The Empyrean | Fourth Wing |

Chapter 1

AN Next few chapters are flashbacks so you may understand the background before the story starts. Hope you like it.

Violet POV

Brennan just grins and opens his arms. "Welcome to the revolution, Violet"

Wait... What? Brennan is alive, my big brother who I have mourned for 6 years is alive. I jump out of bed and sprint into his arms. "Brennan, is it really you? How are alive? I thought you were dead? 

Brennan looks at the person behind. Said person brushes his hand to the back of his head before saying that he will leave us alone to catch up. I am ectactic that I get to talk with my brother without him. Brennan saw my expression and Xaden's. I thought he would take my side and let him leave. Guess not.

"She deserves to hear it from you" Brennan says. Why? I don't want him here. He lied me so many times. He is the last person I want to see right now. 
"It's fine, Brennan. You can just tell it yourself." I say without thinking. Both boys are stunned. Brennan seems upset and disapppointed. Well, well, well, Brennan Sorrengail picked his side. My own brother chose my ex-boyfriend's side. Just great.
"See? Told you? She won't listen to me and anyway it's not like this is my story. It's yours. I didn't do anything, He did."
"Come now, tell her"
"Fine, then" Xaden as he leans against the door ready to make a quick escape at anytime. He sighs. "Your brother did die. He died for a few minutes. Someone from the dragon riders tried to kill... You can't tell her this part. I tell the one after" He turns to Brennan
"Fine, scaredy cat" says Brennan and he mouths coward. I feel a flash of anger. Xaden is not... Why am I defending him again? I am mad at Xaden. Nevermind that now...
"So, will one of you recount your death?"

My brother inhales and starts
"As Xaden said, someone tried to kill me. He had this purple stone I didn't know what he were doing. I was getting lightheaded and I had this feeling like I was supposed to do something but couldn't remember what it was. So I fought him. He had a Riders uniform but attacked me a wingleader. So I treated as if he were an enemy. When I won the battle, I realised I was running on adrenaline and that my opponent managed to hit me in a sensitive spot. I had been bleeding out for most of the battle. I collapsed and I died then and there. Naolin found me afterwards, called Fen Riorson and brought me back dying in the process" Brennan stops talking for a moment before looking out the window. 
"My dad received Naolin call." continues Xaden. "He was in the battlefield and raced to Brennan's side. He left his entier squad, gave his second in commandement the control and brought him here where he spent an entire week mending him. Naolin brought him back, yes... But it was my dad who nursed him back. Brennan never got to thank him because when he woke up a week later he was gone. My dad ... was executed." I watch Xaden's eyes lose the golden flecks as he is plunged in memories before he comes back. "Anyway, I have to go. I have to.. do something, anything." He walks through the door and leaves. What happened after? Xaden must the bravest man I have ever met. What did they do them?

I turn to my brother. "Why did Fen Riorson bring you here? What happened after here? With Melgren and Codagh? Why does eveyrone think he killed you when he actually saved you? Why didn't you come back or at least tell me?" My tongue never stops, the questions pouring out of me.
"I don't know Violet why he brought me here. I don't remember much from then. I just remember waking in a familiar area that I have been in. It was weird. It's still weird. I feel like I have already been here but logically, I have never been here. I wake up to people hating me, to broken mother and young children, to officers taking the children and burning them outside. I will never forget the screams, the sight. I couldn't do anything. I was confused. No one would look at me except with death glares. I wanted to help, I actually tried but Xaden stoped me. He said that it had been decided this way and that there was nothing I a Sorrengail could do about it. He said my name with such anger I was actually scared. 
Eventually, when the 107 children were finally marked, the guards took a willing Xaden as he was whipped 107 times. He was 17. He didn't deserve that. No one did. Props to him tho, he didn't say a word nor did he scream. He seemed to concentrated on something and was whispering something. When they finished, they guards literally threw him back to us saying that he was not allowed to see a mender. He was so pale, he looked so close to death, his back was red with blood, covered with slashes variating shape and sizes." He pauses as he closes his eyes, shudderes at the memory, inhales, exhales and continues.

"Melgren got on Codagh and they flew up. I thought that they would leave but there was something different about the way they flew. Normally, the dragons would leave in formation and push themselves upward and towards the wind. But they literally just jumped in the air and flew up. They weren't leaving. I didn't know what they were about to do. But I took a limp Xaden with Liam, Bodhi and Garrick. I then told them and something wa brewing and that they should take everyone in a bunker an underground tunnel, anywhere that was in stone and underground. Thank the gods, they listened to me... By the time, Codagh incenerated the castle everyone was somewhere safe. I never why but Codagh could have just burned everything. But no, he waited. Some say that it was to ensure that he had enough fire power but I think... It's crazy anyway, the delay saved everyone."

He stops looking the window and turns to me.  "You asked me why people were told that Riorson killed. I am not sure. But someone must have seen me in the crowd, told Melgren after the incineration and to ensure that nobody asked questions, he took the easy road and blamed it on the dead guy."

Oh my Gods, that is horrible. I knew the story around that time would be hard to hear but I didn't think, it would be soul crushing. Poor Xaden and every rebel there that day. The punishment was more cruel than how it was transcribed. I understand what Xaden meant when he said we were hardly even. Our stories are not even at all. His is much more horrible than mine. 

"And after? What happened after?" I wanted to know. I know this must be painful but I need to know. I have been in the dark for too long. Brennan sees that as he continues.
"Remember I don't know all the details. I just know what I saw but from what I saw, you should maybe ask Xaden for the whole and exact story."
"I.. I will.. later. But I need to know what happened with you? Why didn't come back? Did mom and dad know?" He sighs, sits next down to me.
"Very well...but promise me that you will ask Xaden for the rest."
"Promise" I nod smiling
"In the bunker, I tried to heal the whips, the bruis.. the slashes while we waited for the fire and smoke to dissape. Eventually, he were allowed to back up. Once we did, the beautiful land was in shreds. There was nothing left. The pictures that circulated about Aretia were not even accurate to how much damage Codagh had done. There was nothing left. A bit like the barren. Nothing was left execpt for the stone foundation of the castle.
Xaden was in no shape or form to lead but he felt responsable for everything and everyone because he was Fen Riorson's son. He wasn't even fully healed yet. I told him that if he overexerted himself while he was healing, the slashes would never fully heal and that he would be in constant pain. But he didn't listen to me... But you don't care about Xaden, right Violet?" He says turning to me, smirking "So you don't really care about this part. Let's just skip this part" I felt trapped. I want to know but if I let go of my anger now, it didn't feel right.
"Right, let's skip this part. What happened to you?"

I can see that he is a little disappointed but nevermind that now. He continues his story
"At the same time, as I was helping as much as I could, I received a message from dad. He told me not to tell him where he was and to stay there under any circumstances. That if I was where he thought I was that I would have to do everyhting to ensure that they rebuild, that I gain their trust and that I help in any or all missions. I was to nor contact Mira nor you and especially not mom. If I was to do that, I would surely die for sure. He said that he would contact me every 6 months and that he'd send pictures of all 5 of us in the enveloppe. But... that was the one and only time I ever got a message from him. 6 months later, when I was waiting impatiently for another letter but I never got one. I knew something was up. Eventually, one day while out on patrol, I learn that our father Zephyr Priamos died of a heartattack after the loss of his only son. I figured that he was murdered. I never went out of the wards after that day. I alwys stayed in Aretia, helped rebuild and collaborated with Xaden when he was at Basgaith. I never sent a message or tried to see you because I knew that you would be surely executed because of me. So I never did. I missed you so much. I talked about you and Mira to everyone. You guys were the first and last thing I would think about per day" Tears fall down his face as are on mine. I wrap my arms around him and I break out in sobs. We cry in each other's arms for a while.

Brennan is alive. My brother is actually alive.