"Listen Fria," With a warm smile, Mugam combed Fria's neck length firey hair while muttering, with odd eyes, as if in a trance, "You must always protect your brother."
Fria, leaning her head back so her chin pointed towards the ceiling, looked into her mother's eyes and nodded, "Hmm."
"Listen Fria," Mugam patted her head, "If, ever, you have to choose between your brother and me. Choose Enix."
Fria hummed again.
"If, ever, you have to choose between your brother and your father. Choose Enix."
Fria blinked her eyes in acknowledgement.
"If, ever, you have to choose between yourself and your brother. Choose–"
"Enix." Fria replied, calmly and plainly.
Mugam's smile widened. "How well you have grown! Who would believe you are just about to turn 3 years old tomorrow?"
"Enix!" Fria grinned, "If none, Enix will believe."
Mugam's smile stretched wider. Jumping out of Mugam's lap, Fria asked with furrowed brows, "Where is he right now?"
Mugam closed her eyes and pretended to be deep in thought with her finger tapping on her lip, after a while, her eyes opened and she exclaimed, "Library!"
"Hahaha!" Fria threw her hands wide and spun round, "He's always there."
"Marvelous presumptions." A round of clapping appeared from behind the door. Before it opened and Houre walked in, carrying Enix in her arms.
"Enix!" Fria's face beamed.
Mugam's eyes flickered and her lips parted to reveal her bright teeth, "Enix, my son!" She opened her hands and beckoned, "Come here!"
As Houre gently placed Enix down, the latter nodded and casually began to saunter over.
His low, languid pace making Fria impatient and making her zoom toward him and join in on his monotonous pace.
Seeing her imitate his style, Enix grinned and shook his head, "Lackluster... repetition is the mother of boredom, Fria." He commented.
Houre's eyes glinted as she heard his words. Her eyes dulling as she fell in thought.
While Mugam chuckled lightly and wrapped Enix in her embrace.
Making Fria jump up and down and grumble, "Me too!"
Enix, stuffed in Mugam's boobs, suddenly felt another face snuggle next to him.
Fearful of what might happen if this continued on, Enix quickly broke loose from her and settled down on a stool.
Making Mugam frown and hurriedly bring over a chair, "Sit here... rest your back."
Enix smiled and shook his head, "It's fine mother."
"No its not... sit here." Mugam lifted him up and gently rested him on the chair.
"Brother, what were you doing?" Fria curiously asked.
Enix yawn and rested his head on his hand, "I was reading about philosophy."
"I had come across an interesting article. So I was reading it slowly and carefully."
"Why are you always absorbed in books?" Fria groaned, "What was so interesting that you had to read it slowly and carefully?"
"It was nothing interesting," Enix stared at Fria with a helpless pout, "But it was important. So I decided to read it carefully at once... as I knew I would never have the gall to pick a title I have already picked once again."
Fria groaned again, "You are too weird sometimes." She shook her head and jumped atop the bed.
Mugam gently knocked Fria's head, "You don't say that to your brother."
"It's fine..." Enix smiled.
Suddenly, Mugam started and asked Enix in avid interest, "Enix... perhaps, when you grow up, do you wish to be a scholar?"
"Scholar?" Fria repeated in surprise.
"Scholar?" Enix frowned and asked with fluttering eyelids, "Where did that come from?"
"Well... you seem rather keenly attached to the library. So I thought..." Mugam's voice trailled off.
"Attached to the library?" Enix reclined in his chair and fell in thought, "There's nothing else that I can be interested about though."
Suddenly, hearing his words, Mugam trembled.
But Enix had already slithered into his head, a habit he had developed in his time in solitude from last year.
Many things had changed since the last year. His company with his sister was reduced considerably. The suspicion he had of Houre about her suspicion of him had kept him at bay from his training. While Mugam had grown odd wnd strange.
She grew more and more protective of Enix as his father's venturing with his sister increased. She had developed bags beneath her eyes and sometimes Enix found her sitting in some place, all quiet, and staring into the wall while muttering something. Something that always revolved around him, Juggu and Fria.
And as he delved into his mind, a thought, a thought that wouldn't have normally sprung in his head was brought to light, 'Do I wish to be a scholar?'
'No... that's certainly no. Then what do I wish to be?'
'What did I wish to be?' His eyes glinted, 'Fero... What did Fero want to be?'
As the old and lost name jumped about in his head, Enix's heart trembled as many old memories flashed past his mind, 'Fero... Who was Fero?'
'He was a light hearted person... I think. With casual mannerism. He wasn't too rich on earth, but not poor either.
'After his parents had died, some way I have forgotten, he was a lone child with all their wealth. And it was enough for him to squander to his hearts.
'He had few but goofy friends. And he used to chase girls all the time.'
'What am I? I have developed the bearing and eloquence of an aristocrat. Spend time always confined behind walls. Read books about the outside world but never visit it. Read tales of ancient monsters but never dare to witness them. I study of weapons and alchemy. I study of philosophy and read in rapt of ancient triumphs... But have never tried to visualise them.'
He jumped down the chair and walked towards the mirror— staring at his unsightly appearance.
With hollow cheeks and dull eyes like a dead fish, he had strange dark black circles around his eyes and blueish lips.
With his messy blue hair falling down and donning over his eyes, 'Is this... Fero? Who is Fero?'
'Who am I?'
"Uh, Fria. Come here my child!"
A loud, stentorian voice snapped him out of his reverie. And he stared at his father through his reflection in the mirror.
Holding a white and blue themed suit in hand, meant for boys, he held it against Fria, "Marvelous! This will look great on you." He exclaimed.
"Go try it out. Tomorrow is a big day... you need to be in your best shape. It's your 3rd birthday... and one of your minor milestones. Many things will change from tomorrow." He smiled.
Magum stared in silence as Fria took the suit and with a smile bolted to the bathroom alongside Houre to get changed. Before speaking up with a trenbling voice, "Juggu... Enix is here too."
"Hmm?" Juggu paused and looked, he could see the young boy that barely reached his thighs was staring at him through the mirror.
As he looked at his back and the stark resemblance of him inside his sickly features, he couldn't help but feel pity, "You are certainly a genius too, Enix, my child. It's only but fate that choose Fria." He muttered before smiling lightly and snapping his fingers; taking out something from his storage cube.
"How do you think you would look in this, Enix?" He asked in thought, comparing or imagining Enix in the clothes.
Enix held his chin in thought, "With that pink color and the intricately woven lace. I say that is, indeed, a cute frock, father."