~Lain~
As they approached the Silvergrove, Lain had a strange feeling. His instincts were telling him something, something he couldn't fully understand, he just knew it. But as he was unsure, he kept it to himself.
They did the ritual together, revealing Silvergrove. As they walked swiftly through the market to the inns to get their rest, Lain could feel eyes on him and an awful but awkward silence.
"Tiadrin, something's wrong." he finally said.
"What could be wrong?" Tiadrin said, shrugging her shoulders.
They finally reached their inn, and Tiadrin gingerly knocked on the door. There was no reply. Since their marriage, they'd lived with Lain's brother Katar.
"Katar? Are you there? Can you let us in?" Tiadrin said. "Katar?" she repeated.
A surge of fear rose in Lain's chest. "Katar?" he asked himself.
Before they knew it, two hands were on their shoulders. Runaan and Ethari.
"Runaan, Ethari, what's going on? Where's Katar?" Lain asked, desperate. Ethari shook his head.
"What happened?" Tiadrin asked. "I said, what happened?"
"Come inside." was all Ethari said.
Looking at each other with fear in their eyes, they followed them to their inn, which was on the other side of their own inn.
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Once settling into Ethari's place, Runaan placed some moonberry surprise on the table and sighed.
"You still haven't answered our question. Where is Katar?" Lain pushed with urgency.
"I'm sorry Lain. I'm so sorry. But he's gone. They're all gone." Runaan said.
Lain and Tiadrin retaliated in shock.
"My brother! How?" Lain said with tears forming in his eyes. Tiadrin hugged him tight.
"They were on a mission. Four of them. A dangerous one, it was. When they were caught, all was decimated." Runaan explained. "They never made it."
Ethari slowly stood up and headed outside. Everyone followed. They soon made it to the pond, where four flowers once floated was now empty. As Lain peered, he noticed four flowers that had sunk to the bottom.
Lain fell to his knees and picked up a flower from the bottom of the pond. He soon realised it still had a tint of flickering light on it.
"Katar?" Lain questioned.
Ethari stood beside the two. "I've never seen something like this happen before. Something's off."
"Unless..." Tiadrin trailed off.
"He's stuck between life and death." Ethari finished.
"Does that mean he's still alive?" Lain asked.
"No. His spirit is trapped somehow." Ethari replied.
"Dark mages." Lain hissed violently. Tiadrin gave a nod.
"I think it's time we let it pass." she said in a solemn voice. Lain looked up at her. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to give up. So, he agreed.
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That night, when the moon was at its peak, Lain came back from the forest with a few lunablooms. Tiadrin herself had finished the grave, with Runaan and Ethari standing beside her. Lain carefully placed all his flowers but one, and once everyone was gone, he blew the last flower's petals into the evening wind.
"Goodbye dear brother. Just remember I am always here for you."
YOU ARE READING
Feathers Adrift
FanfictionRayla still feels unrest after thinking about her family and how they came together to Silvergrove. There is a mystery and a reason behind everything that she does not yet know. Desperate, she asks Lujanne to help her perform a spell. Perhaps after...
