Vitae Memorandum

28-Family Heritage

Breakfast had graced the meeting as things proceeded in its due course. Once the food was presented, the meeting resumed.

Ihzyhur started things off, realizing someone had to. "Well, it feels like I'm going to betray one of Zyxaesteyln's greatest family secrets, even to a Qiciri to make everything worse, but not only can I assume there will be a fair trade, you really do deserve to know." Ihzyhur made a bunch of points at Xyithy during his statement, as he continued for his sister. "Our royal family has been very proud about how gifted our blood is, a rich blood with one of the strongest blessings in the known lands. Every member of our family who has inherited our blood has also inherited its power. Power, and responsibility. You saw some of that power, ice that shatters metal. As one with the same blood, you are also so gifted. You could do the same sort of thing just as easily, with the right training." Ihzyhur was clearly troubled, trying to start off everything.

"Why was I never told of this stuff ever before, when in the world did you find time to learn?" "Everyone watched the naive girl tend to her flowers and didn't want to shatter her purity and freedom. Everyone had kept you away from such responsibilities, to keep you safe. Being so naive, there was a lot of concern in how you could have handled such important secrets. So instead, while you tended to the flowers..." Thanrie was cluing in just how much of the world had moved behind her back, while she had been too ignorant to understand. Ihzyhur's statement kinda stung.

However, Thanrie wasn't out of steam yet. The back of her mind still remembered some of her Celesi grief. "Gah! That's why I was left feeling with nothing? You guys felt that since I was so empty headed, that I should be left empty handed too? That's exactly why I ran away from home, by the way, because no one left me anything. And now I hear that someone COULD have left me with something, but decided that I was too stupid. By the divine, you are all utter idiots!" Thanrie was infuriated, but she also started to cry. Sure, by all logic, having had these psychological changes kinda fixed the problem, but was she really so worthless without it? She herself knew, she hadn't changed all that much in the truth of things, she had a bit of a new perspective, but the her that had always been there, still was.

"Not that I'm feeling exactly excited to see if I can win in this competition, but.. Qheria.. you've also been kept safe from the truth. Being so shy and timid, throwing you into the world of danger just felt.. wrong. Do you remember the story of how I saved the royal family of the Qiciri? It wasn't just by rushing into a falling building and bringing the family out, it was by wielding power and tearing my way through the danger. Since I was young, I had worked hard on research to discover a way to gain access to the gift, since it was discovered I had some potential. After saving the royal family and being labeled as a hero, I had the royal family's support in this effort, and as a result found my blood enriched with the potential of the gift. Then, I gave birth to two daughters, which then shared the same blood. The royal family wanted this potential to stand in defense of our nation, and I had your older sister take up that request as I was obligated, but I had still hoped I could spare you from the same fate." Xyithy fulfilled the trade by presenting the Qiciri secret weapon.

Qheria was shocked, even her older sister knew? She had always assumed that being the daughter of the hero was just.. a role. Not that blood had even the slightest thing to do with anything. Now she learned that, in fact, she was a national secret weapon, secret to even herself. Because just that many people didn't trust her, no one trusted her, not even her own family. She was starting to fully agree with Thanrie's assessment, full of empathy. "Is that why you sent me away at all times? Is that why I wasn't allowed time for even my family? Is that why I was left to nothing but myself and my own failures, to be everyone's walking disappointment? I was left with nothing, I had honestly left, believing I was leaving nothing behind, because there was nothing given to me." Qheria gave a deep sigh, she didn't know how she was supposed to react.