Magic, Love, Family Pt. 01

Author's Note: This is a fictional story. All characters engaging in any sexual activities are over the age of 18 years.

Welcome to the first part of the series.

Earlier the same was uploaded as "Come Closer, My Love". I had to take it down because of the wide range of edits that had to be done.

Edited by: alalu

A big thanks to alalu for all the help and suggestions. You've been wonderful.

***

Overview: This story mixes fantasy elements with incestuous themes. There will be fights and a proper explanation of how the magic system works, later in the story. I will just introduce the main characters and some terms.

Gelodesh: Northernmost kingdom of the continent.

Ostorth: Capital of Gelodesh.

Ryhor: Smallest of the three cities of Gelodesh.

Samantha Tygrine: Ruler of the Kingdom of Gelodesh.

Suzanne Tygrine: Twin sister of Samantha Tygrine. Marshal of the Gelodesh Kingdom.

Miranda Tygrine: Eldest daughter of Suzanne Tygrine.

Rose Tygrine: Younger twin of Miranda Tygrine.

Lily Tygrine: Daughter of Samantha Tygrine.

Raymond Tygrine: Younger twin of Lily Tygrine.

Shania Mosel: Lover of Raymond.

awaken: When a person connects his/her magic pool to natural magic pool, gaining an attribute elemental or otherwise

...

Glossary will be published shortly, along with the maps. Do take a look. Thank you.

***

Raymond found himself lying in a luxurious bed. He was dressed in extravagant, silk garments that were much different than his usual clothes. Instead, he was dressed akin to something a king would wear to his bed. He looked around the room in confusion and was bewildered by the unknown and grand scenery. He quickly surveyed the room and could not remember anything about where he was or how he got there.

Where is this? How did I get here?

"Hey, is anyone there? Where am I?"

When no one answered his calls, even after shouting at the top of his voice for three or four times, Raymond decided to go around and see if he could find anyone to get answers about where he was, how he got there, and why he was there.

He followed the light and found himself in a room with a balcony. He looked out of the large, floor to ceiling window and confirmed that he was in some kind of a palace. The palace seemed to be in the middle of a very big and ancient city. He could not remember ever having heard or read about it, and it was clear he was somewhere foreign to him.

This city is far bigger than Ryhor. I don't think even Ostorth has buildings this big and majestic. This looks like a palace an emperor would live in.

Raymond panicked at the weird situation in which he found himself. He went around different rooms but could not find a single person in the entire palace.

Where the hell am I? And why is the whole palace empty!? Where are all the people?

He decided to raise a commotion in the hope that someone, anyone, would hear him; he started breaking the glass windows and tearing down the paintings. He suddenly stopped when he caught a glimpse of a figure entering the room. He turned around and was struck dumb by what he saw. There stood a woman dressed in pure white, adorned by jewels and pearls. Her long, shiny black hair fell down to her waist. Her aura was so noble, her skin so fair, her face so beautiful; she looked divine and so familiar...

Mother?!

But not quite...

In his panic, Raymond stepped to the woman and shouted out his questions all at once. "Who are you? Where is this? How did I get here?"

"We don't have much time left. You have to awaken soon or it will be too late." The woman spoke as if she was talking to an apparition. Raymond was driven mad by listening to the same few sentences again and again. No matter what he said, the woman repeated the same mantra, over and over.

"STOP! What the hell is wrong with you? Answer my questions or else..."

Suddenly the woman passed by Raymond and peered out the window. She signaled for him to come to her.

Raymond grumbled about her attitude but went towards her anyway. The woman was pointing outside the window, imploring him to look where she directed him. He jumped back in horror when he gazed towards the city. The scene outside scared him like never before. The city was covered in a cloud of black mass. Flames were burning the houses everywhere. Black clouds were gathering, blocking the sunlight from coming down. It looked as though the world was about to end.

Raymond's face turned pale. He turned towards the woman, wide-eyed.

"Ray!"

"You have to stop it before..."

"Ray. Ray, wake up!"

"... it's too late," the woman said; her voice sounded faint and distant.

"RAY!"

Raymond woke up with a start. Lily, his twin, was holding his shoulders and looking at him with concerned eyes.

"Are you alright?"

It was a dream. Just a dream.

Raymond took a deep breath and hugged Lily tightly. She was caught off guard but hugged him back after a moment. She thumped his back a few times and asked in a concerned voice, "bad dream?"

"Yes."

"It's alright now. I'm here."

"Yes."

Lily brought her face close to his. Touching their foreheads, she stared at his eyes softly.

"Don't practice your magic too much. It will happen on its own. Trust me."

"Okay."

"Let's go. Today, the Council is meeting a little earlier. Miranda will get mad if we make her late for that."

***

Raymond rode on his horse alongside Lily. He thought about the dream once again and the scenes of widespread destruction and darkness played through his mind which made him shiver at the thought of them ever becoming real.

I have to awaken soon. That dream was too real. He trembled and an uneasy thought crept up in his mind. I wonder who that lady was, she looked eerily similar to mother...

He was frustrated and very downtrodden because he hadn't been able to pierce that gap to go from a half-awakened warrior to an awakened warrior. It had been nearly three years since he was stuck at that stage.

When he first became able to channel his mana outside his body, he was so glad that he had left behind the masses, those who would forever be magic warriors. Going from a magic warrior to a half-awakened was tougher than the following process of progressing to an awakened warrior. It was like a stigma on his soul, to be the weakest in his family and always have to live through their heroic tales, unable to write his own.

"Hey, do you have to go with Rose today?" He turned to ask Lily as he recalled the upcoming hunt. The hunt, a weekly event during these few months to manage the increased numbers of magical and prime beasts in the vicinity of the city borders, had been a thing of longing for him.

"After lunch," Lily uttered.

***

Miranda looked out into the yard; a carriage was waiting for her. She felt a little nervous at the fact that it was supposed to be her first day as the Council President, and she was already running late.

Where are those three? They are always late for lunch.

She let out a sigh at the tardiness of her sister and cousins. Then her thoughts turned to Raymond, who at age of 21, was still not able to awaken his magic. She was worried about him and thus had made his favorite meal for lunch to cheer him up a little.

"I hope he doesn't get too depressed."

A moment later, she scoffed at her words.

"How depressed can he be? He's dating that fucking bitch. I swear, I will kick her out of the city, her troupe too. Setting her sights on my Ray, that fucking slut."

Suddenly, Miranda heard footsteps from the corridor, which broke her train of thought.

"Miranda, we are in the dining room."

Finally, they are here.

...

Raymond stared at the array of dishes, all of which were his favorite, set out on the table. He was floored by the attention to detail and effort she must have put into making all the dishes. "Miranda is the best," he exclaimed in delight.

This earned him a jab to his ribs. As he turned to Lily, he saw Miranda walking towards them and decided to get his revenge at a later time.

"Miranda, you have outdone yourself, and on such a busy day too. You're the best..."

He stopped midway and readied himself to receive another jab. When it didn't come, he turned to Lily, who just rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt to rile her up.

"Enough, you two. Did you see Rose anywhere?" Miranda asked them as she took her seat at the head of the table. Raymond and Lily both seated themselves at her left. Raymond answered her as he reached out to grab a bun.

"We didn't see her. She must be hanging out with her recent "lover"; that idiot."

"I have to get ready for the meeting soon. I'm already late." Miranda paused and looked at the two of them with an accusatory gaze. Seeing that both of her cousins were dodging her eyes, Miranda decided to let it go and continued, "let's just start without her."

Just at that moment, Rose barged in through the door, apologizing. "Sorry for being late. I was practicing."

Raymond saw the haggard look on Rose's face and couldn't help but get annoyed and comment offhandedly. "Oh, were you riding Antonio? I mean, riding with Antonio?"

Rose glared at Ray. "Ha ha very funny," she replied in a deadpan tone.

Miranda, who was trying to stifle a laugh, quickly interjected. "Okay, you two. Be civil. I'm going to get changed," and she left the room to go to her inner chambers.

"Just you wait, Ray; once I'm back from the hunt, I will teach you a proper lesson. It's been a long time since we last had a spar."

"Oh, will you have enough energy after your spar with Antonio?" Raymond snickered at his own joke.

"You're on fire today, aren't you?" Rose got up and crossed over to Raymond's chair when Lily suddenly pulled her away.

"We should go. We have to reach the camp by evening."

"Alright..." Rose turned to Raymond and said through clenched teeth, "humph! Today's your lucky day." Since Raymond kept his mouth shut this time, she walked away after Lily.

"Try not to sleep with an-" Raymond quickly dodged the oncoming dagger before he could finish his sentence.

That girl is crazy, scares me to death.

Raymond let out a sigh of relief as he turned his attention to the exquisite dishes Miranda had prepared for him.

Finally, I can enjoy the meal in peace. Oh, Miranda, you are awesome.

...

Raymond was looking out at his sister and his cousin, Rose, as they readied their gear and horses. As he watched them ride out towards the forest, he couldn't help but feel frustrated at his own lack of competence. He muttered, disappointed, "If only I had awakened the same as them; I would also go on the hunt and maybe find some treasure. Humph."

Raymond could still remember when all three of them awakened, during the same week, like it happened only yesterday. The first was Rose, followed by Miranda the next day. It was a very exciting time for all four of them. He would follow around his two cousins more than ever, trying to learn some tips from them about how to use the new power.

Though a few weeks later, it came as a great surprise to him and everyone else when Lily also awakened and became the youngest person to do so in the past 400 years of their kingdom's history. Even the kingdoms to the south of them, the major military powers, did not have someone like Lily who had awakened to their attribute three years earlier than the usual age of 17.

Raymond had been beyond ecstatic when he had watched his sister and cousins practicing their techniques with their new element. They could unleash their potential of magic properly by using the elements they had awakened. He would dream of having the same element as Rose, the most destructive of all the major elements: fire. He would watch in fascination as Rose would light up her long sword in a flame and attack with a force that would leave the training ground scorched.

While Rose had the fireelement, Miranda awakened to the most versatile one: water. Miranda, proficient in a number of weaponry (sword, spear, mace, ax, shield, etc.) was the most suitable one among all four to awaken the waterelement. Though they were twins, Miranda and Rose had elements that countered each other and were unsuitable to form a traditional two-man hunting party. In Raymond's mind, it was very fortunate, or it could have led to disastrous consequences had those two ever formed a team.

Raymond inspected the beautifully crafted spear sent by his mother as a gift to Miranda for taking charge as the president of the Ryhor City Council. It was a finely crafted piece of magic equipment and one which was hard to buy just by throwing money at it. He let out a chuckle as he imagined Lily holding the same spear.

Lily, who had awakened the earthelement, was never interested in weapons and quite clumsy using them. The only weapons she used were either knives or gauntlets. She would focus more on her magic than fighting techniques. Raymond always thought about the earthelement that while it was very strong for defense, it was too rigid and slow to be used effectively in offense. This hindered her ability to fight as the vanguard.

"At this point, any element would do, even the earth element is fine. I have already progressed from a magic warrior to the half-awakened state, still... no matter how hard I try or how good I am with my sword, it isn't enough to fight with someone who has awakened. Unless I have an element, all my magic power is useless." Raymond muttered, dispirited.

I should go see how Shania is doing with her new song. His thoughts turned to his most recent girlfriend. He was thankful that she was always ready for a romp in the bed. Yes, I should definitely go. After the meeting starts, I will slip out.

"Anyway, I have not been with her for two days. She must be starving for some action by now," Raymond snickered. "That vixen!"

"Ray! Come here."

"Coming," Raymond responded to Miranda's shout and walked towards her room.

***

"How do I look?" Miranda asked as she did a little twirl in front of Raymond, who had just entered the room.

Raymond stood near the door, his mouth wide open, staring fixedly at Miranda. Standing in the light coming through the window, she looked radiant. He had always thought that Miranda was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but he could not remember if she had ever looked this beautiful before. She was dressed in a long, white and golden gown, which complemented her almost six-foot frame very well. Hidden beneath the gown were her long legs, covered in trousers. Her thin waist was accentuated by the tight, red, jeweled belt. Her long, fair arms, covered in the full sleeves, were tying up the golden breastplate.

He noted that the breastplate was tight and could not cover the ample breasts of Miranda. Her soft flesh spilled out of the sides and gave rise to a large amount of cleavage. He then slowly looked up from the dizzying sight of her breasts to her red thin lips and her straight nose. Her light blue hair was done up in a fancy bun with a lock of hair falling down to her cheek.

Raymond stared intensely into the blue eyes of Miranda and found his stare returned with equal intensity. He walked towards her in a trance. He was unaware of what he was doing and where he was, lost in her eyes. He raised his hands and placed them softly on her cheeks to cup her face. He slightly raised her face and leaned down to press his lips onto hers.

...

Miranda, caught off guard by the sudden boldness of her cousin, stood frozen as she watched his lips slowly leaning towards her own. She felt a jolt race through her entire body, her heartbeat quickened; she felt the world stop around her. Her eyes closed, and she let herself go as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

She leaned into her cousin, her crush, her secret dream lover. His tongue danced around her teeth and she invited it in. She felt tingly all over as her tongue came in contact with his. Her face began to heat up as she was inhaling Raymond's scent, mixed with the earthy smell from training in the forest. She wished for the world to forever freeze at that moment. Nothing else mattered, not the council, the city, their family... nothing.

Her heart raced even faster as she felt one of his hands exploring, inching towards her breasts. She had wished for this, dreamed of this moment. She started to press more fervently at his lips, the same lips she would often put medicine on, the same lips she would stare at when she knew no one else was around: her cousin's lips. Then it all stopped, she felt him taking his hands off of her.

Miranda opened her eyes in confusion to see the panicked look across Raymond's face. She tried to pull his head down towards her bosom, to soothe him, as she had done so often, yet with such different meaning.

"I um...I have to... I have to go."

"Ray, wait-" Miranda grabbed onto his arm, trying to hold him back. The surprise of his sudden boldness had passed and given way to delight and fulfillment. So now, as he tried to run away from her, as he had done so many times before, especially when it came to matters of the heart, she didn't want to let go. It felt terrible to have something she had dreamed of for such a long time so close to coming true and yet be yanked out of reach at the last moment. Regardless, her hand lost its strength when she gazed at his fretful back.

"I have some work!" Raymond commented behind his back and took off, once Miranda slackened her grip.

Why did you stop? Why do you worry so much? What are you afraid of? Miranda traced a finger over her lips, delving in the taste of Raymond's tongue. A beautiful smile flitted across her face as she breathed in the smell of Raymond's lingering scent.

Miranda took off her breastplate, replacing it with a larger and more modest one, and turned around to look at herself in the mirror. She fixed her hair in a tight bun, getting rid of the loose strand of hair. Giving herself a once over, she nodded at her sharp and imposing look, a far cry from the earlier kind and caring image she displayed for her cousin.

Miranda was fretful, she was angry. It wasn't because she didn't like the advances from Raymond, far from it. What she didn't like was the hastiness of the situation. She was angry at her lack of self-control and also because he left her hanging.

"I won't let you run next time, Ray." She softly spoke and marched outside towards the carriage, a sheathed sword in one hand and the other holding her gown up.

***

Fuck... What did I do? Fuck... Fuck! Why didn't she stop me?

"Ughhh..." Raymond let out a frustrated groan. He briskly stepped towards the theatre troupe in the middle of the main market. Since Miranda had joined the council two years ago, there was rapid progress around the market and all over the city. The roads were cleaner and better, the buildings and houses were more uniform and getting bigger. Earlier, Ryhor was just a glorified base and a border-of-control measure. Now it was slowly changing and becoming much more like the capital of their kingdom.

"Things would be beyond awkward. I should just stay with Shania for the next few days," Raymond grumbled as he walked towards the market. The shops in his path were mostly busy with maintaining their equipment and products, and city guards were on their regular duties, patrolling around the market and city walls.

Occasionally, merchants and guards would nod their heads in his direction, respectfully. Usually, Raymond would return their greeting with a smile, but today he couldn't care less. He would only take a second look when he saw someone with an exceptional weapon, which displayed their importance, or in other words, their power.