knights

Chapter Sixteen: Remembrance

Chapter Sixteen: Remembrance

Lightening crackled across the night sky followed by the familiar sound of thunder. My heart sunk deep in my chest in pain as my lungs tightened; forcing me to close my eyes in attempts to calm myself. 

It had been a long time since I've had a panic attack, a long time, but even so, it's an experience you can't ever forget.. 

I could hear Kyle yelling in the distance; his words muffled from the wind, rain, and thunder, but I already knew what he was trying to tell us; my fears realized as we pushed forward to the top of the mud soaked hills that overlooked the City of Asthyfra; darkness greeted us as the city that was once well lit laid now shrouded in the darkness of the storm.

"We're too late.." I whispered to myself as the sickening pain I knew all to well resurfaced.

"Don't jump to conclusions yet Daren.." Merlie began while strapping her claw gauntlets to her hands; her ears sharp as ever. "It's a pretty bad storm we're having, it could be the cause of the blackout. Fire and water don't usual mix ya know?"

"Yeah, but you'd think we see some kind of light, right? I don't see anything, not even from the buildings!" Kyle yelled a little too loud as Merlie gave him one of her looks.

I wish I could share her enthusiasm, but even Merlie knew deep down that this wasn't right, and if I could tell them the truth, the truth about everything, I would; the Emperor, Stigna, me.. But my truth isn't all that it seems, there was more going on now that even I didn't know; things that were out of my reach..

"We need to go, we must make sure the Queen is safe!" Welferd coughed as he reached over and placed a hand on Leanah's shoulder for support.

Leanah quickly held on to him; her eyes worried for her beloved servant as a flash of lightening brightened up the sky above her.

"You can't be going anywhere old man, you're sounding like you're getting sick." Kyle quickly took off his cloak to wrap it around the coughing Welferd. "There's a hang over just over there, I think you should hang out there for a bit, maybe I can get a fire going.."

"You start a fire?" Merlie smirked.

"Hey! I'm being serious here cat lady! He's not looking good!"

"Welferd, we'll get a fire started somehow, you need to get somewhere warm.." Leanah stepped in while grabbing Welferd's hand and leading him to the hang over. For being blind, she sure had a sense of direction..

Turning to face Asthyfra, my thoughts turned to my brother.. 

He was there, right now, I could feel him..

Would he remember me? Or did the Emperor and Stigna take everything from him?

Without a word to the others, I began my decent down into the hills that would lead me to the city; a part of me didn't want to go, didn't want to see the monster my brother had become; what the Emperor made him to be.. But I loved him, he was everything to me growing up, and still was, and I can't let that go, I couldn't..