[Center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Y08s5qPS/Malon.png[/img][h1][color=737aff]An Important Lesson[/color][/h1][hr][hr][b][colour=737aff]Location:[/colour][/b] A Remote Village, Oiyac[hr][hr][/center]
[color=737aff]“Ersand’Enise then. I’m loath to say it beats the academies we keep in Oiyac, I went there for my first few years.”[/color] He looked toward his younger sister, youthful and just about to enter the world of magical study properly. He held no envy for the tough decision in front of her. [color=737aff]“Ersand’Enise is a place like no other in this world. It is great for your academic development but you must not make the mistake of thinking it is normal. Graduates see the world differently from there and forget the struggles we must keep as nobility.”[/color]

Malon’Juuras’Osmax poured himself a glass of wine while he enjoyed the gentle outdoor breeze. He sat laid back with one leg crossed over a knee as he took a sip. However, the full plate armour he had donned was less than comfortable in the heat, he refrained from pulling at his collar to maintain appearances. He and his sister sat at a nice, small table of two as they looked upon a devastated town. The screams and fear of the peasantry cried out as they were rounded into the town square by soldiers. Malon took another sip, the people he looked at now were lower than peasants.

Solet’Osmax sat across from Malon reading her book on the basics of magnetic magics from a famed Oiyan author. No, she wasn’t simply reading the book, Solet was retreating to it. She was a naturally meek girl and the horrors taking place around her were only encouragement to avoid the gaze of passing captives. The girl was only thirteen and had barely left their family’s estate, let alone seeing anything like this. It was only her brother’s sudden speech that caused her to put the book down.

She did her best to look ladylike despite the circumstances. The youngest of a noble line left much to prove, especially when other families in the same position had been put to the block in recent history. Her stomach turned on itself but she sat with the expected poise and dignity. She took the small glass of wine poured for her and took a sip. It felt like the first glass she had ever had and it wasn’t far off.

[color=737aff]“You see, I came back to Oiyac because I started asking foolish questions about the world. Questions that you will be brought to ponder while in sterile academia, but are all too easily answered when you reach the real world.”[/color] He savoured the flavour of another sip before resting the glass on the table and facing his Solet directly. [color=737aff]“You could be a great mage, dear sister, dare I say you could be greater than I. I don’t wish to make you feel restricted in your choice of education. You may choose wherever you want and you [i]will[/i] get in.”[/color] He smiled warmly at his sister in assurance.

Solet considered his words for a moment. [color=f5a882]“I wish to go to Ersand’Enise still. As you said, it is the best place of study in the world, no?”[/color] She replied with a small, polite smile. Solet knew of her brother’s pride in Oiyan academies.

Malon looked impressed at her sister. [color=737aff]“Despite my pushing, you remain steadfast. This is good, Solet, a leader must be decisive among all other things.”[/color] As he turned back toward the town ahead, his smile faded. [color=737aff]“But your education does not start at school, I wish to teach you about the reality of our nation.”[/color]

A group of two soldiers were forcefully escorting a middle-aged Yasoi woman to the centre who was in a particularly bad state. She was carried limply but occasionally broke into brief, violent, and erratic outbursts that required the soldier’s full strength to subdue. When she returned to her placid state, her head sunk low. Malon clicked his fingers at the two men with a furrowed brow. [color=737aff]“You two, bring that one to me.”[/color] He took another sip as they approached, he showed no signs of caution.

The woman sprung into another outburst, flailing against the soldier’s grasp right in front of Malon. He raised a hand, and the woman froze. He tilted his hand down, and the woman hit the ground like a sack of potatoes; her knees almost buckled the wrong way. Malon reached out a hand, grabbed the woman by the chin, and brought her closer so that he and his sister could get a closer look.

The woman’s eyes were vacant and lacked focus on any one particular object. Her mouth chewed the air absent-mindedly, there were scars of bite marks on her lip too. She was more beast than woman like this and Malon’s face twisted in muted disgust. He forced her face side to side and inspected every angle of her face. [color=737aff]“This is aberration madness, dear sister. And it seems this little piggy has had her fill enough.” [/color]

Solet had only ever heard of aberration addicts through passing word. To be confronted with it directly made her want to be sick. As a noblelady, she was expected to be in perfect control of both appearance and etiquette. To see a woman who didn’t even have agency of her own faculties was immensely saddening. [color=f5a882]“Please Malon, I’ve seen enough.”[/color]

Malon threw the woman back before gesturing to the soldiers. [color=737aff]“Take this one back and put her with the rest of them.”[/color] He dismissed them before using a mixture of binding and chemical magic to clean his gloves from the contact.

He picked up the wine and faced his sister again. [color=737aff]“The peasants of this town conducted an uprising sometime in the last month or two. We are unsure of the exact time, frankly, the only reason we found out was because they were late on their taxes.”[/color] He swirled the drink and chuckled with amusement. [color=737aff]“They removed all of our local forces in complete silence without a word getting out. Quite the rebellion, wouldn’t you say?”[/color]

[color=737aff]“However!”[/color] He raised a finger to his sister as if to correct the girl who had yet to speak. [color=737aff]“When I gathered a real force and marched in, there was no resistance. There were barricades, sure, but only a couple of people to man them. We marched in with ease to find a town wrecked and destroyed and a collection of yasoi, our countrymen, squabbling around in shit. Their mighty rebellion had crumbled before we had even arrived.”[/color] He gestured to pose a question. [color=737aff]“What do you think caused that?”[/color]

Solet didn't have to ponder the answer very long. She had come face to face with it only moments earlier.

Seeing that all the remaining villagers had been gathered and forced into attention, Malon put both hands on his knees and rose. He picked up his ornate sword in one hand but kept it sheathed. [color=737aff]“Please, don’t avert your gaze, dear sister, this will be an important lesson.”[/color]

Malon strode forth in a manner that fit his noble standing. His posture had an air of grim ceremony as he approached. He looked around to a place that was once a nice little town for farming fruit trees. The windows of some houses were smashed and broken, others had their doors busted down, and fruit and food supplies were tipped over and mixed with the mud. Is this the future their rebellion was fighting for? The display of incompetence disgusted him.

All eyes were on him as he arrived at the centre of the square. Soldiers regarded him with respect, the peasants regarded him with fear. [color=737aff]“I have come to liberate you from the insurgent forces that have ruined this land!”[/color] He announced. [color=737aff]“While the punishment is usually severe for rebellion, it is by the grace of your Baron and the Exarch himself that mercies will be bestowed.”[/color] He raised his hands invitingly. [color=737aff]“Those who have shown signs of aberration madness will be kindly escorted toward rehabilitation and those innocent in the affair can go back to their lives. You may begin rebuilding your home with our assistance and security.”[/color]

[color=737aff]“But you are not [i]all[/i] innocent.”[/color] Malon looked down toward the sword, drew it, and tossed the sheathe in the mud. [color=737aff]“I have a duty to see justice done. Will the leader of this rebellion please rise?”[/color] He waited and waited some more. Nothing happened. The peasants stayed huddled, forced on their knees, and staring blankly at him like they had no clue. They were dishonest rats who looked at him like children accused of stealing sweets. Discipline was needed.

He drew.

The effects of Malon’s draw were seen immediately. Children and adults of small stature began to keel over in sudden fatigue. [color=737aff]“It would be unwise for loyal citizens of the Exarch to shelter rebellious factors. I would advise against such actions.”[/color] He continued to draw, some victims of it succumbed to slumber and the strong ones began to crumble. 

But one peasant alone sat tall and Malon fixed his sight on him. It was a younger man only a few years older than himself, he sat up proud but cast his eyes downward and became blind to how sorely he stood out. With common raggedy clothes and coarse hands, this was a man of ignoble birth. No doubt the man’s prowess came from aberrations which gave him more RAS to resist the draw. The only thing that made him exceptional, perhaps, was a lucky streak at avoiding aberration madness as he engorged himself without care.

Malon knew one thing to be true above all others, power bestowed leadership, not the other way around. He knew that this stronger man was that leader because, even in a rebellious group with aspirations of equality, this fact remained true. He looked the ruffian straight in the eyes and repeated: [color=737aff]“Will the leader of this rebellion please rise?”[/color]

A moment passed.

The man before Malon rose reluctantly with his eyes still cast to the ground. He trembled in fearful anticipation of what was to come. Malon gestured to a soldier on either side who closed in to grab each arm. The ruffian seemed to consider putting up resistance but gave up on the idea. He knew the harm he would cause the people around him if he fought at this juncture.

The man was walked to the centre of the town square and was now face-to-face with his executioner. Malon inspected his flawless ornate blade before looking up and pointing it forward. [color=737aff]“Kneel.”[/color] The man did not. Malon clenched the fist of his free hand and the man shook before dropping to his knees in a sickening crunch. A few bones were broken from the noble’s use of kinetic and the man cried in pain.

Malon walked around to the side of the man and readied his sword. [color=737aff]“Do you have any final words?”[/color]

He spoke in laboured breaths. [color=00a99d]“The people will be free. It may not be here, it may not be today, but we will see freedom.”[/color]

Malon paused.

Then laughed.

The noble kicked the bowed man in the stomach with a kinetically enhanced strike causing him to vomit and crumple.

[color=737aff]“Did you hear that!? The people will be free…”[/color] Malon called out as if demanding answers from the crowd. He got only gasps, tears, and nervous fear. [color=737aff]“You had the chance. You took your lives into your own hands. And what did you make of yourselves?”[/color]

[color=737aff]“Around me I see addicts riling around in their filth!”[/color] He spoke mockingly. [color=737aff]“You took your freedom only to enshackle yourselves to a far crueller and unforgiving master… But your suffering shall be at an end now.” [/color]

A flourish of his hand brought the rebellion leader back to his knees. Malon took a good final look at him. It was no wonder why people were drawn to aberrations. Power was the unquestioned ruling force in the world and a commoner without it will seek a means to go above their station. One taste of it and it would be no wonder that someone could get addicted.

But there was an end to it, despite this man’s desperate consumption of aberrations, despite his luck, there was no more he could do. A person was only born to inherit so much power and this man had capped out far below significance. He was not worthy to lead.

Malon raised his sword, then brought it down. The man’s head fell to the ground and mixed with the mud.

Solet looked upon the scene which burned into her mind. Her brother stood in the centre with a bloody sword and some splatter which speckled his golden plate armour. The people of the village lat, sat, slumped down around him and cowering in fear. She sat above it all from atop a hill, she had a glass of wine in her hand that she could no longer stomach. 

Is this the price of wine? Is this the price of her luxury? She knew enough about Oiyan law to know her brother was being merciful, so why didn’t it [i]feel[/i] like a mercy? Ersand’Enise couldn’t come early enough.

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