The following day was pretty.....brutal. Getting up early wasn't the issue, but getting beaten and tossed around wasn't what I would call "Teaching". After he did thrash me around he did fix my hand to hand form and so on, but would then thrash me around after making the same mistake. This would continue for 6 months until he decided he was satisfied with my capabilities in hand to hand then would start weapons training
Everyday following a brutal "training" I went home at the end of the day for my magic practice with my mother, Ayana. This cycle continued for years each year my combat abilities and my magical knowledge deepened. Along with this I noticed changes in the Mikaelsons the changes were subtle and most wouldn't noticed but it didn't pass me.
Niklaus became mildly more standoffish even to me his first friend. He still greeted me with smiles and we would talk for hours before I went home so I knew this change was an internal family problem. Finn kept arms length with all of us preferring his mother's company. Kol was very friendly with Niklaus and I, mostly due to my presence since I would I often show him my magic which he was greatly fascinated by. Rebekah seemed to have some sort of fondness off me, I often caught her staring which resulted in her turning her head in a hurry with a blush. I mostly ignored this knowing it's probably teen hormones. Elijah..... was well Elijah. Henrik was a bundle of fun and excitement, a half glass full type. He would always be the one to break the tension within their family with just his presence.
All in all we all grew and became adults in the eyes of the village.
~TIMESKIP 7 Years~
In an opening in the forest I can be seen in a battle stance. And three handsome figures can be seen slowly circling me, these three were of course Finn, Elijah and Klaus all holding swords in one hand. Suddenly, Klaus lost his patience and lunged at me blade in hand. He made a downward slash which I easily sidestepped, he was about to make a sideway slash to my side but I grabbed his wrist and pulled him slightly of balance and kicked him to the side. Finn thinking this was the best opportunity attacked from my with a diagonal slash to which I quickly turned and parried, but was still left with a cut in my leather shoulder guard. He quickly went back into form and position himself so that I was between him and Elijah. Elijah patient up till now smirked to which Finn
laughed. I looked back to to see Klaus was now sitting watching the spectacle. Finn and Elijah both rushed me to which I was slightly stunned. but smile none the less. I went quickly to Finn that was the closest, parried his sword attack to the side make his body move in that direction and swiftly moved behind him. I then kicked him towards the income Elijah who in turned dodged Finn. Before Elijah could fix himself back to battle I was infront him with a massive uppercut that lifted him inches off the floor sending him on his back.
Realizing I may have over did it I rushed over to him.
Klaus: " What the hell Erik this is a practice no need to treat this like an actual battle" he said slightly with a mixture of worry and anger.
" Sorry, I got a bit excited and got serious seeing that I was cornered" I said as I leaned over Elijah's unconscious body.
I siphoned my magic necklace and performed a simple healing spell then shook him awake.
" What happened?" he said as he held his head trying to remember what happened. " You tripped and fell on the last exchange " I quickly exclaimed with fake smile across my face. My statement was met with glares all around. "Sorry" I said with a soft chuckle looking off into the forest.
" *sighs* you pack quite a punch you know Erik, I guess the rumours of you being an amazing fighter wasn't fruitless." he said with a smile.
We all smiled at that before our moment was ruined by the entry of someone that often brought us dread.
" Ohhhhh what's this three of my sons beaten by my protege, maybe I need to up all your training and put YOU in your place" he finished turning to me with a viscous smile.
Seeing Mikael's eagerness for I started faking injuries. I slowly walked over limping and holding my shoulder.
" *groan* uhhhh can we put off our grand battle for later, your son's really messed me up"
The smile on his face faded as fast as it appeared.
He furrowed his eyebrows and squinched his eyes as he looked at me.
(' *Sweat drop* I don't think he's buying this. Im really not in the mood to fight the battle junkie)
" Fine then we'll have or battle another time" he said as he made his exit from where he came.
I released a sigh of relief and turned around to see Finn and Elijah doing the same with Klaus just visibly still a bit tense and upset.
I signalled for them to let us get going back to the hut and so we did. Walking back to the hut I slipped back so I could talk to Klaus.
" Nik, why are you upset? I noticed you were visibly still upset even after Mikael left what's up?" I said giving him deadpan stare showing I'm serious.
He smiled trying to do his typical deflecting " Nothing really, it's just him looking down at us because we were defeated really got to me, but you have bigger problems now that father wants a proper fight"
A sweet fell from my temple.
"And you know those were probably the proudest I've heard him sound in years....declaring you his protege.... acknowledging even one who isn't his son" he finished saying the last part under his breath.
He then walked up to where Elijah and Finn were leaving me behind in my thoughts.
('The problems of father and son. In both my lives I never knew mine. In both my life I never cared to find out. I should ask mother about it when im home')
We arrived at the Mikaelson hut and entered, as soon as I entered I was grabbed by a blonde headed girl.
Rebekah: Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Why would you take on my brothers alone? I know you are a great fighter but that's too much Erik.
The entire time she was barraging me with questions I could see the worry on her face.
(' Did she really feel her brothers would hurt me or better yet could hurt me' )
I pulled her in my embrace " No need to worry little Bekah, we both know your brothers wouldn't hurt me"
She pushed herself out of my embrace " Stop calling me little Bekah, I'm no longer a child you know"
To that I just gave a gentle smile.
" Anyyyyyways, more importantly who won" calm from Kol sitting beside Henrik.
With that the hut went silent and I had a triumphant grin on my face. I turned and looked the three I had just defeated and they returned the look with an annoyed expression.
Henrik: " No wayyyy, you defeated the three of them? Wowww"
Me being the being the modest guy I am " Yah i won but, I'm sure if were have a serious battle and the three really went all out together I would stand no chance"
Smiling I ruffled his hair and bid them all farewell and left the hut to go home. On my way home I contemplated what my mother would tell me and who my father was. I came up with many possibilities, but I guess I would have to wait to find out.
I arrived and entered the hut.
Ayana: " O my son are you ready to start practice, or will you go back to the spell transference" she said barely looking up.
(' Though I would like the time to transfer some more spells into my grimoire I need to hear the story of my father')
" No mother, I actually wanted to hear about my father since I never knew him" I said in a monotone voice.
She freezes for a slight second which I caught. " I see, it took you 19 cycles to ask about your father....why am I surprised, you were bound to ask some day.
She got up and grabbed something from her potions table and brought it over. It was a silver necklace with I big "O" and a "r"subscript right below. " His name was Orin.....he was a wondering warrior that I had a night with while outside the village" she paused and let out a heavy sigh.
she continued " Not long after he got into a conflict with a villager from another village and was killed in battle. Since he didn't belong to any specific village he was given mark less grave"
I looked at her with an indifferent expression. what else could you expect, this man was dead from before I was born.
I looked down on the necklace and gave out a soft sigh " Orin huh?" I said under my breath.
" Mother, I would like to keep this" I said clenching my fist around the necklace.
She smiled warmly "Do what you must.....but now you need to get back to your grimoire" she said as she went back to her small table.
I put on the necklace and went out to take a bath under the light of the moon. When I was stripped and had the wooden bucket off water, something startled me in the woods. It was a large black wolf with red eyes staring at me, I had gotten in a battle position in preparation for a sudden attack, but then the wolf just turned and left slowly.
(' A wolf so close to a settlement this large? Truly strange') I thought as I bathed entire time facing the woods in case it decided to make a surprise reappearance.