REALMS OF DISCORD

Brother's Plea

We must find her," Otich said urgently to Abua. The office seemed cramped and surreal to Abua as he sat, resting his hand on his chin. After years of searching for his brother, there he was, standing right in front of him. Though slightly thinner and with more visible wrinkles on his face, it was unmistakably him. In front of Abua.
"We will find her. I have my people searching tirelessly. We know who has her; we just don't know where," Otich assured, his gaze shifting over to his brother, who had now showered and eaten.

Abua met Otich's questioning gaze and sighed. "I don't know how they found us," he admitted. "I've kept our existence a secret for years, even from you, only to be discovered as soon as we set foot on Kringa's soil." He looked at Abua apologetically, a mix of regret and frustration evident in his expression.
Brother and placed a hand over his shoulder in a reassuring manner. "I know they won't hurt her," he added, though he was doubtful of his own words. Otich wiped his eyes, fighting back tears that were threatening to fall, and walked over to his brother's alcohol station behind his desk. He pulled out two glasses from the table that stood under the window and poured their drinks. Abua doesn't let anyone apart from Oche and now his brother. The last time they were together, he was still an errand boy, and now he was a man with gray hairs fighting the black for his head.

"Wita is amazing, brother. You will love her when you meet her," Otich said, handing his brother a drink he had poured. "She's intelligent for her age." Abua took the glass into his hand before taking a sip.

"She's really good with tech stuff," he said, fighting a crack in his voice that proved unsuccessful. "Back home, she was always at the top of her class. It always scared me that one day I'd be at home, and instead of a teacher knocking at my door to discuss how to get her into gifted programs on an international level or talk about scholarships or travel for javelin competitions, it would be one of Sato's guards coming to take us back..." He trailed off, sensing the sour mood that had suddenly enveloped Abua.

"I know you," Abua replied, downing the last of his drink and reaching for the bottle on the table to pour himself another glass. "I tried looking for you."

Otich knew he owed his brother an explanation, but where to start was the question. Should he begin with how he met Sato, or when they left Kringa, or maybe why they had returned? He knew he owed his little brother a lot, and he was proud of him too. He loved him very much; he just didn't know where to start.

"Sato made sure we were in the most remote area of Sia. She wanted Wita to grow up as far away from Kringa as she could," Otich finally revealed.

"But I could have helped, brother." Abua's hardened mask fell, and right in front of Otich stood a face all too familiar—one full of innocence and standing by every word that had been uttered.

"I know," Otich whispered in defeat. He recognized that face and what it meant. He couldn't stand there, looking at that face, a face he had let down after promising their mother that they would always have each other. "But I didn't want you to get involved."

Abua felt hurt and alone, just like the first time he found out that Otich had fled with a high blood. He took a deep breath, carefully choosing his next words. "I found out about you and her after you had left. It sounded like a lie at first, but after a few days of seeing the guards in the Ironblood Guards, I knew it was true. I had to hide for a while, brother," he expressed his pain with every word.

"I'm sorry, brother," Otich finally managed to look up at Abua. "I can only imagine what you went through."

"I looked for you every single day. I never gave up on finding you. I had to know what happened, why you left without me. I had to know why my only brother left me in this pit hole," Abua said, walking over and leaning on the table, facing Otich. "I had to know why you chose a royal blood over your own blood, brother?" He swallowed, fearing his next words. "But now that you are here, all I want is to show you that I have made it, Otich. I have turned this pit hole into my kingdom, and I no longer fear anyone." He took a huge sip of his drink.

"And I'm proud of you, Abua... but it's complicated," Otich said, looking at him with a sense of defeat.

"We have all the time in the world, don't we, Otich?"

Right then, a knock came at the door, and Oche peeped through. "Abua, we need to go," she said, her half-body peering into the room where Otich and Abua stood.

Abua looked at Oche, realizing it was important for him to leave. He couldn't miss a meeting with the only person from the top who actually seemed to care about them. He walked over to his coat, put it on, and then approached his brother. Standing in front of him, he placed his hands on Otich's shoulders. "I want you to tell me as much as you can. I'm here for you, brother." He grabbed his hat and went out the door.

Otich was left alone in the office. The thought of not knowing where Wita was hurt even more now that he stood in the middle of the room with only his brother's scent left behind. The under-bloods have really changed, he thought to himself as he walked over to the window in front of him. The place is still in the pits of hell, but it has improved. There are more places for trading goods like metal, brass, anything that's important. Bars and sex houses are open almost all day for hard workers to spend their money on drinks and sex, which actually provide employment. Abua even started a course program at this place. He smiled to himself as he remembered what their dreams were.

However, his thoughts were disrupted by a man shouting below the dimly lit building. He recognized that man. Otich looked at him, and the scar on the man's face confirmed it for him. That was his childhood friend, Zabu.

His thoughts immediately ran to Wita once he figured out what Zabu was doing to the people on the streets, and without hesitation, he ran to the filthy corner where Zabu had chosen as his spot for the day.

"Zabu, Zabu. It's me, Otich. How long has it been?" he asked Zabu, who looked happy that someone had stopped to talk to him.

"Hello, brother. Welcome. I am a representative of Dini, and we would like you to have this pamphlet," Zabu spoke, holding out his right forearm for a handshake.

Otich could see that Zabu had changed since the last time they saw each other.

"Zabu, it's me, Otich," he said taking the pamphlet from Zabu with the scar on his face now visible.