by C D Beaudin
Kepp sighs, looking away from his aggravating twin brother.
“He spoke an old spell from the First Age. Used to cure those who were in deep sleeps like comas,” Aradon says. “It brings back those touched by darkness and brings them into a slumber of sleep.”
They all stare at Aradon, whom none of them would have guessed knew the old elf spells.
He huffs, walking out of the hall toward the steps.
“You get used to him after a while,” Kaniel says. “Um, where shall we sleep tonight? Preferably near Princess Awyn.”
“Oh, well, you can have this room, and Aradon can have the one beside it.” Kera points to two doors.
Kaniel clasps his hands together in agreement. “Could my friend and I possibly have something to eat? We haven’t eaten in days, since we rode straight here.”
“You rode all the way from the Dark Woods without stopping?” Gwanawa asks surprised. “It’s two weeks journey, even on the fastest horse.”
“Yes, but they weren’t riding just any old horse.” Kepp grins. “Follow me.”
On the grass, the group gasps at the horses grazing by the dirt path, two children petting their soft coats.
“Everbreeds. This cannot be real,” Kera says breathlessly.
“They are as real as you and me.” Kaniel looks away from the horses toward Aradon who is struggling against a wall. He looks to Gwanawa. “Do you have anything for Aradon? He broke an arm and a leg. He’s in a world of pain.”
Aradon says nothing, glaring at Kaniel. His eyes hold contempt and anger, but it doesn’t mask the pain flickering across his form. “I think I have something that will help it heal faster. Follow me.”
Aradon and Kaniel follow him toward his hut, leaving Kera and the twins alone.
“Who is Aradon? He’s kind of a dark character, isn’t he?” she asks.
“His past is dark.” Kepp and Kera look at Eldowyn, whose eyes gaze intently on the leaving stranger. “But I cannot see why.”
The fire flickers in the pit, around which Kaniel and Aradon sit. Aradon sips on a tonic Gwanawa made for him, and his nose crinkles at the bitter flavor. “When will she wake up?” he asks no one in particular.
“Soon, I hope.” Kaniel smokes from his pipe, staring into the fire.
“I still don’t understand. What light saved her?”
Kaniel shrugs, obviously as clueless about that as Aradon, and says nothing, which doesn’t answer his question. He takes another sip of the bitter red liquid. His stomach is full of finely cooked fish, his hunger assuaged. Aradon leans back against the tree behind the log he sits on, closing his eyes. But his resting doesn’t last long as Eldowyn runs down the steps of the Great Hall, shouting, “She’s awake! She’s awake!”
Kaniel and Aradon jump up, Aradon feeling a bit better. Kaniel bounds up the steps as Aradon hobbles up behind him, before rushing through the wooden doors of the square palace. Making their way to Eldorian’s room, he stands above the waking Awyn.
“Come.” He motions for the two of them to come to her. They watch as Awyn turns in her wake, her eyes still closed, but a mumbling comes from her red lips.
“What did she say?” Aradon asks, standing beside Kaniel, who’s holding her hand.
Awyn groans, her eyelids fluttering. “R—” she mumbles as if in a dream. As her eyes open, a soft word comes from her lips. A whisper. “Raea.”
Kepp and Eldowyn look at each other.
“Well, now we know why she’s still with us,” Eldorian says, looking at Kaniel, who turns to Awyn when her hand touches his.
“I was in a room of light. And in front of me, I thought I saw the Light Spirit herself. When I asked for her name, she said it was Raea. I felt a connection to her I’ve never felt before, but I cannot describe it.” She sits up as she says this, almost as if she was alone, but after a moment, Awyn looks to Kaniel. “It was as if I was dreaming. I might have been. The cold sting of the Dalorin left me as soon as I felt her touch.”
Awyn looks around the room. They must all look like strangers to her, other than the relieved Kaniel and himself by her side. She looks up at Eldowyn. “You look like her.”
“You know, I’ve always thought that. One could mistake him for a girl from behind,” Kepp says, a small smirk on his face.
“Oh, yeah funny. Ha.” Eldowyn punches Kepp on the shoulder, making his mouth tense in pain. He teasingly says something quietly into Kepp’s ear, and the younger twin’s face drops, but Aradon is sure only he notices.
“I know what that feels like, looking like another.” She sighs. “But in my case, it’s a curse.” Her eyes, no matter how blue they are, have a darkness to them.
“Who do you look like?” Kepp chuckles, the elf tilting his head slightly. Her beauty isn’t exactly common.
“Revera.” The room grows quiet, and Awyn pulls the covers over her to lie back down and sleep.
Outside the Great Hall, Aradon pokes at the fire. He takes another sip of the tonic. He can feel the pain ease throughout his body. It’s good, because the sooner he gets better, the sooner he can slip back into the shadows. Kaniel, sitting across from him, stares.
“Are you feeling better?”
Aradon looks at the empty vial, angrily throwing it into the fire, hearing the snap of the glass, and crackle of the fire as it eats it up.
Kaniel’s face turns dumb. “Obviously not.”
“I just feel so useless! I can barely walk. I need to get out of here.”
“Aren’t you tired of slipping into the shadows whenever life gets hard? You know you can’t leave her.”
Looking at Kaniel defensively, Aradon heaves himself up. “What are you getting at?”
“Aradon, I’ve known for some time.”
Aradon steps back.
Kaniel’s face is soft. “Your father and I were good friends.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He looks away from the Delcah.
“You need her. It’s the only way you’ll get your kingdom back.” Kaniel’s voice is firmer, but his fatherly eyes don’t harden.
Aradon huffs, balling his fists. “You’re wrong. I don’t need anyone.” Aradon determinedly walks away from the fire, limping up the long steps to the Great Hall to get some sleep.
Chapter Five
Inside the hall, Kepp lies beside Kera, under the covers of white silk. His sleep is filled with nightmares…no. Memories.
“Eldowyn! Brother!” Kepp had yelled over the lapping of the monstrous fires. All around him, blazes had hungrily devoured his woodland city. “Eldowyn!”
“Kepp!” His twin’s voice had rung in Kepp’s ears, and he’d frantically looked everywhere, not moving, as he was being circled by flames.
“Eldowyn. I can’t move!” The heat burned him, sweat soaking his entire body as he looked into the dark forest around him, screams of his friends, and family being burned alive, or being devoured by Revera’s Dalorin army. He’d just been thankful she hadn’t freed the Sanarx at that time.
“Kepp!” A loud, thundering voice had sent Kepp turning, and he’d seen his father, Lord Rowan, run toward him.
“Father!” On the other side of the wall of flames, his father had been sweating and drenched, holding his sword, looking at his son trapped by flame. Some of his long brown hair had stuck to his face, strands whipping in the air as he turned his head every few seconds, paranoid of the Dalorin.
“Kepp, my son, where is your brother?” His eyes had been awash with worry.
“I heard his voice to the east.” His father had turned to go, but Kepp had reached over the flames, his already scorched sleeve burning. “Father.” He’d felt fearful when his father couldn’t reach him, and he’d withdrawn his hand.
“I will come back for you.” He’d given his son a nod and ran off into the night.
“Father! Father! Don’t leave me here to die! Father!” Rowan hadn’t come back but gone on to look for his brother. Kepp had staggered back. His thoughts had rushed t
hrough his mind. He’d leave me here? To be burned alive, or to be devoured by a Dalorin? Am I not loved as well?
He’d looked up at the wall of fire, growing higher, and closer to his body. Burning with rage, he’d charged through them, feeling the heat on his body. Dropping to the ground, he’d rolled to put the flames out. When he stood up, he’d ducked as a Dalorin screamed, coming straight for him. When he looked up, he’d seen a hint of bright red in the trees. He had run after it, deep into the unburned portion of the forest.
Through trees, he’d left the screams of his people behind him, following the flashes of red. Then, a red dress. Around a large boulder he’d run, seeing a woman wearing a crown of red leaves around her long, black hair. He’d taken out his sword and pointed it accusingly at her.
“A crown of red leaves is the sign of evil,” said Revera. She’d turned to him, a smile on her blood red lips, showing her white teeth. “Fitting, isn’t it?”
“Sure.” He’d gripped his sword.
“You have questions?”
He could have vomited at the calmness of her voice. “A few.” His knuckles had turned white.
“I thought so. You’re probably wondering why I’m doing this? To my own people?”
Kepp had relaxed, his sword still in his hand, swung to his side. “The thought crossed my mind while I was in a cage of fire.”
Revera walked closer to him. “Oh. It must have been eye-opening to see your father favoring your brother, leaving you to burn.”
Kepp had covered his ears. “No! I’m not listening to your poisonous words!”
Revera had somehow been behind him in the blink of an eye, and whispering in his ear, “You must be furious with your brother. I could use a strong, vengeful young man like you.” She’d walked in front of him, holding out her hand. “Join me.”
Kepp had stared at her outstretched hand, knowing she’d seen his potential. He’d taken a step forward, but then immediately reversed his decision. “You haven’t answered my question.” He’d held out his sword, pointing it at the fair woman in front of him.
She’d stared at the sword. “Wasn’t I the one who asked you a question?”
Kepp had lowered his sword, but when he’d seen Revera’s smile, he returned it to her chest. “Answer it!”
She’d raised an eyebrow, her lips pursed. “Well, it seems I have my answer. You’ll regret that.” From behind the boulder, she pulled two figures.
Kepp’s eyes had widened when he saw his father and brother, both tied up.
“You see, I could kill them both, but I think it would be better if your father watched as I killed his favorite son.”
“No!” Rowan had pleaded. “Please, not my son.”
Revera had walked over to Kepp, a knife in her hand and put it to his stomach. Kepp had tried to use his sword, but his arms were stuck to his side by a force he could only describe as magic.
“Then, what about this one?” Revera had looked from Kepp to Rowan, who said nothing, only fear in his eyes. “Who will it be, Lord Rowan? The perfect son? Or your youngest twin?”
His father didn’t say anything for several minutes. He just looked down, his brown hair over his eyes.
“Oh, I do love a game of choice. Especially when the stakes are so high,” Revera had taunted, still holding a knife to Kepp, another blade magically pressed against Eldowyn’s chest, levitating. “Do you have your answer, my Lord?”
Rowan had looked up at her, a defeated look on his face. Eldowyn had looked at his father, worry in his eyes, knowing who he was about to choose. “No, don’t do it, father. Don’t do it,” he whispered, struggling against the ropes, which had tightened, and he’d winced as the blade dug slightly into his chest, a line of blood appearing.
Rowan looked nervously up at Revera. “Who do you choose? Twin one, or twin two?”
“Don’t touch Eldowyn. Please, don’t touch him.”
Kepp had felt the tears roll down his cheeks, and Eldowyn looked at his brother, lowering his head, knowing he was about to lose him.
“No, please. Don’t kill him. Please, take me instead. Please,” Eldowyn had begged.
“Be quiet, Eldowyn. Don’t cause her to kill you too,” Rowan had snapped, but Eldowyn couldn’t even look at his father.
Revera, looking satisfied, had smiled. “Lord Rowan has made his choice.” Revera waved her hand, and the ropes had fallen to the ground, but before Eldowyn could get his sword, Revera was gone, along with Kepp.
Transported to Nethess, Kepp had looked at his weeping brother within the orb. Looking at his father, the sword intended to kill him had been stuck into his father’s chest.
“No.” Looking to Revera, he’d watched her evil, red smile. “Are you going to kill me too?” he’d asked, looking into her cold ice-blue eyes.
“No. I’ve got a better use for you.” She’d walked out of the room, and Kepp had followed, leaving the black room of Nethess.
Kepp shoots upright, drenched in sweat, eyes wide and fearful, breathing heavily. Kera beside him, turns over, groaning from waking. She opens her eyes slightly, the back of her forearm perched on her forehead. “What’s wrong?”
He pants, and Kera’s eyebrows worriedly crinkle. Sitting up, she gently places her hand on Kepp’s back, and he jerks at her touch. “You’re drenched. What happened?”
“Uh, nothing.” He hesitantly throws off his covers, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Where are you going?” Kera asks, worry lining her voice.
“For a walk.” He gets up, pulling on his shirt, and grabs his sword.
“What’s the sword for?” Kera asks, sounding alarmed.
But he’s already down the hall, furiously walking to Eldowyn’s room. He bursts through the doors, making Eldowyn wake up. Confused, he doesn’t have time to react when Kepp jumps at him on the bed, rolling them off onto the floor.
“Kepp! What are you doing?” Eldowyn yells, fighting off his brother. Kepp pins his knee into his brother’s arm, making him yelp in pain. He can see where Revera’s sword had left a scar on his brother’s chest. “Kepp! Stop this!” Kepp punches Eldowyn’s face, blood trickling from his nose. Over and over again, Kepp pummels his twin, the red blood spreading over his whole face, and staining Kepp’s hands.
With an angry burst, Eldowyn pushes Kepp off hard onto the floor.
Kepp’s riddled with pain as his head slams against the hard floor.
“What are you doing?” Eldowyn shakes him, his furious eyes burn with an anger he’s never seen before.
“Something I should have done long ago.” He takes his sword, stabbing it into his brother’s stomach.
Eldowyn’s eyes widen, and he looks down, pulling out the sword. On his knees, he makes eye contact with Kepp, collapsing over on him. Kepp pushes him off onto the cold floor, a growing stain of blood on his gray shirt.
Kera screams when she sees him covered in blood. She runs to him, her yellow nightgown flowing behind her. Kaniel and Aradon come out of their rooms, hearing her scream, staring at the blood-covered Kepp. Three guards arrive, their red robes rippling.
Kera stares at him, worry and confusion in her eyes. “W-what. Why?” She backs away from Kepp, and he feels numb and blank, like he’s looking forward into what seems like nothing.
“What happened?” Aradon asks, leaning against the door frame.
“Oh no.” Kaniel rushes over into Eldowyn’s room, picking up the limp and bleeding elf, carrying him out of the room, and into the hall. Kera rushes to her hurt friend, and Aradon looks at Kepp, but he’s in a world of his own at the moment.
“Have you done what I asked?” Revera stands, her back turned to him. The black oblivion contains them as they communicate in their minds.
“Yes.” Kepp looks at his hands, blood covering them. “Did I kill him?”
She turns to him. “He’ll be dead soon enough.”
Kepp smirks, a feeling of evil in his heart. “Good.”
His mind wanders, his body tra
nsporting to Nethess. He’s back in the black room again, looking into the Eye of Aiocille. His brother lies on a bed, the elf healer Eldorian trying to cure him. He smiles as he watches his brother die. Behind him Revera walks up, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“You know what you have to do now?”
“Yes.” Kepp smiles into the orb, watching the Delcah, elf healer, and elder frantically trying to save the elf.
“Good. Now come, young nephew, we must prepare for your journey back to your friends. They will leave in three weeks’ time.”
Kepp takes one last look at the orb, sitting in a bed of silk on top of the pillar. The three men are trying their hardest to revive Eldowyn, who turns to shadow with every passing second. He then follows Revera out of the room, completely dulled to his dying brother
Awyn watches through the door as Kera strokes Eldowyn’s hand softly. He lies on the bed, cold as ice.
“Is he going to make it?” Kera asks Eldorian.
“The sword has magic within it. For all we know, it could have been bathed in a Light Pool, creating an immortal-killing blade. He may be slipping away from us forever.”
Tears streaming down her cheek, Kera kisses her friend’s hand, rubbing it softly. She sniffles, wiping away the tears with her fingers. Kera looks to the door as Kaniel comes in to check on Eldowyn.
“How’s he doing?” he asks.
Eldorian pats a greenish paste on the stab wound. “I’m not sure.”
Kaniel walks over to the blade on Eldorian’s desk, washed clean of the elf’s blood. He picks it up, examining it. A slight shimmer sparkles on the silver surface. “This sword was not bathed in a Light Pool. But it definitely has a spell cast on it.”
Eldorian turns to Kaniel as Eldowyn groans. “Do you know what we can do for him?” he asks as Kaniel sets the sword down.
“It’s impossible to know without knowing what spell this is. Only Revera herself would know that.” Hearing her name, Awyn winces. Everyone seems to have forgotten the fact that Kepp had vanished into thin air, but that’s hardly anyone’s concern at the moment. Perhaps it should be. If Kepp is on Revera’s side, who knows in what context we may see him again.