wes…”
“So it is. Lake, you… you know you can’t go.”
“Wesley, I- there’s no other option.”
“Yes there is.”
“What-”
Wesley looked down at the ground abashedly and then up, this time with more confidence. “I can go.”
“But- Wes, you’re- you’re only 18, you just became an adult a few months ago.”
“If you go, you know what’ll happen.” He said stubbornly.
Lake took in a sharp breath, then sighed. “I… I can’t let you. If I don’t go-”
“-then you’ll be safe here, with Shou.”
“But I can’t- “
“I can. I can go. Lake, if they find out you’re a dragon halfling they’ll- they’ll deport you at best.”
Lake ran a hand through his hair. “What am I supposed to do? Send my younger brother off to war and hope for the best?”
“Yes. It’s the best choice for all of us.”
“No, no it’s not. I can hide it, Wes, I’ve been hiding it for years!” He caught himself and lowered his voice again. “I’ll survive. I’m a fighter, we both know that. You’re- you’re not.”
“I’ll be fine. A war can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“But what if it does? What do we do then? What if you never come back and all we get-” Lake choked back a sob.
“But you won’t.”
“You’re being stupidly cocky, Wes. War isn’t a plaything.” He retorted.
Wes flinched. “You think I don’t know that?” He hissed. “I’m only thinking of all of us, Lake. Shou needs you more than me. It’s not a big deal. I- you were planning on sending me off to university anyway, right?” He kept talking, words rushed. “This’ll be like that. Except- except you won’t have to help me pay tuition and I’ll be earning money instead.”
“No.”
“But Lake-”
“No.” This time his voice was more firm. “We’re not talking about this right now, Wesley.” He rubbed his face tiredly. “We can finish this conversation tomorrow. At a decent hour when the sun is still up. I’ll think of something. I refuse to send you off to answer the draft.”
Wesley almost spoke again, but then stopped himself. “Very well.”
“Good night.”
“Night…”
That was the last time they saw his face for two years.
In the morning, Lake woke up with a pit in his stomach. The sense of dread deepened when he peeked into Wesley’s perpetually tidy room and saw that it was empty. It swallowed him up when he saw the note on the table, scribbled out, ink slightly smudged from either tears or haste.
He’d left. He’d really left.
Lake clutched the letter in hand. It was short, just saying that he’d left to enlist and that he’d be fine, with instructions to give his love to Shou.
The ink ran as Lake’s tears touched the paper, making tiny puddles where the letters blended together.
He tried to bite back the tears, but failed. He was always the first to cry at everything.
When Shou stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, he tried to pull himself together, turning to the stove and wiping away the tears as quickly as possible. “What do you want for breakfast, pal?”
Shou blinked around, sleepy and confused. “Where’s Wes?”
Lake’s breath caught in his throat. “He… he left.”
“Left? Left where?”
Lake half paused, half froze up. “Shou…”
Shou could tell by the tone of his voice that something awful had happened.
“…he left to enlist. In the army.”
Lake’s voice was dead and devoid of anything but despair.
“The- he what?” Shou was alarmed. He knew that there was a draft going out in Saint Leon, but he hadn’t realized that it actually would affect them.
Lake was quiet, shaking just barely enough for it to be visible.
“What- Lake, we- we have to go get him! He can’t go to the army! He’s- he-” Shou bolted for the door, running outside.
“Shou!” Lake yelled. “Shou!”
He ran after him, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him away from the barn doors.
“Where did your sense go!?”
Shou struggled against him frantically. “He can’t go- he can’t!”
“He did and we can’t stop him now. It’s too late.”
Lake pulled him away from the door, hugging him close and effectively restraining him at the same time. Restraining him in a way that was comforting and loving and not at all like the way that the bullies did.
Eventually he calmed down enough, and they collapsed in on each other, trying to process what had just happened.
He’d left. He’d really left.
Lake clutched the letter in hand. It was short, just saying that he’d left to enlist and that he’d be fine, with instructions to give his love to Shou.
The ink ran as Lake’s tears touched the paper, making tiny puddles where the letters blended together.
He tried to bite back the tears, but failed. He was always the first to cry at everything.
When Shou stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, he tried to pull himself together, turning to the stove and wiping away the tears as quickly as possible. “What do you want for breakfast, pal?”
Shou blinked around, sleepy and confused. “Where’s Wes?”
Lake’s breath caught in his throat. “He… he left.”
“Left? Left where?”
Lake half paused, half froze up. “Shou…”
Shou could tell by the tone of his voice that something awful had happened.
“…he left to enlist. In the army.”
Lake’s voice was dead and devoid of anything but despair.
“The- he what?” Shou was alarmed. He knew that there was a draft going out in Saint Leon, but he hadn’t realized that it actually would affect them.
Lake was quiet, shaking just barely enough for it to be visible.
“What- Lake, we- we have to go get him! He can’t go to the army! He’s- he-” Shou bolted for the door, running outside.
“Shou!” Lake yelled. “Shou!”
He ran after him, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him away from the barn doors.
“Where did your sense go!?”
Shou struggled against him frantically. “He can’t go- he can’t!”
“He did and we can’t stop him now. It’s too late.”
Lake pulled him away from the door, hugging him close and effectively restraining him at the same time. Restraining him in a way that was comforting and loving and not at all like the way that the bullies did.
Eventually he calmed down enough, and they collapsed in on each other, trying to process what had just happened.
Life continued on. Shou continued to be bullied at school, being the outlet for the other kids’ anger, hurt, and confusion about the new draft. Lake had to work day in and day out like always, but now he only had to provide for two, instead of three. They always set a third place setting at meals, though, in vague hopes that someday Wes would come back, that this was all just a dream.
It wasn’t.
But then Wesley did come back, and things changed again.
It wasn’t.
But then Wesley did come back, and things changed again.
He returned on a sunlit day when the flowers were waving in the wind with the grass. Shou was outside messing around with some gardening supplies, and Lake was inside making dinner.
Wesley rode up the path, on a horse he hadn’t left on, wearing a rumpled and wrinkled military uniform. The horse nickered, and Wesley patted its neck with a gloved hand. It had been very generous of the army to donate the mare to him so that he didn’t have to walk the leagues home. He might be a foot soldier, but even he didn’t want to travel that far on foot.
Shou didn’t even bother to look until the horse stopped in front of him. He scowled and shaded his eyes against the sun to look up, which then widened in surprise, stumbling to his feet in shock.
“Wes?”
The man on the horse smiled faintly. “I said I’d come back, didn’t I?”
“Wes!” Shou tried to hug him from where he was sitting on the horse and Wesley gave him a small grin.
“It’s good to see you too, Shou, but I need to put my horse away before we have family time, alright?”
Shou was beside himself with happiness. “Yeah, okay, you go do that and I’ll tell Lake, he’ll be so excited that you’re home!”
Wesley’s smile nearly slipped at that. “I’m sure he will. You go tell him, then.”
Shou ran off in excitement shouting for Lake, bursting into the kitchen and chattering away about how Wesley was home, he was finally home and he was safe, all while setting the table hurriedly so that he could eat dinner with them.
“What- Shou-” Lake tried to interrupt to ask questions, but Shou was a whirlwind of words and soon disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, coming back a couple of minutes later pushing Wesley inside to the kitchen.
Lake froze, dropping the ladle that he was holding into the pot of soup on the stove. “Wesley…?”
Wesley gave him a sheepish grin. “Hey, Lake… I’m home.”
Shou was grinning his face off as Lake grabbed Wes into a hug, nearly squeezing the life right out of him.
“You’re home.”
Wes had a goofy grin on his face. “Yep.”
Lake sighed, closing his eyes and leaning into the hug as Wes hugged back. “I…”
Wes laughed a bit and patted him on the back. “How about we eat dinner?”
Lake’s eyes opened in surprise. “Right, dinner, sorry. Shou, make sure the table is ready and the bread is sliced.”
Wesley let himself be shooed into a chair and watched as Lake ladled out soup into the three bowls that Shou had set out.
Then they sat down and gave thanks for their food, just like they always did.
Over dinner they chatted about things like they used to, and afterwards they cleaned up and did the evening chores before sitting down in the living room to stay up way too late catching up on all the things that they’d missed out on in each other’s lives. Soon enough, Shou fell asleep half draped across Wesley’s lap.
“So,” Lake said softly. “You’re back. For good now, right?”
Wesley threaded his fingers in Shou’s hair, teasing at the tangles and knots. “I… I don’t know.” He confessed.
Lake gave him a questioning side-eyed glance.
Wesley let out a carefully controlled sigh and tugged the glove off his non-dominant hand. It was blackened… the skin was as dark as night, a far cry from the fair tan that he sported everywhere else. As if… as if he’d been burned by something.
Wes flexed his hand a couple of times and then spoke quietly. “The reason I was discharged so soon was because I was… I was fire cursed.” He shoved the glove back on roughly. “It’s like that the whole way up my shoulder.”
Lake didn’t know what to say. This was partially what he’d feared would happen, but he couldn’t just say ‘I told you so.’
Wesley spoke again. “It’s… pretty bad, Lake.”
“How bad?”
Wesley fidgeted with the glove, not answering.
Lake sighed, putting his head in his hands. Curses were permanent and often resulted in disastrous consequences for the victim and anyone in their way.
“Is there anything we can do?” He asked cautiously.
All he got was a terse headshake.
“Oh… oh Wes…”
Wesley looked away as Lake put an arm around his shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay. We’ll survive. We always do.”
And so they did.
Wesley rode up the path, on a horse he hadn’t left on, wearing a rumpled and wrinkled military uniform. The horse nickered, and Wesley patted its neck with a gloved hand. It had been very generous of the army to donate the mare to him so that he didn’t have to walk the leagues home. He might be a foot soldier, but even he didn’t want to travel that far on foot.
Shou didn’t even bother to look until the horse stopped in front of him. He scowled and shaded his eyes against the sun to look up, which then widened in surprise, stumbling to his feet in shock.
“Wes?”
The man on the horse smiled faintly. “I said I’d come back, didn’t I?”
“Wes!” Shou tried to hug him from where he was sitting on the horse and Wesley gave him a small grin.
“It’s good to see you too, Shou, but I need to put my horse away before we have family time, alright?”
Shou was beside himself with happiness. “Yeah, okay, you go do that and I’ll tell Lake, he’ll be so excited that you’re home!”
Wesley’s smile nearly slipped at that. “I’m sure he will. You go tell him, then.”
Shou ran off in excitement shouting for Lake, bursting into the kitchen and chattering away about how Wesley was home, he was finally home and he was safe, all while setting the table hurriedly so that he could eat dinner with them.
“What- Shou-” Lake tried to interrupt to ask questions, but Shou was a whirlwind of words and soon disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, coming back a couple of minutes later pushing Wesley inside to the kitchen.
Lake froze, dropping the ladle that he was holding into the pot of soup on the stove. “Wesley…?”
Wesley gave him a sheepish grin. “Hey, Lake… I’m home.”
Shou was grinning his face off as Lake grabbed Wes into a hug, nearly squeezing the life right out of him.
“You’re home.”
Wes had a goofy grin on his face. “Yep.”
Lake sighed, closing his eyes and leaning into the hug as Wes hugged back. “I…”
Wes laughed a bit and patted him on the back. “How about we eat dinner?”
Lake’s eyes opened in surprise. “Right, dinner, sorry. Shou, make sure the table is ready and the bread is sliced.”
Wesley let himself be shooed into a chair and watched as Lake ladled out soup into the three bowls that Shou had set out.
Then they sat down and gave thanks for their food, just like they always did.
Over dinner they chatted about things like they used to, and afterwards they cleaned up and did the evening chores before sitting down in the living room to stay up way too late catching up on all the things that they’d missed out on in each other’s lives. Soon enough, Shou fell asleep half draped across Wesley’s lap.
“So,” Lake said softly. “You’re back. For good now, right?”
Wesley threaded his fingers in Shou’s hair, teasing at the tangles and knots. “I… I don’t know.” He confessed.
Lake gave him a questioning side-eyed glance.
Wesley let out a carefully controlled sigh and tugged the glove off his non-dominant hand. It was blackened… the skin was as dark as night, a far cry from the fair tan that he sported everywhere else. As if… as if he’d been burned by something.
Wes flexed his hand a couple of times and then spoke quietly. “The reason I was discharged so soon was because I was… I was fire cursed.” He shoved the glove back on roughly. “It’s like that the whole way up my shoulder.”
Lake didn’t know what to say. This was partially what he’d feared would happen, but he couldn’t just say ‘I told you so.’
Wesley spoke again. “It’s… pretty bad, Lake.”
“How bad?”
Wesley fidgeted with the glove, not answering.
Lake sighed, putting his head in his hands. Curses were permanent and often resulted in disastrous consequences for the victim and anyone in their way.
“Is there anything we can do?” He asked cautiously.
All he got was a terse headshake.
“Oh… oh Wes…”
Wesley looked away as Lake put an arm around his shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay. We’ll survive. We always do.”
And so they did.
They survived, but, as time went on, things slowly grew worse. Wes was back, and that was good, until it wasn’t. Wes grew more unpredictable and volatile the longer he was home, prone to outbursts of anger and irritation.
“Lake! I told you not to touch my things!” Wesley yelled angrily.
“Wes, your laundry was going to grow mold if I let it stay in the hamper any longer.” Lake objected, exasperated.
“Those clothes are mine. My things, and you’re not allowed to touch them. I only have one good glove left now!”
“Wes...”
“Don’t. Touch. My. Things!”
He stalked back to his room and slammed the door shut violently.
While home had once been a safe, comforting place, it was now fraught with as much danger as the rest of the world.
Shou spent less time close to the house and more time wandering abroad in the unclaimed lands near theirs. Lake worked longer hours, rising sooner and going to bed later, even if he was always there for dinner. Wesley stuck to the house for the most part, reading and, on occasion, when he felt up to it, going to the library to trade in books for new ones.
Shou knew that Lake and Wes had been… talking more. Technically it was talking, but arguing was probably closer to the truth. Things were tense between the two of them, and he wasn’t really sure why, exactly, but he knew it had to do with the fact that Wes was cursed.
He knew Wes was cursed, he’d gathered that much from the late night conversations he’d eavesdropped on. Lake wanted to know more details and wanted to do something about it, but Wes… didn’t. He was resigned to his fate, didn’t want to share the specifics, didn’t want to talk about it, as if that would make it go away.
And then it all went up in flames.
“Lake! I told you not to touch my things!” Wesley yelled angrily.
“Wes, your laundry was going to grow mold if I let it stay in the hamper any longer.” Lake objected, exasperated.
“Those clothes are mine. My things, and you’re not allowed to touch them. I only have one good glove left now!”
“Wes...”
“Don’t. Touch. My. Things!”
He stalked back to his room and slammed the door shut violently.
While home had once been a safe, comforting place, it was now fraught with as much danger as the rest of the world.
Shou spent less time close to the house and more time wandering abroad in the unclaimed lands near theirs. Lake worked longer hours, rising sooner and going to bed later, even if he was always there for dinner. Wesley stuck to the house for the most part, reading and, on occasion, when he felt up to it, going to the library to trade in books for new ones.
Shou knew that Lake and Wes had been… talking more. Technically it was talking, but arguing was probably closer to the truth. Things were tense between the two of them, and he wasn’t really sure why, exactly, but he knew it had to do with the fact that Wes was cursed.
He knew Wes was cursed, he’d gathered that much from the late night conversations he’d eavesdropped on. Lake wanted to know more details and wanted to do something about it, but Wes… didn’t. He was resigned to his fate, didn’t want to share the specifics, didn’t want to talk about it, as if that would make it go away.
And then it all went up in flames.
Shou had been exploring a cave that he shouldn’t have been poking around in, and had just headed back for dinner when he saw the fire.
The barn. The barn was on fire.
He stopped, shocked, then ran. The animals would be inside by now. Someone had to get them out.
He was almost inside when a hand yanked him back.
He grabbed at it, alarmed by the fact that it was dragging him away, trying to dig his heels into the ground fruitlessly.
“Shou! Get a grip!”
Lake? That was Lake’s voice.
He looked up and saw his older brother’s blue hair.
“Lake? What’s happening?”
“Shou, I need you to go into the forest and stay there.” There was something different about his voice, something hard. Cold.
“Lake?” Shou’s voice sounded… young, reminding Lake of when they’d first found him.
“Go to the forest. I have something to take care of.” He paused. “It’ll be okay, pal.”
Shou shrunk back a bit, but did as he was told, going to where the forest fringed the property.
He stood there and watched, falling to his knees as he saw it all play out.
The house. The crops. Everything was on fire.
Lake, but with a sword he knew was only kept for emergencies. Lake walking into the fire-
Wesley.
Wesley and Lake.
Fire and water.
And then he was choking on the smoke and it was all over.
All that was left was ashes.
Hot, steamy fog rolled across the ground, cloaking the sun, and seeping into his clothes and lungs. He staggered to his feet, setting off in search of his brothers, whom he hoped, desperately hoped, were still alive… They were a family, and family stuck together no matter what.
The barn. The barn was on fire.
He stopped, shocked, then ran. The animals would be inside by now. Someone had to get them out.
He was almost inside when a hand yanked him back.
He grabbed at it, alarmed by the fact that it was dragging him away, trying to dig his heels into the ground fruitlessly.
“Shou! Get a grip!”
Lake? That was Lake’s voice.
He looked up and saw his older brother’s blue hair.
“Lake? What’s happening?”
“Shou, I need you to go into the forest and stay there.” There was something different about his voice, something hard. Cold.
“Lake?” Shou’s voice sounded… young, reminding Lake of when they’d first found him.
“Go to the forest. I have something to take care of.” He paused. “It’ll be okay, pal.”
Shou shrunk back a bit, but did as he was told, going to where the forest fringed the property.
He stood there and watched, falling to his knees as he saw it all play out.
The house. The crops. Everything was on fire.
Lake, but with a sword he knew was only kept for emergencies. Lake walking into the fire-
Wesley.
Wesley and Lake.
Fire and water.
And then he was choking on the smoke and it was all over.
All that was left was ashes.
Hot, steamy fog rolled across the ground, cloaking the sun, and seeping into his clothes and lungs. He staggered to his feet, setting off in search of his brothers, whom he hoped, desperately hoped, were still alive… They were a family, and family stuck together no matter what.
