Equifinality (Bare Bones)

Branded

Ethan

I could hear voices that seemed to be all around me. I laid on the cold hard floor with my eyes still shut. I slowly moved my hands, in hope my head would stop spinning. The floor was solid, unlike the old wooden planks on our porch. Were was I? I sat up slowing, bracing myself with my hands against the floor. I could feel some type of engraving edged into the floor.

"He is awake," an unfamiliar voice seemed to smoothly echo though the room.

I gradually stood up, Still feeling slightly dizzy. I rubbed my eyes, trying to adjust. The room was massive. Reminding me of something from the medieval times, lit by torches. I was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by a marble top table, that formed a full circle. The pedestals of the table looked like people and mystical creatures, that where obviously suffering holding up the marble. 

My forearm was burning, throbbing in pain. I looked down at my arm, then I noticed the floor. OH MY GOD, THEY MATCHED! There was a big ornate circle with letters in-between the two lines that formed the circle, in a language that I didn't understand or recognize. Inside the circle was nine symbols. There were four triangles, Two were pointing up, one had a line though it. The other two were pointed down, one of those had a line thought it as well. There was also four horse heads. At the top of the inner circle was the black horse head. In the circle of the head, appeared to be some type of shinning white jewel. In is mouth it held a gold balancing scale, on either side were more beautiful jewels, it was perfectly balanced, what looked like diamonds took the place of the eyes. To the right of the inner circle, was another horse head. In the middle of his forehead was a gold colored horn, with a gold bow behind the head, with two gold arrows in the shape of an X, they had black tips and fletching. The eyes were as black as coal. They seemed to pierce right though me. At the bottom of the inner circle was the pale skull of a horse head. Behind the head was two scythe in the shape of an X. There were no eyes, only a blank place where the eyes were suppose to be. The red horse head was near the left of the inner circle, There were two swords in the shape of an X behind the head, also there were flames erupting from the nostrils. Its eyes looked as if they were on fire. The triangles were in-between each of the horse heads. In the center was another circle, inside was many different colors that seemed as if they were constantly swirling. I kept looking at the floor and my arm hypnotized at the fact they were exactly alike.

"So you are Ethan?" I looked up to see a man in a gold cloak. His face was covered by a gigantic hood.

"Y-yes s-sir." My whole body was trembling at the sound of his thundering voice, that seemed to shake everything when he spoke.

He was standing just a few feet from me, we where inside the circle of the table. I looked around the table, there were thirteen hooded figures sitting at the table. The cloaks were either yellow, red, blue, green, and one wearing a purple cloak. I couldn't see any of their faces.

Two chairs suddenly appeared beside the person wearing gold cloak and I. "Please have a seat, Ethan." I didn't take my eyes off of him, as I slowly sat in the stone chair.

His voice seemed calm and normal when he now spoke. "Son, do you know why you are here?"

"Wait, are you my dad?" I leaped to my feet, My voice, now, was echoing.

"No, I'm not your father." His laughter carried around the room and the others seemed to join in. He then raised his hand in the air. Everyone immediately went back to being silent.

I sat back down. "I assume that it has something to do with this mark on my forearm," I said with too much caution. I moved my arm, so he could see the newly formed mark.