Home...
To go home...
Under the bright blue sky, those were the words pouring in Lyriel's mind like a mantra. Repeatedly, continuously. Flowing with memories that neither belonged to him. A filmish scene took over and then cleared.
[Hisense: Activated!]
The visage of an estate envisioned. He'd seen it.
A dazzling grey estate, stood at the edge beyond a town. Scanty of servants and soaked in despair. The dim sky above stored with heavy, angry cloud. A tumultuous wind scoured the town, weeding through every walkways or alleys that crossed it's path, and raising an army of brown dust.
...
Home. That was his home.
...
Then Lyriel was plunged back into reality. Awareness seeping at the bitter coldness biting his very pores.
A slight fidget trembled his closed lids which he refused to open. Now, he'd just needed to channel the memories into the quilt, and make soft strokes. With his eyes closed, Lyriel felt for the brown satchel hung over his shoulder. Sliding his finger into the vial's location for assurance. His right hand clenched around the quilt.
Good. He breathed in relief for the last time. At his ankle, he could still feel Kar's teeth latching on the hem of his braies.
He lifted his hand and with maximum concentration on the memories of the Tharagon estate belonging to the original Lyriel. The film reappeared again. He was back in that space. Although, there was an abrupt warmth that surrounded him this time. And as if a conduit, it was flowing smoothly to the tip of his finger. To the Quilt. Lyriel could still feel the cold air from his environment.
But he was unaware when the tip of the quilt began to glow. Like a candle had been set aflame, it burned a bright light. Gold in colour. From afar, it looks like the man was wielding an exotic wand in a snowfall.
Lyriel had only taken a few moments before he waved the quilt. But the moment he did, golden threads were traced from the glowing tip. The form of a brief pattern. Each threads were rich in mana. Glitters at its wake, the light slowly engulfed the frame of Lyriel and Kar into bodies of light. It was quite similar to Lyriel's glowing body at the void of soul.
The atmosphere around the youth shifted. The air stagnant for a second. Lyriel's swore a lightness, and his feets met ground again.
There was a rush of sudden wind around him. The hard floor replaced the soft, snow fluff he had stood on.
His lungs fills with sudden airflow, he staggered forward with his head facing down. Cobbled tiles met his eyes. Stormy lightening clouds rumbled over his head. The deafening crackle of thunder pierced his hearing as he realizes the whimpering tiger beast beside his feets. Nevertheless, Lyriel gaze observed the surrounding.
They were standing in a vast courtyard few metres from a silver estate facing them. The Tharagon estate was much larger than it was in Lyriel's memories, designed with numerous window and doors. It towered above a hight of several metres high, The cloud overhead shaped it like a haunted tower. However, Lyriel was more than satisfied knowing that the quilt had worked.
Guess, it worked afterall...
He playfully rubbed Kar's furs, ignoring the beast's slight rebel, and stared ahead. They did it!
He brought the Vial reflecting the sky above him. He remembered a certain woman's words. Save her.
....
Rain. Another fucking downpour. Day in, day out, every week, for four fucking months before the wet season is over. Or worse, even five months.
Bam!
The creak of a window was silenced with a slammed shut. The grey eyes belonging to the estate's heir layered with irritation as he slammed three other windows with the same heavy slam, the walls shuddered lightly at the force. It's been five fucking days since the investigators pulled by with news concerning the survival of his brother. Lyriel was alive, they said. However, the speculations revolved around a mere footprints of someone that seemed to have fled before, or during the gadlings attack, he couldn't even understand anymore.
Could it have been Lyriel?
If it was Lyriel why was he taking so long to return??
Shouldn't he be back by now, knowing the hopeless condition their mother was in? And how listless she caved in daily?
Another window slammed shut but shattered along the process. Broken shards of glass flew sharply, and the man's arm was bruised. Clots of red warm blood leaked from the flesh of his biceps. Snaking down his arm. Red beads stained the tiled ground in dots, but the young man didn't care he continued shutting the windows with the thoughts of his mother.
"Damn it!" He cursed.
His mother. Kaiden didn't like to think about his mother because when he did, he'd remember how she gradually turned from a fun and loving woman, to a dispirited woman in the span of some years. Having lost most of the people that mattered to her. And it hurts him. Whenever he saw her sitting by the window, eyes raked into the world, he felt this painful twist in his core. He'd almost cried, once.
He stood before the shattered window to observe after he'd closed the final window. The hushed winds blew past him. Washed into the large office. He didn't care.
Instead, his eyes narrowed at the commoner making his way towards their estate from the courtyard with bold, prideful, callous steps. The silver strands of his hair followed his movement. There was a very little beast by the side. The man's attitude just seemed to overshadow it.
Kaiden puffed his chest... Such boldness...
This person must be really stubborn to come here despite all the physical and wordy warnings he'd given to them.
Or, maybe... Maybe, he was stupid.
The knuckles of both his palm and shoulder cracked in a sweet popping sound. He vowed to beat the shit out of this person.
His deadly plans thwarted when the person abruptly glanced up and met his stare. Eyes colliding in a frantic lock. Kaiden stood, frozen in place as he saw the person's face.
....
His throat bobbed and with dilating eyes trembling lips moved but no words came out. They refused to form the name that was threatening to spill from Kaiden's throat.
But in his heart, he knew the person that was standing down there. Fuck, he would recognize him anywhere, even with the... This changes?
Just that. Could it. Was that truly him?
Lyriel-
No. He shouldn't just pronounce his name like that when it might be a trick of the town people to get back at him. He had to see for himself.
Retreating back into the office. He bolted for the downstairs door as Lyriel brought down his face as he continued to walked forward with a now pounding heart. His legs breezed. Shit, he was nervous. Why was he nervous again?
Unlike the brother in Lyriel's memories, Kaiden Damore, this man above him was built in the shape of a war gladiator, and that he was going to be Lyriel's brother could be the strangest thing ever. Lyriel never had a brother. He'd had slaves, allies, workers, but he'd never had a brother. Not until now, and he didn't know how to react to the information.
The brown wooden double-door as Lyriel reached nearer croaked open and Kaiden revealed his transfixed figure, shoulders hung by his side. They fell in deep silence. Kaiden was few inches taller than Lyriel. The raging winds and clouded sky encased the brothers, neither making a step to approach the other. Under Kaiden's intense gaze, Lyriel forgot the countless speech he'd stayed all night memorizing. However, he comported himself.
"You're alive," Kaiden said, at last.
"I'm alive," Lyriel agreed.
'MostlybecauseI'masoulfromanotherworldwho'stakenoveryourbrother'sskintorelivehismiserablepast—Oof!'
"You're alive!" Strong hands on his shoulder's arch, yanking Lyriel's thoughts away, his body visibly balked. Kaiden ranted endlessly as he patted Lyriel's shoulder, who stood there receiving every hit with a false smile to mask the sting of his shoulder he had to ignore. Lyriel made his observation unnoticeable. Was his man's hand made of lead?
"Lyriel! You're fucking alive, You idiot, and ma, she thought you were gone. The investigator's said you'll live, I couldn't, we waited. Every day. What's took you so damn long? Why didn't you?" With the sudden slack of his shoulder, Kaiden looked as if he wanted to cry. His corners of his eyes reddened and he ran out of words. Lyriel watched in shock and embarrassment as the gladiator man wiped his chin.
"We thought you died..." Kaiden looked away from the pretty little tiger clawing at the feet of his brother's trouser.
Lyriel waved his head, and smirked. "Well, I'm here. Aren't I? So get over it, let's go inside before I'm soaked up."
"Yeah. Sure" Kaiden looked up to the sky, chuckling. This brother of his would never change. On his skin, a clear drop of water splashed, it had already started drizzling. But from afar, he heard the heavy rainfall advancing.
"Follow me." He motioned Lyriel with a dashing smile. After glancing few times at Kar. His elbow nudged his younger brother's side playfully as he fumbled with his satchel. Lyriel sighing as he found the red vial.
Kaiden spoke. "Mother would be soo pleased"
Lyriel's stomach twisted.