My Beginning After the End

We are Ten

Ellie Leywin

"Ellie, don't be mad at your brother, he's off in some dungeon, you know that." My father told me as I sat on top of Boo and stared down at him.

Virion and I turned ten two weeks ago, and he never came back to the Floating Castle to celebrate. I know he is fighting in the war, and I am okay with it, but I wanted to see my little brother since I couldn't see Arthur.

"Dad, all he had to do was come home for a day or two, and we could have had a family meal or something." I know I was pouting, but I felt like I had a reason to.

"Ellie, I know how you must be feeling, but you have to understand what Virion is going through." My dad was siding with Virion for some reason.

"Dad, why are you taking his side? You know he can return here whenever he wants to. Elder Virion would do anything for him, and it was our tenth birthday, a pretty big deal."

"I just know what he's going through, that's the only reason. He is fighting for his continent; I don't know what to say." He rested a hand on Boo.

"All I wanted to do was see him, dad." My twin brother has been fighting against mana beats for a while now, he could have afforded to come home. "Anyways, where is mom?" We were currently out on the balcony.

"She was trying to help out around the castle, I think that she will be back here soon enough." He gave me a meaningful look. "You know your mother is also mad about it, she wanted him home just as much as you did, maybe even more."

"I know." I pulled out my bow as I got ready to aim it at the target across from me. "Soon enough, I'll be fighting in the war, dad."

"No, you won't, Ellie, not if I have anything to say about it." My dad said to me quickly. "I will not have three of my children fighting in the war yet, especially if I'm not."

"Dad, I know I'm not as strong as Veer and Art, but I'm getting to a point, where I can handle myself." I told him straight as I pulled my bow back and formed an arrow out of my mana. "Watch." From the top of Boo, I released the arrow and hit the target dead on.

"Ellie, I know you are getting good with a bow, but that's not all you need in a battle." My dad started to run his hand through Boo's thick skin.

"You know I'm smart dad, way smarter than Veer." I replied. "I don't want to fight yet; I'm saying in the future."

"Hopefully, you won't have too in the future, the war might be over." We could only hope, but from what I've heard, that may not happen.

"If the war is over then, yeah, I won't have too, but I can when the time comes." I knew that I could help out in some way.

"No." My mother's voice rang out. "Stop bringing it up, Ellie, you are never fighting in the war if I have any say." She stepped out onto the balcony and glared at me. I knew my mother would never let me fight, it just made me mad that she was letting Arthur and Veer. "Let it go for now."

I shook my head and pulled back on my bow. "Fine." I released an arrow I conjured out of my mana and hit the target again straight on, I could do this forever now and never miss. "I overheard you guys talking last night, you two plan on helping out the Twin Horns when Arthur comes back."

They looked at each other as my mother circled around Boo, but my father was the one to speak. "You know we have to fight too, El, I understand that it makes you angry that you will be the only one here, but we have too."

"That's what you think makes me angry?" I was going to let it go, but now I feel even angrier. "Dad, what makes me angry is that everyone in my family is going to be fighting in the war, and at any moment, I could be an orphan or down a brother, I could even lose you all, that is what makes me angry." I felt a tear roll down my left eye, but I held the rest in.