24 Time to prove yourself 7 (2/2)
Growing up in that place, Lumia had learned to cuss with every single sentence. Hearing her talk like that, Helial did not know whether to laugh or cry. That lovely girl talked like a sailor on leave. But after all what should have he done? Punish her? He could never.
Helial was quite a detached person, able to not get his temper up easily, but when Lumia was concerned…
The girl, after being reprimanded or her language, was pouting with her hands on her hips, like she had seen the angry wives do with their husbands, and she had turned the other way. Lumia acted like an adult, but her lovely sweet face betrayed her young age.
Helial smiled and rolled his eyes. He already knew how that was going to end. He squatted to lower himself to Lumia's height, hugged her and planted a big kiss on her cheek. ”C'mon, I was kidding”, he sighed, ”you can talk how you want.”
Lumia wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Then, remembering something, she hurriedly let him go. ”That whore growing carrots in the patch behind her house stares at you too much.”
”Lumia, what are yo-”
”You've seen it too!”
”But…” Helial did not even know what to say; the girl was not ten years old yet. Why did she go on talking like the crudest of farmers and why was she concerned about these things at her young age?
”Lumia, that girl is my age, she looks at me only because we are about the same ag-”
”She looks at you 'cause she's a slut!”
”Lumia! A little freedom is alright, but watch your mouth!” Helial had raised his voice.
Hearing the raised tone of her brother, Lumia changed expression. Her emerald green eyes welled up with tears and she sobbed. ”You're a monster!”
Seeing that she was about to cry, Helial felt a pang to the heart. ”C'mon, come here, come here.”
He took her in his arms and stroked her dirty hair. Lumia put her head in the hollow of his shoulder, while a big smile spread on her face.
He always falls for it.
Lumia enjoyed that warm hug.
Her brother had always tried to make her eat healthy and teach her what he knew, but had to spend a lot of time outside. Though, Lumia had never understood one thing. She was already aware of her brother's abilities, so she did not understand why he was still stuck in a village like that, peopled by simple farmers and housewives. Helial excelled in everything he did, or almost everything. Why hadn't he found something better to live off? It almost looked as if he wanted to keep a low profile.
Helial experienced that unique feeling that always enveloped him whenever hugging his sister: the unconditional love he felt for her was so great it warmed his heart like no other emotion. That was really loving someone. You know how the saying goes, right? Blood is thicker than water. Helial was smiling stupidly while his sister hugged him. He had never really cared about other people's opinion, and even Vidio's had only a small influence on his conscience, but Lumia's opinion had a great sway over him. Lumia was his anchor, his small ray of sunshine.
There, if there was anything Helial could always count on to keep going, that was Lumia.
***
In the present
Boy, are you ready?
Helial stripped naked, piling his clothes very far away to prevent them from getting destroyed.
”Do not let my clothes get destroyed, please.”
Kirin nodded without saying anything. It seemed that Helial really cared about those rags. The Qilin noticed that on the front of his filthy tunic there was a big seam that bulged somewhat ridiculously, probably done by a blind man.
Helial took several deep breaths, his chest heaving. He sat on the ground.
Skill Activated:
Communion with Mana
He closed his eyes and focused on his own body. Besides his Meridians, there was only one image in his head: a small head full of platinum hair and a loving smile.
Helial was more determined than ever. He had took that stance because it allowed him to focus better. It would have been to no use to activate Dragon's Breath as well. This time it was not a matter of training Mana, but of training the body.
”Let's begin.”