19. Jaega

Chapter 19

Jaega

A fter he finished training with his nephew, Jaega sought his oldest brother.

Tatsuki greeted him warmly, gesturing for him to come over. "Welcome, dear brother. What news do you bring us?"

"I thought you would be interested in hearing how Vanra's first session with me went." Jaega made himself comfortable on a chair in Tatsuki's sitting room. "Now that I have worked with him, I see why you accepted him as clan."

"He is a curious creature. We were surprised to feel his power unleashed earlier."

"I requested he do that, so I knew what I was working with," Jaega explained. "To say I was unprepared for that level of power is an understatement."

"It is most unexpected for a mere human." Tatsuki stroked his chin with a pensive expression. "We have never known one to be so powerful. It would be disconcerting and make us question our judgment in accepting him as clan if he had a different temperament."

"He is even more powerful than you think." Jaega held up his now unblemished hand, curling his fingers into a fist. Although he had watched with his own eyes, he could still scarcely believe the human had done so.

Tatsuki's red eyes went wide in shock. "But that is impossible!" He reached out to take Jaega's hand in his, running his thumb over where there used to be a scar. "How could a mere human heal the damage of a Divine weapon?"

"I do not profess to know, but he did it effortlessly." Jaega shook his head in disbelief. "He claimed to have healed the same injuries on other shifters and half-shifters. I found it hard to believe, and yet his scent conveyed he was telling the truth."

Tatsuki leaned back in his chair. "Yes, we discussed such things in our meeting with the human. He seems free of all the hatred and prejudice his kind are known for. We do not know what to make of it."

"I will continue training with him. Once he has made sufficient progress, perhaps he can work with Fersen or one of the other Enchanters to improve his magic further."

Tatsuki nodded. "That is a fine idea. He will need all the help he can get to make his journey. "

"Journey?"

"We are sending him to Satsuma for answers that only she can help him with. Even with Kitaro at his side, it will be a dangerous quest. The more prepared he is for the trip, the better his odds are of returning home to his time."

Jaega still found Vanra's story of time traveling almost too unbelievable to be true. But if his brother accepted the veracity of the human's claims, then Jaega would, too.

"Despite Mitsuki's protests, Kitaro was right to bring Vanra here. The Fate Power clearly has something in mind for the human, so we will play our supporting part."

"What do you think Sophina has in store for him?"

"We do not pretend to know, but she never acts without a reason. We objected to the human's presence until he explained the truth of how he came to stand before us. As unbelievable as his story is, we cannot help but be intrigued by him. You have our gratitude for training him."

"He is a quick study, so I suspect he will make excellent progress, especially if he is also training separately with Kitaro."

"Please keep us updated. We are endlessly curious about such a strange creature." Jaega shook his head. "It is a most unexpected outcome."

Jaega chuckled. "As sweet as he is, it is hard not to like him. "

"Mitsuki manages to hate him just fine," Tatsuki said with a bark of laughter. "But we agree. We were ready to kill him where he stood, and yet, our hand was stayed by his earnestness. We do not understand what it is about him that makes us wish to trust in his sincerity."

"It will definitely keep things interesting, especially for Kitaro." Jaega had his suspicions that his nephew's heart was entirely unprepared for what being around Vanra constantly would do to him. "Are you prepared for that possibility?"

"Of Kitaro wanting to claim Vanra for a mate?"

Jaega nodded. "As inexperienced as Kitaro is with romance, I suspect he will struggle when Vanra's heat hits."

"The thought of our youngest mating a human would have sent us into a blind fury mere days ago." Tatsuki steepled his fingers with a thoughtful expression. "But we have already accepted Vanra as clan, so the possibility is not as troubling as it would have been. We still wish to use Kitaro to strengthen an alliance with another kingdom, but if that were to come to pass, it is not an insurmountable problem. We will have more children."

Jaega arched an eyebrow in surprise at his oldest brother's claim. "You would risk angering Arenthia again by being with another woman?"

"Apparently." Tatsuki smiled at a private joke Jaega wasn't privy to. "Love leads to many things. "

It was a strange comment coming from Tatsuki. Jaega pointed out, "But you do not believe in love."

"Not right now. But perhaps that will change in the future." Tatsuki chuckled to himself. "We look forward to finding out."

Jaega stared at his brother in astonishment. "I never thought I would hear the day when you of all people would extol the virtues of love."

"Apparently, people can change." Tatsuki shrugged. "If I can learn to tolerate and grow fond of a human, anything is clearly possible."

F ersen was waiting for Jaega in their room when the general returned. After losing his first mate, Caprina, Jaega thought he would never love again. But Fersen had unexpectedly come into his life recently and changed everything.

"How did it go with the Enchanters?" Jaega asked as they settled into their sitting room. He pulled his new mate into his lap to embrace.

"They've been so kind to me. I feel like I've already learned so much, although it has only been a few days." Excited energy passed through their mating bond. "I was worried about whether I could find my place here after living alone in the forest for so long. But it feels right to be with them and with you."

Jaega hugged his mate tighter. "I am relieved you are finding Tiora to be a welcoming new home."

"How did it go with training the human mage?" Fersen asked.

"He is beyond surprising. I could not for the life of me understand what made my brother accept one as clan when he despises humans and mages alike. But Vanra is no ordinary person." Jaega held his hand out to show his mate what Vanra had accomplished. "He can do even the most impossible of things."

"Wait, did he—" Fersen cut himself off as he took Jaega's hand in his to examine it closer. "How is it possible that a human healed an injury caused by a Divine weapon? That's impossible!"

Jaega flexed his hand as Fersen continued exploring the newly smooth skin. "I cannot explain it, but he did it as if it was nothing. For one so powerful, you would expect him to be as arrogant and unpleasant as Mitsuki, with an oversized ego to match. But Vanra is the kindest and most unassuming human I have ever met. You would like him."

Fersen made an uncertain noise. "I'm not so sure. All my experiences with humans have been unpleasant. On the rare occasions I would go into town, they would taunt me for looking so different."

Jaega brushed the hair from Fersen's eyes, which changed colors every time he blinked. "It is a pity they were ignorant of your true beauty. But I can promise you that Vanra is nothing like those awful humans."

"What makes you so sure after a single session with him? Perhaps he was hiding his true nature."

"You will see when you meet him. He is all things kindness and good. It is truly remarkable. I thought training him would be an arduous chore my brother saddled me with, but I am looking forward to working more with Vanra. Once he progresses, I think it would behoove him to work with you to improve his magic."

Fersen's jaw dropped. "You want him to work with me ?"

"I do. It would benefit you both." Jaega rubbed his mate's back in reassurance. "But we are some ways from that. What do you say to enjoying a bath together? Between training Vanra and Kitaro, I seem to have worked up quite a sweat."

"I will never say no to that." Fersen laughed and held on tight as his mate carried him. "Especially since we're bound to get dirtier before we get clean."

Jaega chuckled as he walked them to the bathroom. "You already know me so well, my beloved mate."