Matters Of The Family

The Madii of Elohim sat waiting in his office at the Sangreal estate, his fingers drummed rhythmically across the mahogany wood. He was supposed to meet the Lion Pride Of Aeneas in a few hours, a man of great stature, both figuratively and literally, and a fellow Champion. They planned to discuss the reasoning behind Omen siding with the Crimson Army, (hopefully with words instead of blade), against the Reign Of Aenese. But at the current moment, he had a more important issue to attend to.

In his mind’s eye, he could see a man with unnaturally floating golden hair sitting in a dark corner in the estate. Half of the man’s body was missing, eaten by an unholy darkness that Omen wished to learn.

The man introduced, well...intruded himself into the Sangreal Mansion as Nanimo. The name itself was a legend hidden away in the folds of time and the darkest depths of history, that only a few dedicated scholars could hope to observe. The very first Vanguard, more accurate;y, the Voidguard. A man gifted with an unholy power known as the Aspect Of Abjorgation, the ability to void the existence of even the most godly of powers.

It was rumored he fought alongside the First Ethereal during the War Of Gods tens of thousands of years ago. And now he sat in the guest room of the Sangreal House, seemingly surprised by the inner workings of a drawer.And it seemed the man had lost his Aspect in either his long awaited return, or perhaps by his revival, as he was unable to break through the barrier seal Omen placed on the room.

Omen taught him basic elemental Mado to keep the living myth entertained, but also to see how the Madoic Arts would interact with his half-devoured body, and the answer was much more anti-climatic as it worked the same as usual. Seeing that Nanimo was interacting as normal, he thanked the spirits for letting him use them as vessels before stopping his spying.

The sounds of birds beckoned him to enjoy the outdoors and figuring it better than simply waiting, he complied. His footsteps echoed through the large manor as they headed to the forestry that was his garden. Trees well trimmed and grasses and flowers in an orderly manner, the very air itself seemed to be made of the sweetness of an orchard. This was where he preferred to be.

He could see the dozens of mountains that surrounded the manor, shielding it from the prying eyes of the public. A few summoned spirits could be seen wisping around ,tending to the many fauna that were present. It has a nice way to wind down before the undoubtedly challenging conversation with Raiion. He headed to the pool that oversaw the sea miles below and decided to relieve his nerves further, permitting himself to enjoy the soothing chill of the freshwater against his skin.

@takeshi_ren

"Keep your feet grounded but stay light, you must be able to act and react with equal skill to keep your opponent from getting the upper hand." Said Aurora casually as she went blow for blow with the Prided Warrior, the two pranced around the training room in a quickfire back and forth of sword strokes. Sweat beaded down Takeshi's forehead as the two akimbo swords clashed together repeatedly. It took all of the swordsman's concentration to keep track of his trainer as she danced around him blocking and evading every strike he tried to dish out with nothing more than quick simple flicks of her wrists and light footwork.

"Your strikes are too wide and you're too close. You have a long blade, choose to be distant or to be close." She caught the next strike on the hilt of her sword and pushed him backward striking at his ankle while he was off balance. He yelped in pain and instinctively hopped on his uninjured ankle barely blocking the next strike.

But he was not prepared when she struck him in the face with the wooden blade using his imbalance to twist on her hip and launch him back with a kick that sent him flying into the wall instantly taking him out of the training exercise. A fresh bruise was blossoming on his cheek as his friend reached out a hand offering to help him to his feet. "That hurt didn't it? Take it as a lesson to defend yourself better next time. Same time tomorrow?"

Takeshi gripped her hand and nodded as she pulled him to his feet giving him a small smile "You've been getting a lot better so take pride in that. Maybe soon enough you'll be able to land a blow."

"Yeah yeah yeah." He said with an eyeroll and a grin, Takeshi and Aurora were the best swordsmen in the land along with Takeshi's brother Ryo, and though he was an elite fighter the gap between Ryo and Aurora was large and thus they were both tasked with training him to reach the potential that was bestowed upon him. Rubbing his cheek he would place his sword on the stand and wave goodbye to Aurora before opening the door and sliding it shut behind him as he left. He walked through the large manor with a slight limp as every muscle and bone in his body ached with pain.

I wonder if Omen is finished working for the day

Taking the short way to the garden Takeshi saw his brother's trademark white hair and he skipped forward, excitedly taking a deep breath of the sweet air that invaded his lungs. Kicking off his shoes he plopped down next to his older brother and took in the beautiful scenery for a moment before speaking. "How was your day brother? Did you get a lot done today?"

@omen_

@takeshi_ren:

Omen sunk lower into the pool, letting the soft ripple of water soothe his thoughts. While relaxing, he decided to move his thoughts to the rest of the day ahead. Aside from being the Champion, Omen was an influential figure in the Third District, as a Sangreal Madii he was equivalent to that of the Pope, although instead of preaching, he preferred supernatural tasks for those who could afford it.

Today, however, he made sure his schedule was clear. He wanted to give all his attention to the Champion Of The First. Mostly, in the case that the conversation escalated further, he wouldn't have to worry about missing an appointment, tarnishing his reputation for punctuality.

As his mind drifted back to Nanimo, he heard the footsteps in the garden, and then a splash in the water. It was his youngest of his brothers, Takeshi. The Prided Warrior of the Sangreals.

He opened his eyes and turned to meet his brother, he flashed his winning smile with teeth as white as his hair. "Good to see you Takeshi." Splashing him with a small wave of water. "The work's never done, Nanimo is currently showing now signs of weakn-" He stopped midsentence, his work was no secret to those in the deepest circle of the Sangreals, he didn't want to appear too formal to Takeshi.

Besides, he wasn't that old, and this was his brother not his patient nor nurse. "It seems like Aurora gave you quite the brusing. I assume you haven't struck her yet, or you'd be parading around her like you're a King" Aurora was their finest swordswoman, who honed who skills beyond even the most elite of knights. Omen remembered training with her while he was young. In fact she was younger than he was, and every fight ended up the same: Him on the ground feeling pain beyond measure.

It seemed Aurora was taking it a bit easier now, and he was grateful. While he didn't show it too often, he was proud of his brothers. Ryo made a reputation of being an adventurer, exploring the unknowns of the world. And Takashi was going to become one of the greatest, if not the greatest.

"How has your defense ensignia been holding?" The Seal Of Sangreal, as he called it, was a series of lines that appeared on their skin in different forms. For Omen, it was the series of tattoos on his left hand. For his brothers, it appeared in different forms and held different purposes, but in Omen's eyes, the mark unified them, and proved their authenticity.