7- A father's worries

"Now, son", the mage began, his blue-grey eyes solemn, although the pupils grew to almost double their size when looking at his son; "you can start voicing your queries".

The seven year freshly knighted child looked up diagonally at his father, who had insisted on driving out everyone from the room to have some acclaimed 'man-to-man talk' with him, both sitting opposite each other. Though he had been knighted and declared as coming of age only that same day, the solemn and serious talks with his father were a common occurrence for him. He sighed, a habit he may be caught from his father, closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and said, "Why the urgent coming of age? What's going on? I need to know the situation."

"That you do. Let me bring you up to date," the thane wrapped his cloak around him as he stood up, starting to pace in front of his son. "Do you know where our family originated from?"

"Jehanna."

"Before that?"

"No idea."

"We are imperial counts, swearing fealty directly to the emperor, with a fief in the frozen Eastern Wrothgar, High Rock. Do you know what the conditions were when nobility was conferred to the house Larus? DO you know that it was strictly forbidden for a noble of house Larus to have close ties with a noble of the imperial court above or equal to the rank of imperial count. Was forbidden to serve in the military or the blades or the Penitus Occulatus. Or to acquire or own property outside of the kingdom of Jehanna.

Do you know that it was clearly stated that all these limitations are effective 'in the Septim Empire'.

That they, especially the Thalmor came to know of it all; except the one clause in the oath limiting our exile to the end of the Septim Empire. That they prosecuted us imagining us as staunch royalists.

Do you know that before escaping Jehanna, I had to face constant persecution, first in the name of reparations for the hundreds of Thalmor agents my father killed and injured when they tried to catch him alive, then by nobles used as proxies by the Thalmor trying to take over our fief and noble title under acquisitions that my father having betrayed the family making us oath-breakers and thus losing claims to the Fief and title; then by constant assassination attempts, such that even our path through the reach was full of ambushes, or so I got to know after we reached Solitude.

It only came to happen so that the night you were born, as your mother was in labor, and tired as I was, I happened to nap on the bench outside her room waiting for your birth. In such a time, I had a dream – a dream of a new star rising from behind my lower back. A star brighter than the North Star. It shone so bright that it blinded the eyes of the mer, as for men, they rejoiced in its light. This star shone brighter, until it out-shone the sun, the moon and the stars in its brilliance blocking their heat and their magic and degrading them to mere fluorescent lamps. Then I heard a caller calling, "name him 'Zinkahjul', for he will be the honor and rise of men, and go not east, but seek the way salty as tears. A dragon was he born, clothed in a human's skin will he be, blessed by the Daedra and Aedra alike shall he be, yet return the blessing to none will he, for he shall be the instrument of Lorkhan's wish."

Waking up I was informed of your birth, and so that dream I took as a foreboding, a tiding of things to come so I asked around and got to know about the leaving from docks from the capital of a ship the following night, and got to know about some cliffs in the sea and a light house near from which we could board the ship, and so we escaped.

Had it not been your birth, and instead a normal kid, we would have died in the reach in the planned ambushes. You were born blessed, even your eyes and the light with which your face shone pointed to your being special, and so it happened that I fearing for your life placed multiple illusion spells on you. However, it so happens, that with your age and growing mana, it has been growing harder to maintain the illusion, such that your eyes are already returning to their color if not their brilliance.

My son, I know you are chosen for great deeds. I tried protecting you, and will keep on trying, but there are limits to my power and guile. As time passes, the influence of the Thalmor increases. Even now, previous allies and partners have started to turn a cold cheek. As I estimate, within three years, Solitude will no longer welcome us as a permanent home, as the Thalmor are Oblivion bent to eliminate us. There will come a time when your father's hands will not be able to fend off the increasingly powerful and spiteful enemy, when they will be able to climb over my cold corpse to harm you. I prepare you for that day. For the day when the slayer of your and my kin stretches its dirty claw to you, when all the walls and fences that I have built around you crumble and escape remains the only possibility, I prepared you so that you can at least escape. Survive, blood of my blood, fulfill the role prepared for you by destiny."

It was as if a final piece of a jigsaw puzzle had been thrown in. the doubts Zin had, the mystery of his origin, how if he was born in a noble house could he become a vagabond and kin-less traveler. It was because his family had been destined to death within a week or so of his birth.

The changes the world went through just because of his arrival, being a conscious, knowing dragonborn from birth really did change a lot.

'Agghhh', Zin grumble to himself, 'the debts we carry. I never managed to even repay a fraction of my previous parents' debt and now I'm here carrying a shit ton load of new debts.'

Zin got up, only to kneel before his father. However, where he knelt on one knee when being knighted now he knelt on both knees. 'I'm acting pretty much like a Chinese cultivator and I know it lol'.

"Father, give me time and opportunity, I swear I will not disappoint."

"As you wish. But you can't leave the house as of yet. Any requirements that can be fulfilled while staying in the manor will be considered."

Father, I wish to research magic, just like you do. For that I want a laboratory, funding, and my two teachers as assistants."

"Granted. What will be the area of your research?"

"Magic and its effects on organic creatures and mutations caused by exposure to magic."

"Ahhh, that's a touchy subject. Be careful, and always experiment on yourself the last.

The bodyguards I have given you and the mages who taught you magic theory, spells alchemy, etc. are the very best of mages, as they combine eagerness to learn with a huge talent in magic. Cherish them, treat them as family, nay better, for they saw you born, nursed you, and saw you grow up."

"I will father."

Zin left the room, only to find his mother standing outside waiting for him to come out, her face wearing a smile which was still not enough to hide the deep worry ill-hidden by her. From his birth, Zin respected this woman, both as a mother and as a woman. Her beautiful, fair face bereft of any signs of aging or wrinkles and her well groomed auburn hair told of a noble lady who never saw any hardship, complete with that elegance and grandiose style that fit her status as a countess; but if one were to look into her eyes, they would witness the deep worries and hardships seen beneath the erect façade of a cheerful and elite lady. "Mother, you look good in these-"

Zin was interrupted midway, never able to complete his sentence as he was pulled into a bear hug by his leaning mother. All her worries, all sorrows, fears were squeezed into the fierce hug, as she pressed him into her shoulder, rapidly combing his hair with her fingers. No words were needed, no long cry stories, no tears either, as she conveyed her feelings through this hug and her wild magika that Zin felt.

Breaking the hug after some time, she said, "Zin, I taught you basic horse riding, when nobles are usually taught by servants or knights. I taught you, that and many other skills for survival, so you must survive. Mother is sorry, she couldn't give you a childhood, but she will very gladly give her life for you."

She paused, then laughed, "haha look at me, talking such words. Although you were mature for your age, it's just your mother's silliness and berserk emotions speaking. Nothing will happen, everything's gonna be alright." Let's go, it's a special meal today".

And she led Zin towards the dining room by the hand, a spring in her step, while talking cheerfully to Zin; although the tight grip on his wrist told Zinkahjul how forceful her happy mood really was.