We're here" Siegmund stated in a low voice.
There they crossed into Liandry's borders while sending a soldier ahead to give a report. They were then escorting Sopri's royalty for another week and a half until they came to Oswald. A group of old men and some soldiers stood waiting at the entrance to the city.
"Good job Siegmund, you've done well in escorting the young prince and princess and bringing them to safety." A middle aged man with a bulging stomach spoke with a nod and smile.
"We have headmaster Navar here who will take charge for these kids so you all can take a well deserved rest. As for you soldiers, stick to your prince and princess as guards, we will discuss what we will do with your treacherous king Rem." He gave a pat on Siegmund's shoulder.
"Sir Oregon, captain Harken had...Had fallen in battle." Siegmund reported the terrible casualty to the group with his head down.
"What! I see... My condolences." Oregon said sadly. "However, the Raiders are becoming more of a problem now, and there has also been the emerging Dark Hand who murder and steal ruthlessly. We must consult the King. Siegmund, your grandfather calls for you." Oregon took his group and moved away with haste.
Siegmund waved goodbye to his escorts Rory and the quiet Raine as the headmaster took them away, followed by the knights.
He then allowed his own members to disperse and he made his way home. Upon getting there he heard furious roars and crashes everywhere. This seemed very familiar to him but he nevertheless ran in to make sure his grandfather was safe.
"How dare you visit me after all these years!" A wrathful roar was heard in the dining room as another crash was heard.
"You opposed to Aaly and her lineage, as did the other ministers. She was already pregnant with Siegmund so we decided to elope before drastic matters were taken."
Another familiar unfamiliar voice rang out that gave Siegmund chills. When he finally appeared he felt dwarfed immediately by the two men.
They were both similar in appearance, just that the man on the far side of the room was considerably more aged, but he also had a beard while the man on the right looked prim and proper in a hunters apparel, albeit intimidating with his calm, cold blue eyes. One look at him and Siegmund froze habitually. The two men looked over and saw Siegmund and silence followed
"...."
"...."
"...."
They all looked at one another before Siegmund rose his hand.
"I'll leave? Things look pretty important."
"Stop right there!"
"Take a step, I dare you."
Renault approached his son who left seven-six years ago when he was just a child. A myriad of emotions flew by as he patted Siegmund's shoulder multiple times.
"You've grown."
"Father...."
Stomps resounded before another loud shout appeared.
"Whats all this ruckus that woke this old lady up, old man, pray its a good excuse-! Renault! Siegmund! Come closer and let me take a look at both of you."
A lady that looked old and fierce approached from the staircase. She had a head of white hair and silver pupils that displayed great emotions, tears were on display immediately.
"How long has it been since I last saw you Renault, 14 years? Do you still take me to be your mother!?!? The lady cried with trembling shoulders, filled with emotion.
"And you! It's been 2 years since you last came from your escapades in the army, stay here for a bit or else!" She intimidated Siegmund into timidity and he quickly nodded. The three people he feared most were here.
"Mother, its been too long, have you been well?" Renault softly spoke.
"And how is my brother, Faust?"
"He became a general of Liandry and is away at the moment due to escalating conflicts around our borders in Authmus." Duke Reinhardt explained his other son's absence.
"You must bring your family to show me and your mother... Even your wife."
"I will bring them right away, Siegmund, you might be surprised to see how your three brothers have grown." Renault looked at his oldest with pride gleaming in his eyes.
"I AM curious to see my younger siblings, I only vaguely remember Hardin, I can't wait, its been too long." Siegmund was getting excited to see his younger brothers for the first time in a long while.
They took a trip and made their way to the battle academy.
"Ah, this takes me back, I was just twelve when I graduated even though it was my first year there, how time flies."
Siegmund sighed as they made their way to the faculties office. Renault looked at the secretary who was in the middle of looking over reports and coughed to alert this busy clerk to his presence.
He was ignored and right when he was going to speak Siegmund flicked a speck of energy that burned the paper.
"Yeow! Why would you do that!" The clerk screamed.
"Enough, call my son Hardin, immediately!" Renaults patience was running out looking at these two idiots in front of him.
"What if I don't want to, you both attacked a teacher of the noble academy, do you know the consequences of that!?!? The arrogant clerk pointed a finger at Renault. He was immediately sent flying by Siegmund who sighed.
"Don't take it personal, I saved you bud."
"What's going on here?" Another faculty member appeared and once he saw the unconscious secretary he connected the dots. He summoned a longsword out and roared towards the two assailants.
A furious energy descended, stopping the man dead in his tracks and alerting everyone in the building, then Renault spoke.
"You all have only ten seconds to appear before I make you." The area started trembling immensely and soon around forty teachers and faculty members appeared in the lobby immediately.
"Sir calm! Please! we failed to accommodate you, we ask for your forgiveness." An aged man came out to mediate the situation as anyone could see the burning counter and unconscious man on the ground as well as another faculty member with his weapon out.
Things really got out of hand and they needed to talk things through. This was an academy! They're setting a bad example for the kids coming here.
"Call my son here for me." Renault stated his request again.
"We can do that but are you not in the wrong for indiscriminately attacking those weaker than you, we have forty people here who were called out for no reason, we deserve an explanation."
Another teacher stepped out and wanted justice for the threats.
"I have told you my reason, get my son, that was all that I called you here for." Renault was still speaking calmly to more than forty people who displayed their aggressiveness.
"Father, you are too used to doing everything by force, watch and learn." Siegmund laughed and then turned to the angry crowd.
"He is the son of Duke Reinhardt, Renault Reinhardt!"
"Bah, the Duke only has one son, you can't trick us with such a bad joke." The younger of the teachers were still naive but this set alarms in the heads of the older ones.
They quickly recognized the face in front of them and remembered that man from around twenty years ago.
"We greet the former Grand Marshal!" What did that position mean? It meant commander of the entire army of Liandry! Even Siegmund was shocked as this was before his time.
He knew his father was important but that was because he thought it was due to his skills and heritage, not because he held the title of below one but above millions and was equivalent to the pime minister of the nation.
"Call-call his son immediately." The old man commanded and they rushed off and yelled into glowing balls of light and sent birds flying. The whole lobby was in disarray. Soon, Hardin was seen arriving and now that many teachers knew his true identity they started kneeling.
"We greet the young master!" Hardin was quite confused but he saw two figures by the counter.
"Father! And? Siegmund!" It took Hardin sometime to register Siegmund but when he did he went in for a big hug. It had been years since they last met and it was a splendid reunion.
They took their leave while constantly chattering about their lives.
"Who are we visiting now?" Siegmund was getting even more excited in seeing his family again.
"We are going to grab Zephyr, school should be over by now so he should be resting right now." Hardin explained.
"Zephyr huh, what's he like? Siegmund was interested.
"Hehe, you will see brother" Hardin gave a chuckle while Renault cracked a smile.
It took them ten minutes of walking before they encountered the elementary academy. Thanks to the easy directions they found themselves in the dorms area pretty soon.
"What's going on?" Siegmund was flabbergasted. There were piles of bodies on the ground unconscious while multiple nobles and peasant boys were running around with grapes and whatnot, making a small crowd for someone.
There, the group of three saw a boy sitting on a pile of five boys eating grapes while using another two bodies as a leg rest was Zephyr.
"Kudos to that kid, already beating the kids into oppression." Siegmund whistled as he found it comical.
"That, that's Zephyr!" Hardin face smacked himself as he felt embarrassed for his younger brother.
"WHAT! Bahahaha!" Pops couldn't handle him so he released him huh?"
Siegmund chuckled to himself.
"Actually, he was pretty tame before, father probably let go of his leash accidentally" Hardin also cracked a smile.
Renault on the other hand was going apoplectic with rage for the first time in a long time.
"Had enough fun yet boy?" He coldly asked.
"Nah, get me more grapes, these are horrendous- father! Ow, who put these people below me! Whoops who keeps feeding me this, you all know I hate grapes stop bullying me boohoo."
Zephyr broke out into a cry while the rest of the onlookers finally could smile, even he has people he's scared of.
However they soon realized why he was so scared of his Dad as the aura leaked from him caused one to tremble from the inside out, a couple timid kids even passed out from the released power. Renault collected himself and made for the exit.
"Come, you are taking a week break from school to see your relatives." Renault decided a break from Zephyr's overbearingness was needed for the kids to grow out and be independent.
Zephyr rushed to follow while eyeing Siegmund curiously up and down.
"Hey little buddy, remember me?"Siegmund flashed a brilliant smile.
"Not at all, who is he Hardin?" Zephyr looked to Hardin for clues.
"No respect for your elders why you, I'm your brother Siegmund!" Siegmund flashed a pose and was ready for the praise by his baby brother.
"What?" Zephyr looked confused and seeing how his two family members didn't reject this guy, he thought back to the picture in his mother's room.
"Ah! Your that guy from the picture!" Zephyr matched the faces and connected the dots. Hardin then explained the meeting and all that happened as Zephyr and the group made their way home.
