Aran Verhen

**Aran Verhen** is Lith Verhen's younger brother by 13 years. He enjoys playing with the toys and watching the holographic movies that his older brother makes for him.

## Appearance

After reaching over 5 years old, Aran develops black streaks in his dark brown hair.

## Personality

After having magical beasts for steeds, learning magic, discovering Lith's Tiamat form, meeting Phoenixes and Tezka, Aran becomes accustomed to having a long list of secret oddities of his life. He becomes so used to having strange guests that he easily accepts Solus as his new playmate.

## Abilities

Despite his young age, Aran is capable of conjuring holograms.

## Background

Aran is delivered along with Leria by Lith following Nalear's attack on White Griffon Academy. When Lith returns after boot camp, he gives Projectors to Leria and Aran, his version of Rememberers that replay bootleg fairy tales from Earth.

Lith brings Aran and Leria with the family to Jambel. He notes that the two of their cores are growing almost at the same rate as his did at their age, likely to reach yellow in a few years and maybe even green or more that will enable them to attend one of the Great Academies. When he visits the city hospital he brings his little brother and niece along, hoping to teach them not to take magic for granted and help them realize how lucky they are. Aran is endangered when bandits attack the city, but Lith eradicates them after flashing back to his brother Carl on Earth.

After his mission to the Lost City of Kolga, Lith reveals the DoLorean as a gift to the family for safe travel. The Verhens take a trip around the Trawn Woods and Lutia, though Aran becomes bored after having flown with Lith in his Hybrid Form before. Aran holds Friya's hands after the latter screams during the DoLorean's test flight, embarrassing her further. They visit Count Lark's household, where they disembark to rest while the Count takes the DoLorean on a joy ride. The Verhens have dinner at Lark's, with him commenting on Aran and Leria's magical education. Dinner talk about Leria and Aran's magical misdeeds lead Lith to bring Leria and Aran on a magical bootcamp along with their magical beast companions Abominus and Onyx.

### Magic Bootcamp

Lith Warps Aran and Leria along with Abominus and Onyx to Derios before taking the Gate to Xaanx city and then Mount Sartak. Aran and Leria witness life from the perspective of commoners and non-magic folk for the first time and learn lessons on magic responsibility and caution to help them understand and control their powers. They fish for their own food for the first time, failing miserably, and learn the rationale behind killing for food.

Lith scolds them for their misuse of magic - Leria for making people slip and fall on ice for laughs, Aran for cutting things to shreds with air magic while trying to help clean the house - and teaches them to be responsible. He gives practical demonstrations of the elemental basics and has them practice with simple exercises. After a full day's of practice, they return to the Hot Pot Inn when Kamila visits and decides to cut the bootcamp short, and the children snuggle with the couple at night. Kamila has Lith bring the children back to Xaanx city and shop around. The next few days they travel between cities watching the children play on the beach, sightseeing, and eating. Aran and Leria play in the morning and afternoon, and then usually fall asleep from exhaustion after dinner. Kamila lets them to train their magical abilities with Lith for two hours tops a day before giving them a tour of a new city. They flaunt Onyx, Abominus, and magic like a business card, becoming the leaders of any group even though they are foreigners.

While taking a walk in Freshya city with Lith, Aran confesses doubts about his magical talent to Lith due to having fewer streaks than Leria. Lith reassures him and mentions several talented male mages, but Aran quickly gives unflattering descriptions of each, Manohar in particular for trying to turn the kids into test subjects during a party once. Suddenly, a group of robbers cause a commotion nearby. Lith swiftly incapacitates them using body casting while demonstrating to Aran, who he is carrying on his shoulders, how to use magic in combat. When the leader of the robbers, Iskha the Vagrash, reveals his true form and attempts to hold Aran hostage, Lith sends him away with Solus as a safeguard where he only witnesses glimpses of the fight.

After returning from camping, Aran follows Lith's example as a child and takes care of the house chores, though sadly, he can't cook for his life. He tries to be like Lith, but not even Onyx can stomach the meals Aran makes for her.

Lith returns from the Eclipsed Lands and shows the family his new Tiamat form. Leria and Aran celebrate, considering Lith becoming a four-winged war machine solely a reason to celebrate and brag about to their friends. Lith introduces the family to his beast relatives Tezka, Lenanna, Jhet, and Crevan Gershal whom the children quickly warm up to.

Lith brings the family to the Trawn Woods where he shows them the tower and introduces them to Solus as his other half. The children quickly warm up to the idea of a new playmate and readily accept Solus. After the family spends time together at the tower, Lith brings them to the Verhen Mansion but they decline to move in, preferring to stay in their familiar family home. The family hosts a private party to celebrate Lith's 19th birthday when Salaark arrives and is introduced to the family. Aran and Leria ask about their grandfather, prompting Salaark to drag Leegaain to the party.

As Aran and Leria approach 6 years old, Lith decides to teach them magic like Nana had done with him and to prepare them in case they choose to join an academy at 12. Village school is obsolete for them as they already know how to read, write, and count. In the mornings before his Awakened Academy lessons he teaches Tier 1 fake magic to the pair as well as Lilia and Leran in order to let them blend in with human society without arousing suspicion of their abilities. In the evenings after Faluel's lessons, Phloria teaches them the basics of swordsmanship.

### Visiting Grandma

The Verhens visit Salaark in the Blood Desert. During the day, Aran and Leria take part in morning classes for magically talented children held by the Feather of the Heavenly Plume tribe. After lunch, they take part in complex games that requires the use of magic and their steeds. The Feather would reshape the dunes with earth magic, creating an artificial battlefield. The children split into two groups in a game of tag that require the use of first magic and ends only once one of the groups is wiped out. After during the hours before dinner, Aran and Leria return to Lutia to play with Frey and Filia during their lunchtime, before returning to the Desert to sleep the moment Zinya calls for mealtime.

One afternoon, Lutia is attacked by numerous mercenary groups led by the Balkor copycat disguised as Fallmug. The Queen's Corps, Lith's Emperor Beast allies, and the magical beast tribes protect Aran and Leria as the primary charges, allowing the copycat to kidnap the Yehvals. The Verhen children are secured within the farm's arrays until Vastor arrives, sending them to the barn from which they travel back to the Desert.

Shortly after, Aran and Leria become traumatized by the event and refuse to return to Lutia until several weeks later. The children become more reassured after seeing Lith turn into a Dragon.

## Quotes

* *"Why did you pick the beanpole instead of aunt Friya? She's a babe."* (Aran to Lith, copying Raaz, Chapter 599)
* *"Why do other cats just meow while you can talk?"* (Aran to Reaper, Chapter 969)
* *"Don't worry, auntie. I'll protect you."* (Aran to Friya while holding her hand in the DoLorean, Chapter 1279)
* *"A table for three, please. We're with my big brother. He's an Ant Mage."* (Aran to the Hot Pot Inn waitress, Chapter 1297)
* *"Vastor is old, fat, and bitter on the inside even more than he is on the outside. You must promise me to never become like either of them...I don't even remember this Marth guy. The only time Dad mentions him, he says that Marth will die as he lived. Buried in paperwork. As for Manohar, after he tried to turn me and several other kids into toasts subtle during a party...He gave us odd-looking candies and fruit juice, but Aunt Jirni kicked him in the wee-wee before we could touch any of them. After that, Mom told me to never accept candies from strangers and to scream the moment I saw Manohar again. She called him many names that she forbade me to ever repeat. I don't think he's a good guy either."* (Aran to Lith, Chapter 1312)
* *"You don't have to worry. My big brother is invincible."* (Aran to Kamila, Chapter 1316)

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 757: Meeting (2) (Part 1)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 1263: Family Business (Part 1)
3. ↑ Chapter 1437: Family Time (Part 1)
4. ↑ Chapter 1422: Kamila and Solus (Part 2)
5. ↑ Chapter 319: Final Rankings (Part 1)
6. ↑ Chapter 361: Career Change (Part 1)
7. ↑ Chapter 978: Plans and Preparations (Part 2)
8. ↑ Chapter 980: Gods Among Us (Part 2)
9. ↑ Chapter 1279:
10. ↑ Chapter 1281: Safe Travels (Part 1)
11. ↑ Chapter 1289: Road Trip (Part 1)
12. ↑ Chapter 1293: Circle of Life (Part 1)
13. ↑ Chapter 1297: Great Minds and Fools (Part 1)
14. ↑ Chapter 1310: Hands and Muscles (Part 2)
15. ↑ Chapter 1315: Weak Points (Part 1)
16. ↑ Chapter 1333: Poke and Pillow (Part 1)
17. ↑ Chapter 1421: Kamila and Solus (Part 1)
18. ↑ Chapter 1438: Family Time (Part 2)
19. ↑ Chapter 1442: Birthday Party (Part 4)
20. ↑ Chapter 1449: Too Much of a Good Thing (Part 1)
21. ↑ Chapter 1452: Endless Training (Part 2)
22. ↑ Chapter 1543: Quality Time (Part 1)
23. ↑ Chapter 1670: Fields and Ovens (Part 2)