Lost Ones - A False King

Chapter 6 - Mister Red

That evening, the Brymbach Brothers returned home. Their mother was shocked when she heard the explosions in the city. Her relief is immense when she hears her children talking uninjured on the rough welcome mat in front of the door.

Emmod and Novel have lived in poverty since birth in a sparsely populated, quiet neighborhood in the Whitepool District, along with their mother, who has raised her sons alone.

For Emina, the quiet neighborhood is not a disadvantage at all. It means that soldiers are rarely around, which is convenient for her, as her sons have developed a special talent over the years for attracting the attention of soldiers.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Emina asks anxiously as she checks her sons' arms and legs, briefly seeking eye contact.

After she finishes her inspection, she breathes a sigh of relief.

"I was so worried about you," she says, her voice choked with emotion.

"Everything's fine, Mama," Emmod replies, slightly annoyed by the inspection.

"Good thing I sent your uncle; otherwise, it could have ended badly," Emina responds, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

"You always think so negatively, Mama," Novel says.

"Well," Emmod chimes in, "If Uncle Ko hadn't found you at the marketplace today, who knows what might have happened," he adds with a shrug.

"Look who's talking," Novel retorts, "We nearly got killed because of you."

"I had everything under control," Emmod defends himself.

"The only one who seemed to have everything under control today was your uncle," Emina interjects.

It is only now that they realize: "Wait, you sent him to us?"

"Your uncle was here today. We heard the explosions, and he immediately set out to find you in the city."

"Why was he here?" Emmod asks.

"He wanted to talk to me."

"About what?" Novel presses.

"You can ask him that yourself," Emina replies, "You will spend the day with him the day after tomorrow."

Emmod and Novel look forward to spending time with their uncle, but their mother is not finished with them yet.

"Emmod, you go wash up first," she instructs him.

"Mama, I need to show you something," Novel says, now completely thrilled.

"I still have a bone to pick with you," Emina responds.

Novel raises an eyebrow in surprise.

"Where have you been this morning?!"

His facial expression changes abruptly as he had left the house before dawn, unnoticed and without saying a word.

Meanwhile, Emmod climbs the stairs with the white railing to the upper floor. A few steps further is the only bathroom in the house, a narrow room that barely accommodates two people. Here, Emmod washes up while Novel receives a thorough lecture from his mother. Behind the bathroom is the shared bedroom of the brothers, which they use exclusively for sleeping. These are the only rooms on the upper floor.

Regardless of the season, when looking for Emmod and Novel, one is more likely to find them outside than inside. They are at an age where their energy overflows and their curiosity seems boundless, yet such a high level of activity would exhaust most people. Not so with them. They often leave the house at dawn and return only with the onset of dusk. They can maintain this routine for several weeks.