Ironically, proof by induction is proof that math can be really, really cool.

Chapter 12 – Calm, part 2

Posted: 15-12-2019

Beta: FirstTimeStoryTeller

"Good job today." I said, as the three of us emerged out of the Dungeon. Lili looked up at me, and for once the smile she wore appeared a little less strained; a little more genuine.

Guess she was warming up to me.

"You as well." Welf patted my shoulder, while at the same time reaching over to ruffle Lili's head. She noticed the movement and expertly avoided the smith's hand stepping out of his reach, and in doing so moving closer to me.

She huffed irritably as my hand was buried beneath tuffs of her wild hair. "Don't pat Lili's head like that! She isn't a kid anymore." She did sound indignant, but there was no real heat in her voice. I also couldn't help noting her body language was fairly relaxed, and that – when she crossed her arms and turned away from me with what must have been quite the pout going by Welf's own grin – she no longer seemed too bothered to turn her back to me. Back when we first met she made sure to keep me in her periphery at all times, so this was definitely an improvement.

A part of me was cheering at the fact she now felt comfortable enough around the two of us to take part in friendly banter – which genuinely didn't feel forced or acted out, I mean – but at the same time I couldn't help but note she still, from time to time, sneaked glances at the Hestia Blade as well as what was undoubtedly a magic-sword Welf had taken to carry with him on his back.

Lili's life had so far been one massive collection of hardships and downright despair, and I wasn't naive enough to think the tiny amount of kindness I'd shown her was anywhere near enough to fully gain her trust.

She undoubtedly still looked for wealthy targets, and right now Welf and I were both prime candidates.

I was honestly kind of confused as to why she hadn't made a move yet. Both Welf and I possessed something worth a whole lot more than any Level 2 should have been able to afford, so what was she waiting for? Why was she stalling?

I'd added her eventual 'betrayal' into my calculations. The best outcome would be if things played out like they had the first time.

The biggest problem with this was that back then, Lili had decided to steal my weapon, but now she had a far more attractive target, or at least as far as she knew. The Hestia Blade might have been essentially invaluable, as it would grow in strength with its wielder, but to Lili it probably just looked like a superbly well-made blade, while a Crozzo magic-sword was sure to be worth at least 100 million valis to a collector.

At this point, she was far more likely to go for Welf than me. Was that why she was still sticking to our party? She'd seen me fight, so it made sense she would wait until I was out of the way before making her move, assuming I wasn't the target.

Huh... I was somewhat surprised to note how gung-ho I was about this whole thing. Lili had betrayed me at one point after all, stealing the Hestia-knife, and then leaving me to my fate.

Of course, she'd had her circumstances; circumstances I now knew all about, but looking back, I hadn't back then. And yet I'd forgiven her.

I couldn't help but wonder if I'd been as forgiving had the same thing happened now. I had a select few individuals in this city who mattered more to me than... well... pretty much anything. Lili was one of these individuals, but that was only because of everything we'd been through in the past life.

If I'd never met Lili though? Or if someone else ended up betraying me now, like she had the first time?

Would I have forgiven them, or would I just have cut my losses?

"Same time tomorrow?" The smith asked, his voice cutting through my thoughts. It was late in the evening, the three of us having spent almost five hours in the Dungeon.

"Yes, that sounds good."

Having established a meeting time the next day, I waved goodbye to the two of them.

Hestia would finish dinner soon, and I was starving.

Orario had a ton of little alleys and back-streets, crisscrossing all over the city. This was doubly true for Daedalus street, the district essentially made up entirely of such pathways.

Daedalus street also just happened to be situated right between Hestia's church and the Dungeon. In my past life, I tended to avoid the street entirely when heading for the Dungeon, walking around it due to the rumors circulating in regards to its labyrinthine status; it was said that whomever should enter will never find their way out again.

This was utter poppycock of course, as plenty of people lived in the area, but due to all of them being members of the poor and broken, it was not particularly well liked by the rest of Orario's inhabitants... with a few exceptions.

Now, on the other hand, I cared nothing for the rumors, quickly making my way through the district. I gained almost 10 minutes by doing so, after all, so circling around the district seemed kind of pointless.

One thing most didn't know however, was the amount of crime committed in the area, or to be more precise, how much crime was committed without being reported.

The district was essentially Orario's underbelly, after all, and as such the city authorities didn't care much if some random vagabond was jumped for his empty wallet, or just... disappeared.

That wasn't to say you were sure to get robbed if you entered the area. The crime-rate might have been higher here compared to other parts of Orario, but this was still relative. The chances of getting jumped were still miniscule, which was why I was genuinely surprised when a silvery blade flashed in front of my face, seeking to – if not outright decapitate me – do some serious damage.

I cursed, ducking under the swing while doing my best to reorient myself so I could get a proper look at my assailant.

A whistling sound was the only warning I got, as what couldn't be anything other than a sharp projectile hurled towards my unprotected back. I managed to get my sword up in time to deflect the arrow, which in turn left me open for the follow up attack performed by the first assailant.

Having used the Hestia-blade to block an arrow in the opposite direction, I was in no position to deflect the swing, and was therefore forced to bend under the attack, while at the same time avoiding another wayward arrow by spinning in the air, seeking to bury itself in my thigh.

This couldn't go on. I needed to create some distance between me and this guy, to be able to properly analyze the situation. I didn't think he was a superior opponent but with multiple archers backing him, getting a proper strike in was easier said than done.

Taking a page from Ais' book, when next he lunged in I spun, performing a move I'd seen the sword princess pull off on multiple occasions. I flew overhead, completely circumventing the attack. I had a moment to revel in schadenfreude as an expression of surprise overtook his masked features, before my dirt-covered boots slammed into his face. I pushed back, momentarily stunning the bastard while at the same time creating some much needed distance between me and him.

I skid to a halt a few meters away, stepping aside to evade a pair of arrows while at the same time deflecting a third.

Three archers, hunching in three completely opposite directions from my location, meaning they were all equally close to my position, which to be clear, wasn't very close. Whom I assumed to be the leader, the one who'd initiated the attack, was carrying a smallish broadsword. Smallish in the sense it could be wielded one handedly by a decently strong individual while still technically counting as a two handed weapon, due to its long sword-handle and thick base.

That armor though. My senses were telling me he was a low Level 3, yet the protective gear covering his frame was the kind of armor you might expect a first class adventurer to carry around.

That these people had managed to ambush me though... and that teamwork... seriously... they were most definitely professionals.

The old me might have demanded they tell me who they are, and what they wanted. He would have probably stopped the fight at this point in order to better appeal to their better halves.

I wasn't that naive boy any more though. These people had initiated the attack with the intent to kill, was clearly far more capable than their Levels would suggest – the three archers all being top Level two's – and was actively hiding their faces behind masks.

They were assassins. Couldn't really be anything else, meaning any attempt to reason with them would be met with steadfast silence, and further attempts at my life.

Better I be the one to further escalate the situation if that was their goal anyway.

Pushing off the ground, I charged the hidden, hooded figure on my left. Should deal with the archers first, as I didn't like my odds fighting against a Level three with long range support.

He knocked an arrow and fired, aiming for my head. deflecting the arrow would have been childishly easy, if it weren't for the two other arrows which would be heading for my position any minute now... only they didn't. Huh...? Why? Combining arrow fire would obviously be the easiest way of dealing with me.

Either way I lazily deflected the arrow.

And then everything went white.

I grunted, stumbling backwards as my ears rang and senses swam.

Shit. Attaching a flash-bang grenade to an arrow? Seriously? What the fuck?

What was worse was the fact I'd actually fallen for it, but in my defense I hadn't needed to worry about brightness in general in a long, long time.

Some believed your eyes became more sensitive as you leveled up, and while that was technically true – your overall senses improving – they also became more... tolerant in general. At Level 2, one could look directly into the sun without too much issue, and at Level 5, loud noises quite literally couldn't harm your eardrums any more.

At my strongest, light just hadn't been an issue because anything bright enough to leave me blinded would have also been hot enough to burn my face off.

This did not hold true now however. As a measly level two, the flash-bang had left me completely blinded, and deaf.

Through the ability my Falna had granted I could still sense my surroundings at least, which was why when I felt a relatively powerful aura approaching at disconcerting speeds I threw myself to the side. I never heard the swing, but I was sure something long and likely sharp had missed my nose by an inch as the wind-pressure slapped me in the face.

I felt the panic rising but pushed it down ruthlessly. I hadn't felt this helpless in a long, long time, and it was bringing up bad memories.

I wasn't helpless though. Losing my senses might have been scarier than I was willing to admit, but I still had my sixth sense, and no one could take it from me.

Admittedly I couldn't sense the sword but I could sense the person wielding it, which was how I knew to duck when next he was poised to strike.

Again the wind pressure tussled my hair, and again I moved back, preparing for the next blow.

I could do this. My eyesight wouldn't be returning anytime soon and neither would my hearing, but using my other senses I could survive for long enough for them to at least become remotely usable again.

Pain raced down my shoulder as something pierced it, getting lodged in the bone and dramatically worsening my range of movement.

But I can't sense arrows... I lamented, holding back the scream threatening to break out of my lungs.

The swordsman had backed off, probably thinking the archers could more easily take me down...

He wouldn't be wrong.

I raised my arms in an attempt to protect my head and therefore wasn't prepared when what had to be an arrow buried itself in my calf, forcing me down on one knee.

It wasn't only that. I didn't lower myself only because my lower leg was pierced, but also because my body felt all around weaker and... sluggish.

Poison. Of course. The arrows must have been laced with it, and probably not the kind that immobilized but the kind that killed.

And I was tired. So, so, tired. My whole body hurt. I just wanted to lay down and rest for a moment. I knew I couldn't; that it was the poison talking, but the impulse was still very much there.

Guess I didn't have much of a choice at this point. I didn't want to reveal my cards this early, but I'd die if I didn't.

Heat rose at my core as I prepared the spell, blood covering my frame hissing angrily before evaporating. Really, I was glad I still had enough presence of mind to utilize magic, but I couldn't help but wonder if I'd be strong enough to make it to the healers on my own once this was over and done with.

Something moved. Far faster than any Level 3 – or any arrow for that matter – had the right to. At this rate it would hit me before I could activate the spell. I would be dead before I hit the ground.

It didn't touch me though. Instead it moved past; with such speed it almost blew me of my feet, and I was sure that had my eyes been working properly I would have had to shield my eyes due to the cloud of smoke which had undoubtedly been created in its wake.

The new arrival – whose presence stood out to my senses like a miniature sun – headed towards the swordsman who'd caused me so much trouble, before just as quickly returning, stopping right in front of me.

I raised my sword in defense but the person quite effortlessly battered it aside. Before I knew it I was being pushed back, until I stood with my back to a wall.

A strong but surprisingly soft hand was placed on my chin, forcing me to tilt my head, or else have my jaw snap. A liquid was poured into my ear, followed by the familiar stinging sensation of a healing potion doing its job, and a very high leveled one going by the speed with which my hearing returned.

"Here," a feminine voice spoke, "your other ear." The liquid poured in, and I sighed contentedly as the constant ringing sound lessened somewhat. My sight had also returned, or at least to a large enough degree that I saw more than just a blur.

"Ryuu...?" I half asked, half coughed.

The stoic elf nodded as she deflected an arrow without even looking. "I am glad you are okay, Cranel-san. Although in this case 'okay' is more of a relative term I suppose."

Yeah... I probably looked like shit.

It was hard to focus but I could more or less make out the facial features of the elf in front of me. She didn't look scared, or worried, but just plain pissed.

I looked over her shoulder, to the enemy swordsman who no longer looked to hot. He was still standing, but he had a deep, ugly gash running down his frame, starting at the shoulder and moving all the way down to his hip.

Had Ryuu done that during the few seconds she'd been away from me? And with what appeared to be a particularly pointy rock, too? Damn, that was impressive.

For the first time since making his presence known the swordsman spoke. "We're retreating." Was all he said, his voice artificial – likely changed using an item or a spell – and without hesitation the archers put their weapons away, starting to move in opposite directions.

"You think I'll just let you go?" The simple statement was followed by a wave of killing intent, and even though it wasn't directed at me I couldn't help but stumble back a little, unconsciously pushing myself closer to the wall.

The attackers – all of them – also stopped in their tracks, taking the full brunt of the elf's presence.

This time it was one of the archers that spoke, his voice too being altered using an unknown method. "Are you sure you have the time to chase us down? You might be fast but you'll only be able to capture one of us." That was probably true, as by the time Ryuu subdued one of them, the rest – who undoubtedly would have moved in completely different directions – would have already reached the streets and blended in with the rest of the pedestrians. "And then of course there is this..." he held out one of his arrows, before pointing it at me. "The poison will have already reached his lungs and most other organs. He won't survive much longer unless you get him to a healer."

As if to puncture the statement all strength left my legs and I slid down the wall. Shit, I was already losing consciousness. The knowledge that Ryuu was here seemed to have drained me of most of the adrenaline I'd built up during the fight, leaving me weak and in a whole lot of pain.

A moment later darkness claimed my vision and mind.

Fever dreams. As a kid they were amongst the worst things I knew. Of course I wasn't sick very often, but the few times I came down with something I always tended to have the same dreams, although changing slightly as I grew older.

Now I obviously didn't have a fever, but whatever the poison was doing to my body it appeared to have left me in a similar state, because the dreams my mind conjured were far, far to familiar.

Blue and green paint trickling down the wall, some wheat you could make bread with, along with a far too bright street lamp placed out in the middle of nowhere.

The images were blurry and downright disorientating, and also terrifying in a way I felt they shouldn't have been...

God, I hated fever dreams.

Then maybe I should wake up?

I wouldn't have been able to before when I was having those terrifying dreams but now that I knew I was asleep I should be able to force my sluggish body awake.

Normally I probably wouldn't have, as my body needed the rest, but considering how close to death I'd been it felt prudent to check my surroundings. I might have trusted Ryuu with my life, but I wasn't foolish enough to think she'd always be strong enough to protect it... well, she shouldn't have had an issue with the assassins, but I felt I should still check just to be safe.

Plus, the fact that I was capable of reasoning the way I was doing now – completely aware even in this dream-like state – probably meant the poison had all but left my body.

Even after having made up my mind, pushing my consciousness to the surface was a frustratingly slow process.

After a while however, some of the fog clouding my mind lessened, and I was able to reattain control over a limited part of my body's main motor-functions.

Limited, in the sense I could technically move any limb I desired but doing so required a tremendous amount of energy and will-power.

I grunted, pushing myself up into a sitting position, using far more energy than I felt was at all appropriate, even if I'd been in a coma-like state even moments before.

"Well, well." It was interesting I immediately knew whom the voice belonged to, even in this addled state. Guess I'd just grown used to it over the years. "Look who's back from the dead."

I turned to Syr. Her smile was teasing but I could notice an undercurrent of worry in her eyes.

Ryuu pushed up my pillow against the backrest, allowing me to relax my spine while still sitting upright. "You should not move around too much," she said, "the poison should have mostly left your body by now, but you're still weak. Here..." she pushed a glass of water into my face, causing me to momentarily gag. Swallowing turned out to be one of those advanced motor-functions my body wasn't quite ready for yet, and I ended up coughing back up over half the liquid.

"O-oh-sorry..." the elf momentarily blanched, before being saved by Syr who took the glass, placing it down on a table next to my bed within reaching distance.

It was rare seeing Ryuu so clumsy, yet at the same time I had seen her like this before. She might have been a warrior who would have probably become a first class adventurer by now if it weren't for the fact she couldn't get her Status updated, but when it came to taking care of other people... she was just awful. She was just a little too hands on. Pushy, almost, in her will to help, and quite overbearing as a result.

"Where... am I?" I didn't recognize the interior. It obviously wasn't a hospital. Honestly, it looked like a normal home, decorated with normal cozy things like the brown, fluffy couch set off to the side, or the reddish carpet draped across the closest wall, not to mention the decorations fit quite well with the overall structure of the house, made mostly out of wood.

"This would be my home." Syr spoke, gesturing around the apartment. "I had a few healing potions here already, so we didn't think it necessary to bring you to the local clinic."

I did my best to push myself into more of a sitting position so I was no longer leaning against the backrest. My shoulder and lower-back muscles stung a little as they strained to keep me upright. "How long have I been out?"

"Oh, just a few hours, give or take." Syr smiled. "Honestly, considering the condition you were in when Ryuu brought you here I expected you to be out for several days. I'm glad that wasn't the case."

Those potions, I thought as I looked down on my body, they must have been quite expensive...I might have been covered in bandages but there was very little blood, which could really only mean one thing... My suspicions were confirmed when I lifted and pushed one of the bindings covering my shoulder to the side. The scar underneath looked red and angry, but it was a scar, meaning it was no longer an open wound, left their by a poisoned arrow.

Any potion capable of healing such an injury in under a day must have been damn expensive. I would make sure to pay her back for it.

And also pay Ryuu back for saving my life... even though I was the one supposed to protect her.

Damn it.

To think I'd made such a blunder.

The worst part was that I was confident I would have come out on top, had I not allowed the flash-bang to blind me. I lost because of a single error in judgement, and the mistake almost cost me my life.

Had I become complacent? The past month I'd faced monsters whose average abilities surpassed my own by a small margin, all in an attempt to gather excelia as quickly as logically possible, but at the same time, one of the reasons I could pick apart these physically superior monsters with such efficiency was because their movements were so predictable. They were big and clumsy in a way humans were not, not to mention their mindless nature meant most of them had next to no strategy; with a few exceptions of course.

I'd grown so used to facing opponents whose actions I could foresee and predict that I'd been completely blindsided – quite literally – by a simple flash-bang.

Such a mistake was unacceptable, and with the downright god-like foes I'd faced so far getting killed by a bunch of assassins employing a couple petty tricks would have been downright embarrassing.

It was something I would have to rectify. As I grew in Levels such weaknesses would slowly vanish, but it would still take a while before my body acquired complete immunity against poisons, and got rid of other similar vulnerabilities.

I turned to Ryuu, who was studying me with an unreadable expression. "You saved my life," I said, acting as if she'd never done that before. She might not have in this time, but she sure as hell had in the other... more times than I could count. "I won't forget that. And you as well Syr. Those potions probably cost a fortune. I'll pay you back, I promise."

"No, no, Bell-kun. Those potions were used to save a life, which was exactly what they were made for... although if you really want to pay me back, make sure to spend an inordinate amount of money the next time you visit the Hostess." At her cheeky smile I couldn't help but laugh a little myself.

Ryuu spoke up next. "I hate to ask you this, especially while you're still recovering, but who were those people..." she paused, as if having trouble putting together the next sentence, "or to be more precise. Why would a group of professional assassins target you?"

"I… I don't know." And I really didn't. Had Evilus learned of my intentions somehow? How? I hadn't made any real moves against them so far, so how could they possibly even know of my existence?

I shifted, moving the bed sheets covering my frame, before swinging my legs to the side, placing them on the floor.

I turned to Ryuu, wondering what her response would be, only to realize she wasn't even looking at me. In fact, she was looking into the ground with a remarkably red face. "U-um-Cranel-san..." she trailed off, sounding uncertain, before finishing with, "you should probably cover yourself..."

I looked at her in confusion, before turning to Syr instead. She, at least, was not averting her eyes, although she too had a light sheen of red coloring her cheeks.

No, hang on... she was looking at me... but not in the eyes. Her gaze was focused more on the lower part of my body for some reason.

I looked down.

Oh...

I was naked...

Well, shit.

Cursing silently to myself I grabbed the covers I'd so mindlessly cast aside and covered my lower body once more.

My mind must have been more muddled than I thought to not have noticed my bare state sooner. Bandages were covering a little under half my body but I had no actual clothes to speak of, and that included underwear.

My crotch was on complete display in other words, or had been before I covered myself.

Hiding my embarrassment in a cough, I turned a questioning eye towards Ryuu.

The look I sent her must have looked more accusing than intended, as she raised her arms in defense. "It's not like that!" She assured me, still red in the face. "Y-you were so injured, and we needed to treat you but your clothes were a bloody mess so we had no other choice but to strip you."

Well... yeah. That made sense. Although... "Okay, I can see how you might have needed to take my shirt and pants off, but as far as I remember I was never injured anywhere near the crotch, so was removing my underwear really necessary?" I asked, scratching my head awkwardly.

The wide-eyed look the normally stoic elf gave me in response genuinely threw me off. A moment later it morphed into an expression of shock and downright horror. It was the face of someone who just realized they'd been tricked into making a terrible and embarrassing mistake.

The elf turned to her friend with an accusing expression, making Syr look away with an innocent smile plastered on her lips.

It really looked innocent too...

That was something I'd come to learn about Syr. When she put actual effort into looking innocent, most of the time she wasn't, while, if she didn't bother looking guilt free she most likely was.

"Syr?" I tried for a frown, but I was pretty sure the expression was ruined somewhat as the corner of my mouth turned up slightly, watching Ryuu's scandalized look.

Huh. Cute wasn't normally a word I'd use to describe Ryuu. Other adjectives came to mind, such as 'headstrong', 'uncompromising', and 'all around awesome', but as I studied her expression – large, remarkably expressive eyes, a hint of red beneath her cheeks, along with a tiny pout – I couldn't help but think 'cute' fit the bill perfectly, along with 'endearing' and 'huggable'.

I returned my attention to Syr. "Why am I naked?"

It was a perfectly reasonable question. One Ryuu seemed to agree with wholeheartedly.

Syr crossed her arms, huffing to herself before muttering – wholly unrepentantly I might add – "What? I just wanted to see how big you were."

I just gaped.

Ryuu did too.

Did she actually just say that? It wasn't that she said it either. Not really. It was that she was the one who said it.

I'd never heard Syr be so crass my whole life. It just felt so completely out of character for her that it left me utterly flabbergasted.

Why?

What was different now? I'd been in this time for a little under a month. It was impossible I'd done something to alter her personality so drastically.

Unless...

She decided to change the way she acted in response to me, and perhaps she'd done the same in my previous life, altering her personality slightly in order to better appeal to a naive, more innocent version of myself?

It was the only explanation I could think of.

An awkward silence settled in the small room, although to be fair, me and Ryuu seemed to be the only ones who found the situation uncomfortable.

Syr just stood there, not a hint of shame on her face as she awaited my response.

Not that I knew how to respond but luckily, Ryuu had me covered. "Syr! Y-you can't just say something like that!"

The girl in question just rolled her eyes. She walked over to a chair, which I noticed for the first time had my underwear on them – and they were mine luckily, not touched by a drop of blood, the large teddy bear print clear at the front – along with a large, pink shirt and a pair of baggy pants.

"Here you go." She said, holding up the garments.

I sighed deciding to ignore her previous comment. "Thanks..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She gestured to the shirt. "Pink isn't really your color, but I'm afraid it's the only thing of mine that would fit. We had to cut open your bloody clothes to get them off you, so I'm afraid simply cleaning them isn't an option."

"Right. I'll get dressed then."

...

I scratched my head, feeling the awkwardness returning. "Uhm..."

"Yes?" Syr's innocent smile was still very much in place... so of course I turned to the elf instead.

"Could you maybe give me some privacy?"

Ryuu's wide eyes signified she'd gotten the message. She grabbed a hold of her friend, half leading, half dragging her away.

Right before the door closed behind them, Syr turned back to me. "Cute underwear by the way. Love the bear-pattern."

Only embarrassment was left in her wake.

God, this chapter was irritably hard to write. Mostly due to that first segment. I mean, Bell obviously cares a great deal about Lili, but that doesn't change the fact that she's highly likely to betray him at any time. How is he supposed to feel? What's a natural reaction? Once I got past this point though the rest of the chapter was relatively easy to write.

Also; before I've established that Bell has a bit of a sixth sense, essentially allowing him to sense the divine aura inside adventurers. So how was he ambushed? Why didn't he notice their presence, before they attacked?

Well, originally I intended to make his sixth sense a passive type of ability, that is always active, but well, I realized that closes a lot of doors in terms of storytelling. Main characters who can't be ambushed are somewhat boring in my opinion (with a few exceptions of course).

So, yeah, his ability to sense other people is technically passive, but only when he focuses on it. Think of it like smell. You only really react to strong smells, while weaker ones can go completely unnoticed, unless you're actively focusing on them.

This is why Bell noticed Finn when he entered the Hostess of Fertility, but wasn't ready when being ambushed by these unknown attackers. Because they were much closer to his Level and therefore didn't seem noteworthy to his senses.

Oh, and just to be clear. This was not that action I promised. That's still one or two chapters away.

Finally, I'll be doing a bit of shameless self-advertising. I've released an original story on fictionpress called A Stubborn Peasant's Legacy, and it'd mean a lot to me if you checked it out.

I mean, you've followed this story until now, so you must like my writing style, so who is to say you wouldn't like an original story of mine? Especially as it's quite similar to this.

Below is a snippet to get you interested:

How was I going to handle this? I wanted to make an impression. But even more important was making sure she regretted having crossed me.

I wasn't being petty. I was simply responding in kind, teaching her the repercussions of her actions.

I'd spent days coming up with the perfect punishment, which I was now, at this very moment, going to mete out. This would be retribution. Punishment where punishment was due. A public, humiliating punishment.

I drew in breath, and then I hollered at the top of my lungs, voice high pitched. "Tessa! I looove yooouu!"

She turned to me, eyes wide and panicked. "Stop!" She hissed angrily. "Don't do that!" In my unbiased opinion, I couldn't help but think she looked absolutely adorable, heat radiating off her face, redder than a tomato.

Completely ignoring her plea to stop I continued with glee. "Your big brother loves you sooo much! So, so, sooo, much!"

I felt a rush of satisfaction as my baby sister looked around in a panic, probably hoping none of her future classmates had heard my passionate, and, most importantly, embarrassing shouting. No such luck however, as more than a few kids were looking at me – and by extension, her – with confusion and bewilderment.

I didn't care. It was my birthright. It was the birthright of all big brothers, anywhere and everywhere: the right to embarrass their littler siblings that was. It was a true privilege.

...

Okay. Maybe I was being a little petty, but she'd had it coming. Just two days before, she'd given me a cruel and cold wakeup call, and I meant that literally.

That's right; the little imp had dumped a bucket of ice cold water over my head... while I was sleeping.

Seriously. That had been a downright traumatizing way of waking up; soaking wet bed sheets sticking to my body like tape, feeling like I'd just gone skinny dipping in the middle of winter, and still only half awake.

After that, this was in all honesty a rather tame payback, all things considered.

And there was one of her teachers. Perfect! "Hello, Mrs. Amherst! I'm Tessa's big brother, Cadmus Grrhawkin," I pointed to my glowering sister, just to make sure the perplexed teacher knew with absolute certainty who I was referring to, "and I looove her more than anything in the world!"

Once upon a time I would have likely found this embarrassing myself, but at fifty years of age I'd learned to appreciate the simpler things in life. Well, I wasn't actually that old. Not technically at least. Not anymore.

It might have been more accurate to say I was a 17 year-old, with the mind of a man in his fifties. Or a fifty year-old, stuck in the body of a teenager. Take your pick.

I didn't really feel like an old man anymore though. Weak? Yes; ridiculously so in fact, but awake and revitalized in a way I must have once been, but could no longer remember.

I didn't possess a foreign body, either. No, it was my own, only 35 years younger than the one I'd grown accustomed to over the years.

My baby sister, in comparison, was just like the nine year-old little brat i remembered. God, I'd once thought she was such an irritating little tattletale. So annoying and whiny.

Now I felt like hugging her every time I saw her and always made sure to tuck her into bed when she went to sleep.

She wasn't supposed to be alive after all... or she was... in this time at least, but then she was supposed to die a few days after my 21 birthday.

I felt a pang of anger and regret at the memory, and then there was the guilt of course, worming its way into my gut like a starving tapeworm.

I wouldn't fail her. Not this time. Not again.

She would live a full, happy life, and if destiny, fate or any other bullshit cosmic power wanted to ruin her future, I would find it, and break it into little pieces.

Right here, right now, however, she was alive and well, currently rushing towards the large school-building, trying to escape the attention my incessant shouting was garnering, most likely with a huge frown on her face.

I smiled and focused on the warmth bubbling up from within. I had a family now, and therefore more of a reason to fight than I'd ever had before.

I was just about to turn around and walk back home, having accomplished the task of taking my sister to school successfully, when she turned around right before the entrance, giving me a stern glare.

It was a frustrated and sullen look, and also one promising swift retribution.

Bring it on dear sister, I thought to myself with a huge, challenging smile on my face, once again focusing on the simpler things in life. Bring. It. On.

Just Google "a stubborn peasant's legacy fictionpress" and it should be the first result to appear.