A shadow fell across him, and Jorghan didn't need to look up. He could sense the presence—familiar and comforting despite the admonishing tone that followed.
"Was that display truly necessary?" a woman's voice asked, tinged with equal parts concern and exasperation.
Jorghan turned, his crimson eyes catching the fading sunlight as he regarded Swana, the eldest daughter of Sigora. At twenty winters, she carried herself with the dignified bearing of the Nor'vack clan—tall, proud, with obsidian hair that fell in intricate braids adorned with silver threads that hummed with subtle protective enchantments.
Beside her stood her brother Sik'ra, also twenty, though born during the winter solstice hours after his twin. Where Swana was composed, Sik'ra's eyes danced with barely contained mischief.
"I didn't provoke them," Jorghan replied, his voice rough.
Swana sighed heavily, her fingers unconsciously tracing the air in patterns that dispersed lingering mana. "I told you not to wander out alone. They would mess with you just for their amusement."
"Eh, what do you want him to do then?" Sik'ra interjected, stepping forward to clasp Jorghan's shoulder.
"Should he cower inside, fearing them? He taught those nosy mutts a good lesson." He patted his brother's back, a grin spreading across his face.
"Did you see how the third one ran when Jorghan's eyes shifted? I thought he'd soil himself!"
Despite himself, Jorghan returned the smile.
These two had always had his back since Sigora had brought him into their household after the massacre six years ago. They had become his only family now.
"If he ends up in trouble, you will be the one to explain to Mother," Swana warned, but her tone had softened. She understood Jorghan's restlessness better than she let on.
"Speaking of her," Sik'ra said, glancing at the position of the twin suns, "she told us to bring you back. Let's go."
The three set off toward their home on the sole isle connected to the massive landmass by a bridge made of tree trunks and vines.
As they walked, Jorghan flexed his right hand, still tingling from the mana he had consumed during the confrontation. Since his Awakening, his abilities had grown exponentially, far faster than normal for even a prodigy.
Sigora, the high sorceress, had been teaching him her magic ever since she brought him here. She believed Jorghan had unlimited potential, and his mana levels astonished her. So she helped him control his mana, and the fact that Jorghan awakened his bloodline made her apprehensive about his growth. She wanted to protect the boy, the only heir of their clan.