The Sins of the Father

Chapter Thirteen

Last day of my vacation... I'm almost free. Still gotta fly home tomorrow ugh but. I've almost made it

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Herobrine staggered back as the last of the valkyries fell before his blade, his hand flying to his chest to clamp around the arrow buried in his ribs. Every breath grew more difficult, and he suspected that the arrowhead had pierced his lungs. Not unlike how Avalon had died, he supposed.

He gave the burning courtyard a final glance before he turned, seeking out his wife's body. Her skin was pale, eyes shut, her cold lips parted beyond the arrows that stuck out of her chest. He could only hope that it had been quick.

Herobrine stumbled towards her, intent on dying beside her. One of the valkyries had landed a devastating blow on his left leg, and it shrieked in protest with every step, but he was too numb to care. Reaching her side, Herobrine slumped to the ash-strewn ground, and entwined his fingers with her cold ones before shutting his eyes and letting the darkness win over.

~~

"Fifteen years ago, the Sons of the Aether set out to kill your parents." Cafos said, his arms hugged to his chest in defense against the cold. "Your father was elsewhere, so they killed your mother and one of them took you back to the camp. The rest stayed behind to ambush your father when he- ow." He shot a glare at Alexis, who was pressing the remains of his outer tunic against his bloody wing.

"Hold still." She glared at him back. "I'm trying to keep you from bleeding out."

"You're applying more than a necessary amount of pre-"

"Cafos," Stephen interrupted tiredly. "Please continue." Cafos stopped, reluctantly turning his attention back to him.

"Alright."

Cafos had mostly calmed down by the time Alexis found them, though he was understandably shaken up by his near-death experience. Stephen still felt lightheaded from his dash to save him, so Alexis had taken over the treatment of Cafos' wing (using her patented method of tearing up shirts). The man, Herobrine, fortunately seemed to be long gone.

"The rest stayed behind to ambush your father when he returned," Cafos went on. "My father among them. They fought, and your father killed them all... and perished in the process, or so we thought."

"Clearly not." Stephen mumbled.

"They sent scouts when the party didn't come back, and found... what they said was your father's body." Cafos told him. "But... a few years ago, the scouts saw him lurking around the forest where we were camped. We had to leave immediately." Stephen frowned at the forest floor, remembering an abrupt departure in the middle of the night.

"But... why?" He managed at last. "Why would- why would the Sons do that? By what right-??"

"They were commanded by Notch." Cafos interrupted quietly. "Your parents were plotting to commit treason. Lucius still has the order." Stephen shook his head.

"Why would he lie, then?? Why not just tell me the truth??"

Cafos shrugged. "When he told me, he said that he didn't want you following in their footsteps. And that is why I wasn't permitted to tell you." Stephen raked both of his hands through his hair, overwhelmed with shock and disbelief.

"I can't... I didn't..." He trailed off. He was a noble family's son, Lucius had lied to him his entire life, his father was alive and a traitor and a killer of valkyries. One who was trying to get into the Aether.

"Bleeding's stopped." Alexis reported, leaning back. Cafos glanced over, trying experimentally to move his wing, and his face screwed up with pain. "Stephen, what now?"