Hendrix let out a breath as he did his best to get rid of the feeling of jealousy crawling through his chest. Jason was better than him, and Hendrix just had to accept that.
"But why are you so curious about my power? You’ve been acting strange since I met you yesterday. Is there something going on?"
Jason spoke up with a frown while looking down at the battle between Stella and Georgia. The two women had started a new duel. But this time, they were no longer using only swordsmanship, and now they were casting spells to try and throw each other off. Stella was using a fire-based skill that created whips of flames that lashed out every time she swung her arm, and Georgia was fighting back with multiple water lances to keep Stella at a distance. Hendrix hummed, and his eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"I don’t know where to start really, but I suppose I should start from the beginning. Have you heard the stories about our father’s first wife?"
"The jealous one?"
Hendrix scoffed in amusement when Jason said this, and Hendrix nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the jealous one. I suppose that description is perfect for someone like her. But she hadn’t always been that way. There was a time when she was one of our father’s biggest supporters. She ruled Avaran with him, and she helped organize the family while our father focused on war. But things changed far too drastically for Father to do anything about it. I can’t tell you when it started, but she began being very vocal about her hatred of our stepmothers. All of father’s other wives became her enemies, and nothing father did could talk her out of it."
Hendrix rubbed his chin with a grimace as he remembered those times. Hendrix had only been a little boy back then, barely old enough to walk, but his memories of the fights and screams whenever his mother was meeting with the first wife were still fresh in his mind. Hendrix continued slowly.
"When father refused to accept the first wife’s terms and get rid of his other wives, the first wife slowly poisoned her children’s minds to make them hate the rest of the family as well. Things got so bad that the children started to hate us as well, and a serious division slowly formed between us. If that was the only problem, then maybe we could’ve solved it simply, but the biggest issue was the first son, Gregory. Jason, I don’t say this with a light heart at all. Other than father himself, our oldest brother is probably the most powerful being I have ever seen."
The sheer intensity in Hendrix’s voice when he said that actually made Jason turn to him curiously. Hendrix couldn’t overemphasise just how powerful Gregory was. The feeling that Hendrix felt when he saw Jason for the first time was the exact same thing that happened when Hendrix met his eldest brother for the first time. It felt like there was an impossible canyon of talent separating them, and Hendrix would never be able to jump over to the other side. The Marc family was known for producing powerful Mages, but Gregory and Jason were obviously in a class of their own.
Hendrix was still looking at Jason with a face that showed he was dead serious, and Jason hummed as he looked away and asked:
"He’s really that strong?"
"Strong enough to shift the entire Primordial Domain in whatever direction he wishes. Back when we were children, he achieved a new rank every time I saw him. His rate of absorbing Mana Stones was higher than any Avaran I had ever seen, and every skill he attempted felt like he was a league of his own. Honestly, I was scared of him, and after his mother turned him against us, all the other children grew terrified of him too. His presence at his mother’s side made her threats very real, because if he supported her, then there was really a chance she could kill all of us. And that almost happened with father’s fifth wife."
Hendrix rubbed his chin with a grimace as he spoke about this incident.
"There was a heated argument between the fifth and first wife one day, and Gregory attacked the fifth wife in anger. He injured her seriously and almost killed her, but her daughter, Valeria, barely managed to get Gregory away before he could finish her off. Even today, the fifth wife still suffers from the pain of that injury. Father had been livid, and the beating he gave Gregory that day almost destroyed Avaran, but Gregory was still his son, and father couldn’t find it in him to kill his own son. Father cast Gregory away to a distant world at the edge of the Primordial Veil with the first wife and her other children, and we haven’t heard from him since. But lately, there have been rumors..."
Hendrix finally stood straight and turned to look at Jason seriously, and Jason glanced at Hendrix calmly as Hendrix continued.
"After the world of Avaran was destroyed, many of our people were scattered around the Primordial Expanse, but there’s been a mysterious organisation rising up recently and gathering the Avarans once again. They call themselves the King’s Guard, and I believe they’re a group supporting the ascension of Gregory to the Avaran throne. Both Georgia and I received invites, as did many of our half-brothers and sisters who are powerful enough. Georgia and I plan to refuse the invite, but there are some of our siblings who are seriously considering it. They all know that it is nearly time for father to step down and give the mantle to someone else, and they believe Gregory is the best choice as the next King."
Jason’s eyes narrowed.
"I never got an invite."
Hendrix shrugged.
"I don’t know why that is. But what I do know is that we cannot allow Gregory to take the throne. At first, Gregory was just a tyrant who wished to please his mother, but after his fight with father, I could see genuine evil in those eyes. If Gregory ascends the Avaran throne, he will throw the Primordial Expanse into a war unlike anything they have ever seen."
"Are you interested in the throne as well? From what I heard, all the sons have a legitimate claim, so do you want it?"
Jason turned to Hendrix as he asked this, and Hendrix immediately shook his head.
"I have no need for it. My destiny is to rule the people of Lyran after my mother’s reign ends, and I have trained for that day all my life. Many of our brothers are the same. They all know that in order to get the throne, they would have to eventually face Gregory, and none of them have the confidence of defeating him. If there’s anyone amongst us with a legitimate chance of winning against him, then it might be only you."
Jason scowled when he heard that. The mere thought of taking even more responsibility on his shoulders was so irritating that Jason couldn’t even hide his reaction! Jason spoke up in annoyance.
"No thanks. I already have enough shit to deal with in this domain. I’m not looking to add even more problems to my plate."
Hendrix sighed, and Jason could see the genuine disappointment on his face. It was obvious that Hendrix wanted Jason to start some sort of counter campaign to take the throne from Gregory and stop the King’s Guard. But Jason wasn’t interested in doing something like that. Jason turned to the side as he saw Gina and Maya waving at him with a smile, and he smiled as he waved back. Kai suddenly joined in and began waving with both hands excitedly, and Jason chuckled as Maya hit Kai on the head!