The Worthless Servant Who Awakened the World Eater

The first slap, knocked Elias Vale against the stone wall.

“Get up, worthless dog!

Kael Veyron was in front of him, whose immaculate boots were still dry from the dirty water that fell down the courtyard. Two servants, looking down with their eyes, were under the archway. Nobody dared to disturb the young master, he was in one of his mooshes.

Elias tasted blood.

“Excuse Me Master Prince,”

“Sorry?” Kael grabbed him by the collar. You've broken a bottle of my dad's wine and all you can do for me is to ask for forgiveness?”

I wasn't on purpose.” One of the guards—”

Bam! He was hit in the other slap.

Now, do you have any grounds to complain about my guards?

“No, young master.”

Elias put his head down, and his hands stopped. He knew from a long time ago that it was only by getting angry with a member of the Veyron family that you would only make the punishment worse.

He was a young man, but had the shoulders of a seventeen-year old, and an animal's status. He had a little room for servants where he could sleep, and would eat anything that was not eaten for the rest of the house, and would eat clothes that were patched, leaving little of the cloth in the clothes.

He had undergone his magical skills three times.

On three occasions, the crystal was dark.

Talentless.

It's then, comes the moment when the Veyrons would call him such.

Kael enjoyed what didn't work.

“But there is time for all the excuses you can make before nightfall so you can clean every corner and shelf in the west storerooms”, replied Kael, unbuttoning his collar, “before then.” There will be no one in the courtyard until the night falls – as long as I can see a speck of dust.

Elias bowed. “Yes, young master.”

Kael shook his head and began to stroll away but he stopped.

“One more thing,” I said, “I heard little Mira say that she would like you to give her some more food.”

Elias lifted his head up in a blink of an eye, before he could hold himself back.

Kael smiled.

There it is. The expression. Any insult towards yourself that you can take, but if you take the insult of 'girl' you will know how to look angry!

Oh please, don't say Mira – don't say Mira I beg you.”

The courtyard was empty, still, quiet.

“Slow turn,” Kael said, as his head turned around.

“What did you say?”

Elias' stomach clenched. He had been talking without considering the situation. He may take more than a punch on the head for his slip of the tongue.

But, I didn't mean to denounce you young master?”

Kael approached him and slapped him in the face once again.

He replied, “If you are not familiar with your place, then find out where you are.”

Elias was lying on his knees on the ground.

If you're under this roof, my father wouldn't throw you out," Kael said, "then you're no better than us, without a family name, you're without talent, you're without any future.

He turned his head towards them, inches from them.

If I talk to you again that way, I'll instruct you Mira on the concept of not giving a shit about your position as a servant.

Elias' fists were clenched.

For one terrible moment he could see himself black darkening Kael's eyes with the fingers of his fist in his face.

He recalled her skinny wrists and the tired smile on her face, and the little bit of bread she saved whenever.

He stretched his arms out.

“I understand.”

Kael straightened, satisfied.

“OK, let's get on with it.”

He ran away from his guards, and laughed like it was a good morning's fun.

He was accompanied by Elias on his knee until they were out of sight.

Only after that he washed his blood off his lip.

One day, he would go away from this location, he vowed to himself.

Not alone.

He would go with him and take Mira.

She would never be laid a finger on again.

He doesn't like it if you tease him!

Elias looked up.

A folded cloth was placed in Lyra's hands and she was standing by the water trough in the courtyard.There Lyra stood in the courtyard close to the water trough, holding a piece of cloth. She spoke to him, but did not look at him as the other servants did. She was one or two years younger, and her voice was not deep enough, that's why people thought that she was not as smart as she was.

She gave him the piece of cloth.

“Simply slip that on your lips.”

“It wasn't his fault.”

You said, ‘take Mira out of it.You were saying to me to remove Mira!

“Is that a crime?”

“Here?” Lyra turned her gaze towards the manor. “Sometimes it's worse.”

Elias wiped his bloody lips with the cloth.

He was examined for a short while by Lyra.

He might easily have been beaten up.”

“And then what?”

“You for a few seconds may have felt better.”

“Yeah, before my arms were busted open by my guards?”

“Probably.”

Elias was unable to concentrate and couldn't help but smile.

A smile lit up Lyra's face, but her eyes were not.

“What are you waiting for?

“Well, it's because Mira is here,” he said.

If you are not able to protect her forever then protect them, for “They shall break you.”

I don't want to hide, so I'm not hiding here on Earth.

I'm afraid of that, and I would rather not have to deal with it!

Elias of course, brought it back in the cloth.

“Thank you.”

She took it but not right away.

Elias went back to his uncle's house and said, "what was the matter; what happened?" Lord Veyron, his uncle, however, had never thought that he was of any help and wouldn't take him away.

He frowned.

“There's got to be a guy that sweeps his floors.”

“No,” Lyra whispered. Here you have been for years and there are dozens of servants who can do your job, some are better trained than you.

Maybe, I've been sent away by no one.”

“Perhaps.”

Lastly she picked up the cloth.

Do not disclose to anyone if there is anything unusual about you, until you find out what it is.

Elias took a shower.Elias stared at her.

What was it that made you think that you had something unusual about me?

It was the first time that Lyra wasn't sure.

I'm not sure... she blurted out. Well, I can't remember what I said.

She stood up and turned around and she went away.

She was about to leave and Elias was agitated due to the conversation.

For so many years he had heard that he was no special child. What is the meaning of Lyra's saying that?

But before he could think of any more, came the head steward, standing at the door of the courtyard.

“Elias! The western storerooms. Now!”

Elias sighed and went into the house.

The oldest estate was Veyron, this included the western wing. The windows were closed and the corridors were moist, stale, damp stone and no servants would be admitted into the corridors unless they were given permission.

But as always, it was where the family would dump the people who they wanted to be punished.

Elias went down this little hallway carrying a bucket, a broom and a lantern. Dust was raised about his feet. The old dark faces were cracked with time and the paintings of his portraits looked down on him, from the walls.

He began cleaning.

An hour passed.

Then another.

With the sun setting in the afternoon Elias came to a snug little alcove behind a pile of broken furniture. The dust on the floor was not all the only things that lit up the lantern.

A line of dark blue color with a curve on it.

He dropped to his feet and shook him and he dusted off.

This was cut straight across the stone, and created a circle.

Elias shook it off a bit. Gradually an elaborate pattern became discernible—a ring with sharp lines resembling claws closing around a star.

He'd never experienced anything like this before.

The symbol didn't resemble the runes of normal magical tests. The lines were very uneven, very old, as if the person who drew them wanted to catch something that shouldn't have been created.

Elias took up the broom.

It shouldn't have been his!

Rather, he found another mark, near the middle of the circle. It was in the shape of a little hand print!

He had yet to reach out to touch it, however, his own hand was reaching towards it.

Amidst a slight tremor that moved up his arm just as his fingers touched the stone.

Elias took his hand out of Elias' hand.

The vibration stopped.

He gazed at the marking.

Well, why is it that it is not OK with me?

It was the first time in his life when he had witnessed magic. No, not in all of his tests. Not when the magical powers of the trained mages were shown in the courtyard. Even then, when Kael deliberately spluttered sparks in his face causing him to flinch.

But, there was a change in his hands.

He crouched again.

This time he pressed his palm on the marking.

Nothing happened.

Elias sighed, "Oh, my imagination will not allow me to be happy.

Maybe, stones were knocked out under the floor. Maybe he was just tired.

With the broom in his hands, he began sweeping.

However, when he was sweeping the house when he noticed that there was something else.

A thin line branched off from the symbol leading to the far wall where it vanished underneath a large stone cabinet.

Elias pushed the cabinet out of the way.

This was not followed by a very small piece of wall, there was no handle, no hinges and no opening. There is another carving which is almost covered in dirt.

The same circle.

Claws and markings are the same as before.

Below is the word that he was unable to read.

Elias lit up his torch.

It was only for one second that he didn't see the carvings go for a mere second.

He blinked.

They were still.

It caused chills to run up and down his spine.

He had been strictly forbidden to go in the old walls, and to clear out the storerooms in the west. But if the steward is there, then he will not be able to provide an adequate explanation.

Elias stepped away.

He however remembered Kael's threat towards Mira.

Every year he did he had to bend over for her, and he remembered all the beatings, all the lies, 'Well, if you'd just stay around a little longer, everything would get better.'.

However, he was doing something else than God intended or what was appropriate for him.

It wasn't able to save Mira.

Or, perhaps she's right, Lyra. It's time to change, at this moment at least.

Elias faced the opposite direction from the symbol.

There was something here that might help me, he whispered, “I want to know.

He touched the carving's top with his hand.

There was, however, no sign of anything for several seconds.

At that time the stone was hot.

Elias froze.

There it was, a thin black line, that was running along the old scripture and the ink running between the rips in the glass.

Trying to escape.

His fingers couldn't move.

There was no wind at the time of the lantern fire, which bent towards the wall. Everything around him became more ominous and smaller, pressing him down, making him pant for breath.

Elias struggled.

“Let go!”

The black lines were lit up.

There was something that was moving just under the estate.

It wasn't as if he heard with his ears! It appeared to stand on the stone and was old and remote.

There was a pulse going under his feet, it was slow.

Once.

Twice.

When he went down into the darkness below a voice said to him,

“Finally.”

Elias stopped breathing.

He was holding the symbol that was blazed.

One thing began to stir in the Veyron estate which had been at rest for centuries: somewhere far down under.