14. Kitaro

Chapter 14

Kitaro

T hat chaotic barrage of emotions emanating from the human mage stirred Kitaro awake. They ranged from confused to curious and everything in between. It fascinated him how deeply and quickly Vanra seemed to experience feelings. His voice was rough with sleep as he said, "I was led to believe humans were simple creatures, yet you seem to do a great deal of overthinking."

Vanra blanched at the comment. "I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up?"

Kitaro opened his eyes to look at the human. "What troubles you so?"

"I was just wondering about some stuff. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Such as?" Kitaro questioned before hiding a yawn behind his hand. The scent of Vanra's embarrassment was delightful. "If it is so embarrassing, perhaps I should not ask."

The comment made Vanra blush. "No, I was simply thinking about your family."

"My family?" That had not been the answer Kitaro expected. "It caused you to run that wide gamut of emotions?"

"You're not like the rest of your family that I've met, so I was wondering why."

Kitaro arched an eyebrow. "First thing in the morning?"

"I'm pretty sure it's midafternoon by this point," Vanra dryly countered with a grin.

"If you want to get technical."

Vanra studied Kitaro with curiosity. "Why are you so different?"

Kitaro was curious to hear Vanra's assumptions. "What conclusion did you draw from your overthinking?"

"That I'm pretty sure Kisano will be nothing like you and wondering if your mom had anything to do with you being the polar opposite of Mitsuki," Vanra answered.

"Mitsuki is the abnormal one. Kisano and Kizoshi are far more rational. My sister is rather… enigmatic . Kisano is shy by nature and leads a quiet life hidden in our library."

"Your father doesn't object to that? I'd think a powerful king like him would insist on all his sons being fierce warriors."

Kitaro's frown made his disapproval clear. "Father does not concern himself with Kisano in the least."

"Why?"

Kitaro was silent for a long moment. "Despite being a full shifter, Kisano possesses no powers or dragon. He barely has any trace of shifter markings. He was gifted with a brilliant and insightful mind, but such strengths hold little interest for my father."

"I'm assuming Mitsuki shares that opinion?"

"Indeed." It disgusted Kitaro. "The only saving grace is they both have written Kisano off as unimportant and not even worth the time to disparage, so they leave him alone in his sanctuary of the library."

The swirl of sadness and anger coming from Vanra intrigued Kitaro. The human mage said, "That's horrible!"

Kitaro shrugged. "It is the preferred alternative to them trying to force him into being a warrior that he is not. Kisano prefers the company of books, so it is no hardship to him to be ignored."

"Yeah, but still!"

It warmed Kitaro's heart to hear Vanra passionately defend his older brother, whom he had yet to meet. "I appreciate your concern for his situation. Should your path cross with Kisano's, I trust you will find him good company—if you can convince him not to run off and hide." Kitaro tucked his hair behind his ear. "What thoughts did you have about my mother?"

"If she was the reason you're so well-adjusted."

The comment made Kitaro chuckle as he stretched, then settled into a comfortable position once more. "You would not be wrong to ascribe her a large portion of that credit. Despite being an ice dragon, she had a warmth that was uncommon in the higher ranks of aristocrats. It provided a much-needed balance to my father's warlord tendencies."

"Had?"

"Ah." Some of Kitaro's good humor faded. "Arenthia's jealousy is legendary with my father. She did not take kindly to him taking my mother for a mistress."

Vanra had a horrified expression. "She had your mother killed?"

"Not at first. Mother realized early on what Arenthia's role was in my father's life, so she took me to her family's estate up north in Tozoko to stay out of the way. We lived there undisturbed for over a hundred years."

"You weren't raised around your father?"

Kitaro's lips turned upward in a small smile. "My mother was a strong woman in her own right. She was not afraid to deny my father. I believe that was part of her appeal to him."

"What happened?" Vanra hesitantly asked.

"My father grew tired of being told, ‘No,' by my mother." Kitaro sighed as he continued recounting the tale. "He demanded she bring me back here to train with him and Uncle Jaega. Mother refused to be parted from me. When she resisted in complying with his demands, he came in person to order she submit to his will. Mother was decidedly unimpressed with his argument, so he imposed his authority on her in other ways."

"Meaning?"

"He forcibly kidnapped us back here," Kitaro clarified. "After being denied her presence for over a hundred years, he made up for lost time in ways that Arenthia found objectionable."

Although he was a mage, Vanra could easily infer the sexual implications. " Oh ."

"Arenthia believed that my mother had agency in her return and reacted correspondingly," Kitaro continued.

"Arenthia murdered her?"

"Not directly, although I am sure Arenthia would have derived a great deal of satisfaction out of doing so. Mother tried to escape with me back to Tozoko, but bandits attacked us on the way. I have no direct proof they were acting on Arenthia's orders, but it had all the hallmarks of her involvement. Arenthia's subsequent rejoicing at the news of my mother's death served as further confirmation."

"That's so awful." Vanra's deep anguish brought comfort to him. "I'm so sorry, Kitaro. I can't even imagine how traumatic that must have been for you."

"My mother did not go down without a fight," Kitaro stated with pride. "There were twenty assailants. Though I was but a child, I struck down five of them while my mother killed the remaining fifteen of them on her own despite having been mortally wounded by a Divine weapon."

Vanra's expression was full of admiration. "She must have been an incredible warrior in her own right to do that."

"My mother's side of the family was renowned for their magic abilities, so she had a masterful command of her immense powers. I am grateful that I learned as much as I did from her before her untimely demise."

"She sounds amazing."

"Indeed, she was a most remarkable person. I regret you will not have an opportunity to meet her. She would have found you a most curious creature." Kitaro knew his mother would have grown quite fond of Vanra.

"I wish I could have met her." Vanra's emotions continued to swirl in a captivating way. "I can't believe Arenthia could be so heartless."

"She is a ruthless Power who has no time for those she sees as interfering in her plans," Kitaro stated. "I suppose I should be fortunate that she did not see it fitting to finish what she had started by trying to kill me after I survived. "

Vanra looked stricken. "She wouldn't do that, would she?"

"If she has not done it by now, I do not foresee her putting in any effort to end my life, given I pose no real threat to her," Kitaro said with a shrug. "My existence does not alter her position in my father's life, so there is no benefit in coming after me and risking angering my father. I still have some value to him. And Kizoshi is close to me as well, which would most likely stay her hand."

"What about Kisano's mother?" Vanra hesitantly asked. "Did Arenthia kill her, too?"

"No, she died centuries ago during the Great Illness before I was born," Kitaro answered. "Kisano rarely speaks of her, but she was well known throughout the lands at the time for her beauty as much as her kindness. She did not possess great powers, but she earned respect because she had such a brilliant mind. Her insatiable appetite for knowledge is the reason we have such an immense library. It is thanks to her influence that Kisano has been allowed to live his quiet life instead of being forced to be a fighter, even after she died. Many mourned her passing."

"That's so awful," Vanra whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Kitaro reached out to caress the side of the human's face. "You should not let such things trouble you. There is no changing the events in a far distant past."

"It's still heartbreaking," Vanra said in anguish.

"The kindness of your heart is astounding," Kitaro complimented him. "You genuinely care about shifters you have never met. It is a most unusual thing."

The praise flustered Vanra. "How could I not be moved?"

"What use does a human have to care for shifters who died centuries ago?" Kitaro countered. "It should have no impact on you, and yet you are clearly hurt by finding out about the loss of shifters you have never met."

"To know that your wonderful mother met such a cruel end for such a petty reason…how do you bear it?" Vanra asked with a sniffle.

"I have had my time to come to terms with the events," Kitaro replied with a shrug. "It would have horrified Mother if I held on to an angry grudge for centuries over what had happened to her and let it darken my heart."

"Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry if I pried into something I wasn't supposed to."

"Think nothing of it. Should I have an objection to anything, I will let you know."

Vanra's stomach chose that time to rumble. Kitaro chuckled, making Vanra's embarrassment that much worse. When the mage instinctively apologized, Kitaro cut him off with, "Lunch sounds like a fine idea. Perhaps after that, we shall do some more training in the training hall."

"I'll go get ready, then." Vanra dashed to the bathroom. Kitaro could only laugh at the mage's bashfulness as he continued to laze in bed a little longer.