Chapter 17: Familial bonds
{So we're going to do an engineering experiment on my body} said Arya excitedly.
{What's engineering?}
'N-Nothing. We should talk to Argen and Cassandra about this,} said Arya.
"Father!" shouted Gray from the kitchen, an unusual excitement audible in his voice.
"Neel!" cried another voice, this one was his mother's.
{It seems my father is back,} thought Arya.
"I got your letter, is Arya okay?" he asked, worry fraught in his voice.
"H-He's fine, he's playing in the living room," replied Lillian.
"Arya, my boy, are you okay?" asked the massive man as he barged into the living room, before picking Arya off the ground with a single hand.
"What happened to your hair, to your eyes," asked Neel, caressing Arya's forehead.
"I had a little... accident," whispered Arya.
"What about Armin and Streya, aren't you going to ask about them?" whispered Gray, an angry look on his face.
"Did something happen?" asked Neel, confused about the tension in the air.
Lillian explained the whole story from the beginning, this time not leaving out the Nihil curse.
"Gray, apologize," said the hulking figure in a deep voice.
"B-But I was jus-"
"I know your intentions boy, but a man should always own up for his shortcomings. Could you not have spoken with your mother before leaving? Did you not first think about how the family would've suffered if you had been killed?" asked Neel.
{I guess people show their care in different ways,} thought Arya.
"I-I'm sorry mom," apologized Gray, tears dripping to the floor.
"I-It's just that, you haven't been giving any of us attention. Ever since Arya got sick, you've been acting differently," sniffled Gray.
"Streya and Armin are different, they don't smile as much anymore. And I've tried, but they won't talk to me," continued Gray, his crying intensifying.
"I-I know that a failure like me doesn't deserve your attention, but Streya and Armin are still young. They're confused," he said, wiping the tears off his face.
Lillian was dumbstruck, she didn't know what to say.
"Umu, Lillian, hold Arya," said Neel as he handed Arya over to Lillian, before walking over to Gray.
"Neel, no," whispered Lillian, it looked as if Neel were about to hit Gray.
"Gray, how old are you?" asked Neel, lifting Gray's face up.
"Nine," replied Gray.
"You've grown into a wonderful man at the age of nine. However, you're allowed to be a child. Both your parents are alive, so why do you worry so much about things that you shouldn't have to worry about?"
"And what's this about being a failure? Is it because you can't use magic?" asked Neel, his tone a little softer.
Gray felt as if all the tears he was holding back would flood out if he answered, so instead he nodded in reply.
"Then tell me, do you think any less of me because I'm not a mage?" asked Neel, to which Gray shook his head.
"Then why?"
"Y-Y-You were happy at Armin, disappointed at me, I felt inferior, then Streya came, then I thought maybe, then Ary-" Gray's words didn't make sense. It was as if he had pieced together different parts of different stories and blurted them out all at once.
However, the tears flowing down his cheeks were genuine. As he blurted out everything that was bothering him you could hear the strain in his voice become lighter.
Neel didn't stop him to ask for explanations. Although everyone was certain that there was no way Neel could understand what Gray was saying, no one said anything. They all waited for Gray to finish.
"... and I just don't know how else to be useful,"
"Gray, I wasn't disappointed in you because you couldn't use magic," Neel said after Gray had finished.
"I was sad because I knew that you would have to suffer the same way I did. I just wanted my kids to have a better life. Or do you think me so shallow of a man that I would use my kids to help get me out of poverty? Is that how you really think of me?" asked Neel.
The whole time Streya and Armin had been listening from the other room as well. At that moment all three of them felt guilty for thinking their father was so shrewd that he would rely on his kids to save his family.
"But I admit, my worries were baseless, you're just a strong a warrior as I am," said Neel, picking Gray off the ground.
For the first time since Arya was born, he saw his eldest brother sob into his father's chest as if he were a baby.
Armin and Streya ran into the living room as well, hugging their father from the side.
{I wonder what my father was like,} thought Arya.
"Let's go join the rest of the family," whispered Lillian, before joining in on the hug.
{Family,} whispered Esla, so softly in fact that Arya couldn't hear her over Gray's sobbing.
After a few minutes of hugging, Gray fell asleep. Neel tucked him into his bed -or at least the pile of hay that was placed on top of a few pieces of wood- before sending the other kids off to bed as well.
"Arya," said Neel, a serious tone in his voice.
"Yes, father," replied Arya hesitantly.
"You've been very naughty. That little stunt you pulled nearly cost you your life," he continued taking Arya from Lillian's arms.
"A man ought to own up for his mistakes," he continued, before placing Arya on his lap.
{Please no,} whimpered Arya inwardly.
{What's going on?} asked Esla innocently.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone