Rise of the Erifs (The Fire Song Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 20

Latainia  

TORIN WATCHED IN A MIXTURE OF HORROR AND FASCINATION AS JAYDAR closed his eyes. At that moment a wave of heat hit Torin in the face and he was forced to step back before he got his eyebrows singed off. Torin's jaw dropped as something happened to his brother's face. It began to smoulder and drip. What had been Jaydar's face began to melt away, dripping down his face leaving a clear trail behind like rain on a dirty window. A coloured liquid began to seep out from under Jaydar's closed eyelids. Jaydar opened his eyes and they glowed a deadly purple.

Kalani screamed at the horrific sight. Kaynan was frozen. His eyes wide and his mouth open but no sound came out. 

Jaydar stared down at Torin and whispered barely loud enough to hear.  

"I'm- Not- Your- Brother." He spoke each word slowly, chewing them over before spitting them in Torin's face. 

Torin jerked back. "What-?" he began but stopped.

He was no longer staring at his brother.

Jaydar reached up and scraped away the rest of the mask off his face. It came away in his hands where he crushed it in his fists before he threw it on the ground. He wiped away the colouring that had been in his eyes, making them blue and hiding their true colour. He saw Torin's expression and roared like a lion. As he did so his hair erupted into a red mass of flames. What had been Jaydar's face was gone. Any remnants of Jaydar's handsome features were gone.

In that moment the truth hit Torin. It slapped him and he felt the breath in his lungs rush out. The young man before him wasn't his brother. His eyes were purple, his nose was shorter, the handprint scar that had covered the side of his face was gone and his chin had a large dimple in it unlike Jaydar's which was smooth.

He was an Erif.

He smirked at Torin.

"You had no idea did you? You really thought all along that I was your brother," the Erif said.

Torin's brain was whirling to catch up. This wasn't Jaydar. Jaydar, the real Jaydar, hadn't betrayed them. Then where was he? 

"Who are you? Where is Jaydar?!" the cry was ripped from him.

"Which question do you want answered first?" the Erif said. "Jaydar is-"

"Is he alive? What have you done to him?!" Torin shouted, feeling the fury course through his body.

"He's alive but now that I've completed my mission we don't need him anymore."

"No!" Torin threw himself at the Erif but was forced to jump back as a wave of heat and fire came his way.

"Latainia is ours! There is nothing you can do! You are too late."

Torin was shaking. He felt a mixture of hate, anger and fear pulsing through his body. 

"After I kill you, I'll go back to Keppar and personally split Jaydar's skull. How does that sound? Rather picturesque don't you think?" the Erif said and raised his sword.

Torin saw a flash of fire come rushing at him. He lurched away, throwing his hands up trying to protect his eyes. He stumbled backwards and tripped over a body behind him. He hit the ground with a thump. He glanced over to see the dead eyes of Sir Walter staring at him. Torin scrambled back. Torin looked up to see the Erif walking calmly down the steps towards him.

"Goodbye, Torin. I'm just sorry you weren't a more worthy opponent." The Erif raised his gleaming sword. "Your conqueror I am. Laykin the son of Crimson. Prince of Keppar." His eyes gleamed. "And now King of Latainia."