[Potironette]

Kellan frowned, "Well, that certainly wouldn't bode well." He paused, raising an eyebrow, "Although, you would think we'd be told about this sooner to help avoid this kind of trouble."

He looked over at Jei, "And were you just waiting for Jei's powers to manifest a second time before telling him about it?"

[Kitarun]

Marius sighed softly, shaking his head. "Normally, there's only one manifestation per generation, usually following the same line... I hadn't expected it to happen to any of you... I honestly never even thought about Jei's survival that night as being anything but luck until the fire happened here, and then talking to your mother... She had her suspicions, which led me to wonder. That's why I suggested bringing you two here for a while." He said, looking at both boys.

"But... Why would my powers only manifest the once? With the number of nightmares I've had of that night..." Jei trailed off, flushing when he realized he'd just admitted to that night affecting him so badly still.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. Perhaps its because it's just a memory, and your mind realizes there's no physical threat."

[Potironette]

Kellan frowned. Their magic sure seemed like a double-edged sword. Or maybe going to war with nothing but a shield. Based on what he was hearing, their magic was normally not very strong with all the "watering down" it had gotten. Although, he wasn't really too sure.

"What's your magic?" Kellan asked abruptly, "It can't be just ashes right? And what's Mom's? And Aunt Augusta's? And Dad's? What about Grandma and Grandpa's?"

[Kitarun]

Marius laughed at Kellan's rapid-fire questions. "Slow down there, and maybe I can answer a few... I'm not sure if your parents have any, which is why I never thought about Jei having any. By the time your mum would have reached her inheritance, I'd already been cast out. And your father... He never knew about our family having any. If he had magic, he never mentioned it."

He stood, walking over to the fireplace, and grabbed a stick of kindling, heading back over to the boys. "My power's not very strong..." He said, focusing on the stick in his hand. If the boys watched carefully, they'd see the grain begin to shift slightly, as a new branch began to poke out from a knot. "Mine is Earth magic. I can manipulate the growth of plants... Though it is easier when the plant is still alive.... As for your grandparents, my mother had Air magic, which she kept hidden from my father- he didn't have any powers, hence why I was shunned from the family. My uncle, on the other hand- your grandmother's brother- also had earth magic... Augusta, poor dear, has no powers, though she does know about mine... She can get right jealous over it at times."

[Potironette]

Kellan laughed, partly from the euphoria of seeing a thing just grow--magically--and partly from a sudden feeling of irony. It came out half hollow. "Magic even divides the family these days." He shook his head. "But jealousy. For those who aren't your wife, I can see how this extermination of magic came about."

He thought of himself then. Suppose his mother did not have magic and his father didn't either. Suppose then that he didn't have magic. Well, at least he knew magic existed. In that sense he wasn't so estranged.

His brow furrowed slightly in contemplation. "Earth and air. What other types of magic are there?"

[Kitarun]

"Fire, obviously... And water too. There are runors of those who can manipulate light or darkness, though no one has seen one in decades." Marius replied, merely nodding in confirmation as to Kellan's first comment.

[Potironette]

"I don't have any more things to ask." He looked over at Jei, "Do you have anything?" Kellan grinned, "Because I feel inclined to exhaust Uncle Marius of as much information as possible."

What was Jei originally interested in again? Right. If their family was magical. Turns out, their family was magical after all. What else then? Who was behind the killing of magical families? Did anyone have the answer to that? Why did magic exist? No one would answer that.

Oh. There was the mysterious killings, the erasures from the family book. He had forgotten about that.

[Kitarun]

Jei happened glance up at the clock as he yawned. He was shocked by how late it had gotten already. "No... Not right now, anyways..." He said sleepily, stifling another yawn.

[Potironette]

Kellan looked over to the clock as he heard Jei yawning. One hour to twelve, it read. He grinned "Well, Uncle Marius, I suppose it's time we went to bed."

[Kitarun]

Marius nodded, getting to his feet. "Alright. Sleep well, boys... Do you want me to send someone to get you for breakfast?"

Jei shook his head, not really wanting to have someone waking him up. "No thank you, uncle. We'll just get something from the kitchens when we wake."

Nodding, Marius wished the boys goodnight, and left the room.

[Potironette]

Kellan waved goodnight to Uncle Marius as he left.

When the door had closed, he ruffled Jei's hair with one hand. "Get some sleep, sleepyhead. I'll be going to my room now."

[Kitarun]

Jei nodded, heading for his room."Night Kell'." He said softly, shutting his door behind him. He got changed and slipped into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

[Potironette]

Kellan changed into a set of pajamas and turned off the lights.

He laid awake for a little while in wonder at how little and how much had transgressed. But as was his habit, his eyes soon closed, and he fell asleep.

[Kitarun]

Jei almost made it through the night. It was about five in the morning when he woke from a nightmare. Shaking slightly, he got out of bed, heading for Kellan's room, just slipping right inside without knocking, heading for the bed. He shook his brothers shoulder lightly, calling his name to wake him.

[Potironette]

Kellan yawned as he stirred. when he opened his eyes to find Jei and an unfamiliar backdrop behind him, he wearily wondered if he was still dreaming. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was indeed not inside a dream.

Kellan sat up and ruffled Jei's hair before shifting himself to a side of the bed. "Come on, it's all right."

[Kitarun]

Jei slid into bed next to his brother, curling up to him, still trembling slightly. He'd had another of the burning dreams... Though this time it'd been his uncle burning as well, and Kellan, and him, right there in their sitting room. And naturally there was nothing he could do oto stop it- despite any powers he may or may not have.