Incandescence - 22. Wind

It’d been a long time since I’d been in Krinn. I’d made stops at my parents’ estate on official business a few times, but I hadn’t been in my hometown since my father had been given his own territory. It was strange. Not much had changed, but the city was silent. That was new. There was no foot traffic. We hadn’t passed a single person. It was eerie. Sliding my fingers down the wall closest to me, I tried to fight off the growing melancholy.

“You grew up here, gorgeous?” Loren asked me as he glanced around, hands balancing on the knives on his hips, “It’s…got…character.”

“It’s a dump.” Suman scowled, kicking a bucket that had been laying on the ground. The loud rattle of the metal skittering over the pavement made Meryck’s head whip in the prince’s direction. I glared at Suman but he’d continued walking. His hands lifted in the air as he put one foot in front of the other, balancing on the uneven ground.

An image of a scrawny boy from the past doing the same thing flashed through my brain and I sighed. My mental image was so different. The sun shone down on my light colored linen clothes, and my face was upturned as I basked in the light. Now, it was cloudy. If I had to guess, I’d say it was midday. The sky was grey like in Dleth, but it was worse here. There wasn’t ash floating down from the sky in Dleth. Not like this.

“There’s a fire working somewhere. Like we thought.” Loren sighed. He went a few paces forward to stand near Suman.

Long grey hair fell down his back as he studied the sky, “Still burning.”

“Meryck, do you hear anything?”

The boy turned to me, blinked once, and without any emotion answered, “Nothing is louder than our company.”

“Why is it that when quiet people decide to talk, it’s normally annoying?” Suman sighed. His hands were lifted to the sky, palm up. I watched his fingers wiggle and then my attention went back to Loren. He was crouched on the ground, fingers scraping over the stone in front of him. He rubbed something between his fingers and his head tilted to the side.

“There are people on the beach.” Meryck said softly. His ear was to the ground again, his black lips exposed as he listened, “Not many.”

“That’s specific.” Suman said. He rolled his eyes as he twisted his hair and secured it on top of his head. He hit somewhere on his thighs and when his hands came up, his black spikes were between each of his fingers. He tucked them into his hair and Loren stood. He met my eyes and raised an eyebrow.

“No one is moving much, but there are…heartbeats.” Meryck said, his fingertips sliding over the ground underneath him before he pushed himself to stand.

“So, someone is alive on the beach. Is there any way for you to guess at a number?” Loren asked as he stepped toward Meryck.

The young assassin fixed his face covering and slid his gloves back on his hands, “At least four.”

“We can handle that.” Suman said. He cracked his neck and grinned at Loren.

“Only works on surfaces that are solid.” Meryck mumbled.

“The ocean. You’re saying you have no idea what’s on the water.” I confirmed.

My unease was starting to grow. What was going on? Where was everyone? My father was supposed to be defending Krinn. We had to go through town to get up to the estate, so I had no idea what was up there. Both my parents could be dead. Everything that we knew was constantly being twisted or proven wrong. Talon wasn’t even positive that Nyx wasn’t somehow involved in the attack. It was possible we were being fed information this whole time. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d been purposefully led astray. Anders had been especially good at making it seem like we were ahead when we were actually three steps behind.

“Kalian, my dear, are we going swimming?” Loren asked. His attention was on picking a long tendril of hair out of Suman’s eyes. He then secured it with one of the black spikes.

“I guess.”

“Great. It’s been a while since I stretched my legs. We’ve been far too wrapped in bureaucracy. Time to do what we know best.” Suman grinned and I shook my head.

My eyes met Loren’s. Compared to Suman, Loren could almost be described as reserved. He’d been different after Amaris. Then Wren had died and he’d shouldered the enormous guilt. Loren was changed, and the world was worse for it. He was annoying and boisterous, but Loren had stood by my side a few times before when no one else had. He’d done so literally when Sumerion showed up unexpectedly after the fight with Anders. He had been the only one willing to help me look for Talon.

Loren was grinning, but it didn’t reach his eyes. No, his eyes were serious and focused. His chin lifted ever so slightly and I slowly nodded. Meryck had followed Suman, but Loren stepped closer to me. I met him halfway, “I don’t like this Loren.”

“We knew it was a trap,” He said.

“What if all their ships are floating just within range?” I asked. Suman had stopped to look back at us, a small frown on his face. Meryck had continued. I guess he didn’t have to stay close if he wanted to hear us.

“Then I suppose this will be a short trip.” I sighed and began to walk away, pausing when Loren called out, “Kalian, you should know by now that things are rarely as they seem.”

His words made me freeze, but a moment later, he brushed past me with one of his signature cheeky grins. Wrong. It was wrong. I stared after him and my unease had tilted into anxiety. Loren liked to play with people, but this was different. Could he be scared? Loren of all people? Swallowing, I forced everything to the back of my mind. Losing my cool wasn’t going to help us right now.

Just a quick question-inquiring minds would like to know-okay just me. What in the Gods’ names are you doing? Why are we rushing into a situation we know nothing about? Kalian, listen to me. This is crazy. Jump home and we’ll replan. We’ll figure this out without you all running headlong into a gods damn suicide mission!

Shaking myself mentally, I silenced Talon. I could still feel him over the connection. His anger, the panic, and worst of all, the fear. Talon afraid triggered something deep within me. It nearly took my breath away. It shook my resolve, but it didn’t break me. My feet continued forward. My eyes didn’t really see the men in front of me. It was like the entire world had narrowed down to what was in my line of sight. It had to or Talon wouldn’t stopped me. I would’ve jumped us back home and a part of me needed to do this.

The entire way to the beach felt like a final march. We saw them before our feet ever touched sand. There were five people. Two men standing in the back, two just in front of them, and one on his knees between the front two. The closer I got, the more I shut out so that I was unfeeling when we left cobblestone and progressed to sand. My hands clenched into fists as I saw a uniform. It was familiar. Outdated, blue, horribly torn, and bloody.

“Oh! General! The prodigal son returns!” We stopped far enough away to be out of range of most projectiles, without having to yell to communicate. The man who spoke looked like a younger, sharper version of Loren. His dark hair brushed his shoulders as he looked from my father to us. He was all smiles even though his hand had a tight grip on the back of my father’s collar. My eyes flicked to the two men behind them, who nearly faded into the background, and then back to the men obviously in charge.

“Truly heart wrenching, eh Lucian?” The man said as he turned to the man next to him. This one had short hair, shaved close to his scalp and murky green eyes. The man-Lucian shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

“Big brother! Wow, I’ve waited years to meet you! The long-lost prince!” The younger of the two called, his smile widening.

“You’re mistaken. I have no siblings. Only a mother.” Loren answered, an eerily similar expression on his face.

“Oh, come now! Don’t be like that. Especially when we come with a deal!” He said, his smile dipping a little into a scowl before it bounced up again to beaming.

“You’re going to leave and fuck off back to your country? That’s the only deal we’re prepared to make.” Suman hummed, his eyes on Loren instead of the men across from us.

“Was I talking to you Dlethian scum?” The man snapped, something burning in his eyes. Loren and Suman were unhinged but this man was different. The two princes were flawed, but deep inside they were good men. This one, there was nothing in his eyes unless he was angry. There was no goodness. Nothing redeemable. He unsettled me even more than Anders or Mallex.

“There’s no need to be insulting Rydian. These are our guests after all. We should welcome them to our newest port city.” Lucian admonished as if his brother had made some small error. Krinn and its people meant nothing to them. Loren had only lived in Illiath for a short time, but I wondered how those few years had traumatized him.

“Your city?” I’d moved closer without realizing it.

“Again, no one is talking to you people.” The younger man said, glaring at me before his expression shifted to a smile, “Now, brother. We’re wasting time. We’ve taken this city. The whole of Dimian will be next. There are few of us left, we can’t have one of our own on the losing side. We’re going to recreate this country in Illiath’s image. It will be a vast improvement.”

“Does delusion run in your family?” I asked, “Sorry Loren.”

“I said no one was talking to you!” Rydian’s hand gripped my father’s short hair at the crown, wrenching his head back as he flicked his wrist. Rydian held a blade against his throat and glared at me, “Not another word.”

“Rydian.” The other prince sighed.

Blood sputtered from my father’s mouth and I watched his lips move. My insides were collapsing and it felt like my lungs crushed under my new reality. My father was going to die. Anika and my mother were probably already dead. A shuddering breath tried desperately to force its way into my lungs but the pain in my chest made it saw uncomfortably into my body. My emotions rose up from the back of my mind.

“Alright.”

Everything stopped. My spiral, the ocean waves, the entire planet itself. Everything ceased movement as Loren took a step forward. Then a few more. I watched him step past me and keep going. My body went numb. Suman tried to reach for him and Loren jerked his hand away. Suman stumbled. His light eyes wide. Then he straightened and lunged forward. Loren spun and caught the prince, one hand gripping the wrist of his dominant hand and the other swinging. He hit Suman hard enough that when he released him, Suman dropped forward. He was panting, gripping his cheek as he watched the older man walk away from him. I moved forward, but gentle fingers gripped my wrist.

“No.” I stared at Meryck, my body shot through with shock. My brain was slow. I couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Oh look Lucian, he’s agreeing!” Rydian said. He’d let go of my father and spun in a circle, blade still in his hand, “What a glorious day!”

“How do you plan on proving your loyalty?” Lucian asked, eyes narrowed. Loren was only about ten feet away when he stopped.

“What would you have me do?” Loren asked. His shoulders squared and he clasped his hands in front of himself.

“Oo, I know! Me!” Rydian said, abruptly stopping his celebration to beam at Loren, “Kill him! The general! Do it! Do it!”

“Rydian.” Lucian sighed and the younger prince glared at his brother.

“What? It’s a good idea!” Rydian snapped. His hands dropped suddenly to his sides and he stepped around my father, crowding his brother’s space, “What’s your problem? I’m in charge here.”

Lucian’s eyes widened a bit, he took a step back and ducked his head, “You’re right.”

“Apologize!” Rydian shrieked and my eyebrows rose as the point of his knife pressed to his brother’s cheek. The men in the back, plainly dressed in green and presumably guards, looked shaken but stayed still. I was right. Wren was a cannibal and still didn’t scare me as much as this boy.

“I’m sorry Rydian. You’re in charge. It was a good idea.”

There was a moment of tension before Rydian spun around and marched forward. He came to stand in front of Loren and grinned, “Now that we’re finished with that business,” He threw a vicious glare over his shoulder, “Go ahead. I know you can do it!”

Rydian held out his knife, hilt towards Loren and smiled expectantly. Loren’s shoulders lifted and he reached out to take the blade. I watched him walk forward, giving his younger brother a wide berth. Loren stopped, standing in front of my father who looked up at him with such defiance that I saw a flash of Eon kneeling in his place. He spit blood on Loren and I watched the man flinch. The knife was by his side, held loosely in his hand. My father’s lips moved again and my insides shattered as I failed to make out the words.

“Suman,” Loren called softly, looking over his shoulder at the man who hadn’t moved since he’d hit him, “I’m sorry. I know we promised.”

Everything had stopped before. Now the world forced back into motion. Time and movement slammed us back into reality and my stomach dropped. Suman was struggling to his feet, the sand causing him to lose his footing. Loren’s eyes met mine and a small sad smile was all I saw before he faced forward. It didn’t last, his head jerked to the side and his hand shot out. Lucian’s eyes widened comically just before he fell face down in the sand. Rydian was enraged and let out some kind of ungodly noise as he launched at Loren. My father’s shoulders tightened and then broke his bindings. Flames exploded behind him, devouring the two soldiers that’d been standing to the back waiting. I barely heard the screams. I was overwhelmed as the men died and Loren fought off his younger brother.

“Why? Why! I wouldn’t have offered this to anyone else!” Rydian screamed, doing his best to get through Loren’s defenses. They kept turning as Loren stayed on the defensive and they made their way across the sand. Suman had finally made it to his feet and was running in their direction.

Then I saw it. There was a deep wound on Loren’s back, just under his shoulder blade on the left side. I had thought that he’d moved fast enough to defend himself when Rydian realized his betrayal. Wrong. After I noticed it, I realized that Loren’s movements weren’t as fluid. His blocking was slow. He barely kept up with his brother as it was and he was slowing even more.

“Loren!” Suman was so close.

Then they stopped. Their shoulders rose as Loren and Rydian panted. My eyes burned as the younger of the two stepped back. He raised a hand in the air. Sparing a look for the rest of us, he sneered and then disappeared. Suman was in the space he’d vacated the next second. He screamed in frustration before whipping back around. Loren was looking up at the sky, eyes closed as he continued to pant. Blood was spreading on his green tunic and I followed the stain to a hilt. This one buried in his chest. He inhaled deeply through his nose and then swayed before falling back.

My brain was slow again and I couldn’t keep up with Suman’s movements. He was at Loren’s side now, pulling his head into his lap. I was stuck in place as I watched Suman descend into grief-stricken babbling. Loren’s hand to his chest was held tight against his chest. Watching, I covered my mouth as I started to catch some of the words.

He was begging.

Anyone who would listen. Loren, the gods, me, even his own mother. His pain was branching out to everything around him. The world seemed darker around him. I knew that the princes were in some semblance of a relationship, but I hadn’t realized the depth of it. I think it had started with an odd kinship and had blossomed from there. Rydian had just stomped out possibly the only light Suman had. The only love that’d been just his without conditions. His very own spark that he had been holding tight to his heart. witnessing this was breathtaking in the way that it crippled you emotionally and became strong enough to affect your body.

Fingers curled around my upper arm and Meryck yanked me forward. He pushed me to the ground beside Loren and my hands shook as I raised them over his body. I tried to concentrate but how was that possible when I couldn’t even breathe? My Magik was distant and I struggled to pull it to me. There was no time for this. I couldn’t watch Loren die after Wren had. I forced air into my lungs, and focused on my hands shaking. They lit and I pulled everything I had to me.

“The knife.” Meryck reached forward to removed it and my Magik shone so brightly, I could barely stand to look.

“There’s another wound on his back.” I mumbled and Meryck tried to turn Loren, which resulted in Suman swinging at him.

I looked at the prince. Suman was beyond reason and the look in his eyes let me know words would do no good. Waving my hand, light surrounded him and held him still while Meryck lunged forward again. He removed the fabric around the deep gash on Loren’s back. Then stumbled around. He knelt behind Suman and yanked the prince’s arms behind him, restraining them there with something. He then did his legs and dragged him a few feet away. Suman fought every inch he was pulled away until Meryck laid him on his side, holding him there. The boy’s hand stroked Suman’s arm gently, trying to comfort. Returning my concentration to the task at hand, I gave it everything I had. I had to ignore the angry screaming a small distance away that had morphed into horrible, gut-wrenching sobs. I had to ignore everything for Loren to have a chance.

Blocking everything out, I closed my eyes. The world around me faded and dark surrounded me. I let my head fall back as I felt fingers lightly cup my cheek. I listened to the Magik singing through my blood and let it guide me. My hands moved by themselves and I felt power surge through me and into Loren. His body jerked, but then everything went crooked. I opened my eyes and I wasn’t on the beach. I was kneeling on the deck of a ship. Rydian kneeling in front of me with a truly horrific smile on his face.

“Can’t have you undoing my handiwork. Especially after what you all made me do. Bringing people back to life is unnatural. It’s wrong Master Alauis.” He giggled, “We. Are. Going. To have. So much. Fun!”

Something hit me hard in the back of the head and the last thing I heard was a another deranged giggle.

Talon!

-Wyn-

Everything seemed…uneasy. The wind flowing through the trees was howling in pain, the tremors working down the trunk to shake the bark against my fingers. Both hands pressed to the trunk, I closed my eyes, listening. It was something new. A gift I hadn’t yet shared with anyone. It wasn’t a Magik I’d ever heard of. Adults didn’t like different. People didn’t really in general, I guess. I’d learned that lesson well in the dungeon before da saved me. I had always thought that strange. I knew it was true though.

If you listened close enough-if you paid attention-the world spoke in fascinating ways. People never slowed down to hear it. The ground was merely earth under their feet, the sky just something that hung over their head. Animals, plants, everything. They all had voices and it never made sense that I seemed to be the only one listening. Deep breath, in and out, bringing everything into myself. It was a familiar feeling. It was nature, but it was life too. My nerve endings lit up and my brain went a little fuzzy as I let my surroundings take over. It was new, but the peacefulness I normally experienced was cut short.

Screams, metal clanking, shouting, the smell of blood.

All of it assaulted my senses and I back pedaled clumsily and landed on my backside. Tangling my fingers in the grass, I tried to make sense of what I’d heard. It sounded like violence. Someone was hurt. I felt the wind lightly brush against my cheek. With it came a single horrifying scream. In a voice that I knew.

Gasping, I surged to my feet. Sprinting inside, I looked for someone. Anyone. Where were all the adults?! They were constantly breathing down my neck every other second of the day, but when my da needed me I couldn’t find them! I made turns frantically, running as fast as my legs would take me. Taking a corner maybe a little too fast, I barreled right into the smart guy. He was so frail that I knocked him on his back. Papers and books went everywhere and he looked up at me with wide eyes, ink smeared all over his hands.

“Where is everyone!?” I demanded loudly.

“Wh-what?” He stammered.

“My dad? Any of my uncles? Where are they?” I didn’t have time for this. The smart book guy was nice, but he was irritating me.

“War room!” He finally squeaked out and I was off in a second.

It was a five-minute run which I didn’t remember any of. I slammed my whole body against the doors and caught myself before I went down when they opened. My uncle Eon was at the head of the table, next to him Tyren, then Hanja, Wren, and finally-

“Dad!” He gripped my shoulders as I collided with him, gripping his black and silver shirt, “You h-have to he-help!”

“What is going on? What is it?” He asked, staring down at me.

“Wyn, love, what is it?” I heard from behind me, softer. Tyren.

“You must calm down. You’re hysterical.” Calm still, but far too serious. Hanja.

“Look at me. Just at me.” Large hands gripped my face and my vision was filled with grey eyes. Some of my panic ebbed away as I looked into them. It was going to be okay. Dad always made everything okay. He’d take care of this. Fingers stroked my cheekbones gently, “Try again. What’s happening, Meep?”

“Dad’s in trouble! I heard him scream! Then t-there w-w-was blood and fighting sounds a-an-and-”

“Hang on. Breathe.” He murmured as my hysteria started to build again.

“Darling, we can’t understand if we can’t make out what you’re saying.” Gentle and flat. After my parents, Wren’s voice was probably my favorite.

“Tell me why you think he’s in trouble.” My focus snapped back to grey eyes and I tried to copy his slow and steady breathing.

“I heard it! I don’t have time to explain! You have to know where he is, so you can help!”

“How did you hear it?” Eon’s voice was firm, but I felt his hand caress down the back of my head and my neck.

“We don’t have time!” I nearly screamed in my dad’s face.

“Wherever he got the information. He’s distraught enough to investigate it. If only you had a direct line to your partner, Talon. Perhaps a mental one?” Wren sighed heavily behind Eon.

I was pulled into a chest and inhaled slowly, taking the familial scent in. I looked up once I had relaxed a little. The grey eyes were blank now as my father stared off into space. The way he did when he and my da communicated long distance. I gripped his shirt tighter and fingers slid up and down my back. He suddenly jerked and I was pulled into a smaller body as black Magik bisected the war table.

“I fucking told him not to go. Gods damn it!” Dad roared and I shrunk into Wren’s arms. I wasn’t used to the expression on his face. The intense rage twisted with fear that made me want to cry and hide.

“Talon, hang on!” Tyren begged, trying to grip his shoulder.

“I’m going.”

“Talon!” Eon said, standing in his way.

“Fuck. Off.” He shoved my uncle bodily out of the way and black Magik spun around him at a dizzying speed. I watched as Hanja leapt forward, gripping onto my dad as the Magik moved faster and then they were gone.

“Wren, take Wyn out.” Eon ordered, “Wherever you took him before. Everything is going to get torn wide open. Our original plans are out the window and Wyn has to be safe.”

“Come, love.”

“Uncle Wren, no I can’t!” My world shifted and I was staring at his feet as he carried me out of the war room on his shoulder and through the halls.

“Bookworm! War room! We’re going to need that vast, ridiculous knowledge of yours!”