Impenetrable- Sequel to Arcanum

Chapter 23: Colt

I sat up in bed abruptly when I came to.
What happened?
Memories of everything that had happened flashed through my mind and instincts told me that I should go check up on Kaliska, but something told me she was fine for now. Instead, I went to go check up on my brother.
I went to the infirmary, and winced slightly at his form in the bed. Guilt overwhelmed me when I remembered that he stepped in the way and intercepted Kaliska from hitting me. I walked over, and shook my head sadly.
"You shouldn't have done that, Spruce." I muttered as I sat down. I've been in the medical branch part in the castle far too much. I've already memorized all the medicine on the shelf beside me.
"Heh well I gotta protect my little bro.." A voice said weakly from behind, and I turned my gaze from the shelf to see Spruce looking at me.
I stopped and stared at him for a couple moments, before I scoffed and hugged him tightly.
"H-hey!" Spruce said in surprise and when I pulled away, he rose an eyebrow.
"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" He asked, and I laughed sarcastically.
"Haha very funny." I said dryly, and he frowned, before he flinched and rested back on the bed.
"You shouldn't have done that." I said in a much more serious tone, and he stopped squirming about to look at me.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you shouldn't throw yourself at danger all the time! Only an idiot jumps in the way of an attack!" I snapped and stared at him, pleading at him to understand. I rubbed at his hair, and breathed out.
"Like I said, I gotta protect my little brother. I don't care if I get hurt." He said stubbornly, and my eyebrow twitched.
"You're lucky your hurt. Because if you weren't, you'd be getting a huge punch in the face right now." I grumbled, and he laughed.
"Ah, it seems someone is up." Our father said as he opened the door and entered the room.
"Ah father." I addressed him by bowing slightly. He ruffled my hair before he looked at Spruce.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, and I was surprised by how much concern was in his voice. Spruce seemed just as equally surprised as he paused and stuttered in his response.
"U-uh fine father. How is Kaliska?" He asked, and my father looked at me. I cleared my throat before I answered.
"She should be fine. She's gone back to her own kingdom. I'll go-" I broke off as Spruce growled and started to get up.
"Idiot!" He snapped, and I felt the usual annoyance burn in my stomach.
"What did you call me?!" I demanded as I stomped over to him and shoved him lightly back onto the bed.
"Idiot! She's obviously going to be attacked!" He hissed, and I narrowed my gaze.
"If you let me finish my sentence and not be so rude, then you'd know that I was going to go check up on her in a hour." I said, and he glared back.
"Just go now! Villains don't wait around for you!" He exclaimed, and I looked at my father. He shrugged helplessly, and I sighed.
"Fine if it'll calm you down I'll go now." I said, and walked out. I heard my father follow me, and once we got to my room, I turned to him.
What surprised me is he handed me a bright glowing green crystal.
"I think it's time for your final lesson on crystals." He said, and I rose an eyebrow.
"Really? Now?" I asked, and he nodded before he looked at the smooth crystal in my palm.
"Every crystal is used for different reasons. Crystals have special powers to accompany these desires and needs. But, out of millions crystals there is one that will give you immense power that is unmatched by using another normal crystal." He explained, and I rose an eyebrow at the crystal in my hand.
"This was the crystal that matched with me. If I'm correct with my crystal data and research, that power should be handed to you now." He said to me, and I opened my mouth to say something,but came up blank.
"Using it does of course use energy of course though. So I'd only like you to use it in dire situations. You using a crystal that you're matched with, without knowing how to use it can make you go out of control and possibly lose your sanity. Please be careful." He said, and I nodded determinately , and grabbed my bow and arrows, and rushed out to the stable, and got on my horse. I looked up at my room window to see my father watching me.
I waved, before I raced out of the kingdom on my horse.

---

It was beginning to get late and dark, and it was becoming difficult to see through the thick woods, so I slowed, and took my time to reach Kaliska's kingdom. Once I did though, it was a horrifying sight. Fire rose from buildings, people ran, and bodies littered the floor. I jumped off my horse, and raced into the fray, shouting Kaliska's name, desperate to find her.
"C-Colt!" I heard Kaliska cry out, and I was shocked to see Cassidy holding a knife to her throat, and even pressing it in a little. A thin line of blood ran down Kaliska's neck.
"Cassidy!" I roared in anger as I immediately drew an arrow and loaded it immediately and aimed it towards her head.
"I bet I could slice her throat open before you hit me in the head with that silly arrow, Colt." Cassidy giggled manically, and smirked at me. I narrowed my gaze, and felt my senses sharpen as I felt someone come up behind me.
I immediately ducked and shot out my leg and tripped the man behind me. He fell over me with a grunt, and I immediately shot him in the head.
I turned my gaze back to Cassidy, and found a new cut on Kaliska's cheek.
I stepped forward, and clenched my fists.
"No.. Stay calm. Getting angry like this will only lose your composure." I thought firmly as I stared at Cassidy hard.
"Hurt her, and I'll make sure you regret everyday of your existence." I swore darkly, and she laughed loudly and waved the knife around like it was just a simple stick.
"NOTHING could make me regret living like this, Colt! I get to torture those that deserve the pain!" She all but shouted at me, and I felt confused.
"What in the world do you mean? Kaliska, Harmony, Spruce and I did nothing to you. Why are you so persistent to hurt us?" I asked, dodging a man that swiped at me, and without even looking, I shot them in the stomach and kicked them away.
"Your father stole what was supposed to be mine!! Your mother and father only lead the kingdom to kill my father! Their nothing but filthy animals chasing their tails!" She screamed at me, grinning so wide it looked like it would split her face in two.
"You're practically insane!" I exclaimed, and she shook her head wildly.
"N-No I'm not insane! You're the insane one!" She began to giggle, and I could hear Kaliska whimpering as Cassidy licked the blood off the knife.
"Ah~ Her blood is sooo sweet." Her eyes twinkled dangerously, and before I could do anything else, she stabbed it into Kaliska's gut.
"Kaliska!" I screamed, and watched in horror as Cassidy threw her towards me roughly after she pulled the knife out and smirked, before she walked away.
Anger overwhelmed me, and I glared holes after her, before I raced over to Kaliska who was coughing weakly. I quickly patched up her wound with my shirt, and growled.
"That's it. She's going to die today." I snarled, and reached into my pouch and pulled out the glowing green crystal.
"You using a crystal that you're matched with, without knowing how to use it can make you go out of control and possibly lose your sanity."
My father's words rung in my mind, but my anger overwhelmed my own common sense, and I closed my eyes and controlled my power on the crystal. I felt the magic lick at my consciousness, and I firmly told myself 'hunt down Cassidy.'
I paused and looked at myself. I glowed a vivid green now. I felt the magic fill my veins, and I was suddenly able to run extremely quick. I raced through the burning city. Someone with no brains tried to attack me by swinging their sword towards my head. I simply stopped it with one hand, and growled.
"Get away!" I shouted, and instantly they flew back from the force of my magic.
I continued running until I found Cassidy, torturing a poor mother. I grabbed her by the throat, and growled. I lifted her off her feet, and she stared at me with wide eyes with fear clouding them, and tears began to spill down her face.
'Kill!'
I reached up to snap her neck, but suddenly something distracted me. A soft calling..
"Colt! Colt stop! Don't do anything you'd regret!" A voice shouted, and I paused to see my brother Spruce, panting and staring at me desperately.
"My brother would never do this! Please stop Colt." He begged, and I threw the woman, but I could feel the magic taking over my mind quickly. I fought against it but it already had me since the start. I felt my conciousness fade as I launched myself at my brother, no longer in control of what I did.. Instead, the magic controlled me like a puppet with it's strings.
'A puppet huh..'