Stolen Years

The youngest brother of a trio decides it's not fair that he's so small and unknowingly enlists the help of a time demon.

“Act your age,” Alus droned for the last time that day, glaring over at his brothers. Jace kept firing off arrows at Tyrus’s feet, making him jump around and yelp. One arrow sunk into the boy’s shoe, but expertly avoided his foot.

“Jace!” Tyrus wailed, yanking the arrow free. He inspected the hole for any damage in his foot, and his hands trembled with a blend of fear and rage.

Jace ruffled the boy’s hair and looped an arm roughly around his neck. “Oh, you baby,” he teased and squeezed him close, to the point that no air could seep into his lungs. “Poor wittle Tywo. Want a bottle and a nappy? That should ease your temper, shouldn’t it?” Tyrus turned his plea-filled eyes to Alus, his oldest brother.

“Let him go,” Alus sighed, slamming the butt of his spear against the ground. Jace snorted and tossed his little brother aside, letting him tumble into the ground.

“Always going to big brother, hm?” The middle brother huffed and picked up the arrows he had loosed to torment Tyrus. “You know, some day big brother won’t be around. Some day you’ll have to stick up for yourself.”  Tyrus didn’t believe it.

---

“Someday I’ll be more powerful than him,” Tyrus mumbled, hovered a hand over a small sapling that he crouched in front of. “Druidic magic trumps being a hunter.” He spat, sighed, and slumped back onto the ground. “I wish he was smaller than me. Maybe then… then he’d look up to me, and I’d mess up his hair and laugh at how small he is. Then I’d be stronger and more dominant. He’d be the little brother.” He tipped himself back and lay on the ground to stare at the sky. The clouds passed above him so care-free that he felt mocked. “And Alus doesn’t even defend me.” Pain and resentment crept into his voice. “He just makes it worse.”

“You want what?”

Tyrus jumped and looked around rapidly. A teenage boy was sitting behind him. With a flash of a grin, it was obvious that he wasn’t quite human, as sharp teeth glistened in his smile. They complimented his red eyes quite nicely. “I… I was just thinking how I wish that I was older than my brothers.”

The teenage boy that sat before him laughed, then composed himself. “I understand completely. Older siblings are the worst. You’re such a powerful druid…” He gestured to the sapling. “Yet, they don’t accept you.”

Tyrus picked a few blades of grass, then threw them away. “You’re mocking me,” he mumbled, now sitting up.

“Of course not.” The boy stood up. “I understand your pain--truly I do. And I would absolutely love to fix this. I want to help you. You see, I’m a time mage. The name’s Kane. I can handle these things.”

“A time mage?” Tyrus repeated, slightly awe struck.

“No, I’m lying to you.” The mage rolled his eyes, and his tone bled sarcasm. “Look, do you want me to fix this or not?”

“Of course I do,” Tyrus replied quickly. “You can make me older than them?”

The mage nodded and assured, “I’ll make you the older brother. The oldest, in fact.” He raised his hands, and they began to glow as red as his eyes, though one couldn’t see his eyes any longer, as they closed. His head tilted back, and as he let the magic radiate through the air to his targets, he looked as though he was filled with ecstasy.

Tyrus watched and waited for a few moments. He could see that Kane was growing in some ways. Facial hair sprouted from his chin, his skin stretched to accommodate for growing bones, and his muscles seemed to swell. “Did you just make me smaller?” he squeaked, now a little nervous. “Was that it? I thought you were supposed to help me.”

Kane laughed. “No, you idiot. I got bigger.” He shrugged. “The more I practice my magic, the older I get. That’s all. The job’s done. Trust me--you’re the older brother.”

The boy shook his head. “I don’t feel any older. You’re sure?” Kane nodded.

“Sure as anything. You’re definitely a handsome young man.”

Tyrus let a smile creep along his face and he jumped up shouting. “I’m older than Jace! I have to go find him and rub it in his face. Then he’ll regret what he’s done to me for years. Hahah!”

It wasn’t until he heard someone shouting that Tyrus realized just what Kane had done.. “Jace!” he cried for the second time that day, though his voice had changed. “Jace, you‘re small!” He went running in the direction of his brother.

A little boy stood in the clearing holding a bow that was twice his size. Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes and he began wailing raucously. “Jace.” For a moment, he wasn’t sure how to act. On one hand, he felt sorry for the crying little boy, but on the other, he was thrilled to be taller, more mature that him.

“Hey, squirt,” Tyrus greeted Jace and ruffled his hair. Jace pulled away and folded his arms, pouting.

“What did you do, Tryus?” he wailed, now throwing his hands into the air. “Look at him! He’s a demon! What did you do?” The little boy’s face steamed red hot, angry with his now older brother.

Alus came running and stopped when he spotted Jace as a toddler, and a blatantly demonic man standing with Tyrus.

“Alus, I--” Tyrus tried defending himself.

“Shut up. Who is he?” He nodded to Kane.

“He’s a time mage… he said he’d make me the older brother… then Jace wouldn’t pick on me anymore.” Tyrus plead for his older brother’s understanding.

“Tyrus, you idiot.”

Kane looked over at the taller young man. “Oh, so you have another big brother, hm?” He smiled and stole Jace’s bow to lean against. His hand drifted out, and quickly Alus jumped out of the way. It seemed to be an area cast, though, as he was still caught in the spell. His clothes grew, or rather, his body shrank. Wails from both the now infant Alus and toddler Jace rang out along with Kane’s laughter. “Thank you so much, my boy. Now you’re the oldest, hmm? No one left to pick on you.” He ruffled Tyrus’s hair and walked away, now definitely a powerful man. “Good luck raising them yourself.”

Tyrus’s legs gave out and he looked around at his now little brothers. “I’m too young to try to take care of two babies… I haven’t even seen fifteen years.” He rubbed his hands against his face, letting dread fill him, just as the cries of the infants filled his ears. It was no longer exciting to be the oldest. Jace stood, shocked and staring at Alus, and Tyrus let him, sobbing into his hands for a long while. Perhaps sorrow would age him, and he would be old enough to fend for himself and two small children. Perhaps.

Author's Note

The characters aren't mind. In fact, the plot isn't mine. Someone requested that I write the story for them.

Reviews

[WriterMe]

This was really good. Not something I'd normally read from you, but still you did a great job of it. Again, your details never fail to amaze me. Great work =]