Just Episodes in L - I - F - E

_Chapter 3_

This is dedicated to richalyn for shamelessly adding this on her reading list and because we live in the same country. It's more fun in the Philippines!!!

_Chapter 3- Iris_

"Well since Hilda, I refuse to call her the Queen, started to rule Iris. She did so cruelly and without justice. Those who refuse her power are either thrown into jail until she found further use for them or killed immediately." Achilles explained sounding forlorn. And even Dan was unnaturaly quiet during this conversation.

"When did she start to rule?" I asked, qurious.

"Since the last ten years or so. But, back to the story, People were terrified of her, Those who argued with her power, well you know what happens to them, so there aren't much. But there are still a couple of them, like us. Anyway, our land was at war with itself, poeple took sides and there were lots of deaths when she was still trying to claim the crown. The King and Queen were, well, nobody actually knows where they are. It was like they just disappeared out the face of the Earth."

Nate sighed. "Do you know them?" I asked.

"They were my good friends." I nodded feeling sad for Nate.

"So, do you know something more about them?" I directed this to Nate.

"Yes, it was rumoured they had a child but this cannot be proven true for thoe who were in the castle said that they hadn't even seen another little royal inside the mansion." The air was heavy with sadnes radiating out of the four males in the room. I looked at Nate gesturing him to continue.

"Oh" he looked surprised, "I'm telling the story now. Right. So, this child was said to pull the land out of it's great misery and restore the blance of Iris but since no such child had been found, the land still stays the same. They say the child came to Earth, which makes Hilda think that if she forced the portals close from going here, then she can avoid that fate. But she was just delaying her arrival."

"So how did you guys go here if the portals were closed?" I asked facing the three brothers.

"Well, we had to take some measures to get here, it was very dangerous." Don aswered.

"I don't get it why is everybody so afraid of Hilda, is she like some witch?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"In fact she is. She is the best witch of the Black Arts" It was the first time Dan spoke.

"Ohh, are there more people like her?"

"Unfortunately, there are, she gathered more black witches the past decade and she still is. Executing everything that tries to delay her. Us, our father and a few others were lucky even just to survive in hiding with all the black magic surrounding our country."

"So you were those three guys that I heard talking last time behind Maria's? Near the dumpster? "

"Yup," Dan answered, "Told you it wasn't a big dog." He said smugly. Both of his brothers just rolled their eyes. I was glad all the drama was over, I was just horrible at handling it.

"So where do we go from here?"

"Well, we just thought we'd go back there, me and my brothers, and try to finish what she'd started." Achilles answered.

"Now way," I interjected. "You are so not going back there alone. Nate and I are going to help you kick Queen whats-her-name's butt."

"We are not going to let you do that." Dan argued, "You have you're life here besides it'd be like suicide."

"Now, you're telling me we're weak?"

"No, it's just that we're more experienced with this stuff and even now we're still having trouble handling it and we've been doing this for a long while."

"Don't worry, we're fast learners."

"Just stay here." Don suddenly spoke-up.

"No." Nate said, "We're going to help you. don't you say otherwise." He had that look that said 'try and cross me, buddy.' The look that he gave to students breaking his rules.

Dan was about to say something else when Don stopped him. "Let them, It's their choice."

Nate looked at me. Uh oh. Whatever he was thinking, I was not gonna like it.

"Here's the plan, pal." Definitely no going to like it. "Autumn, you're going to help by staying here and I go to Iris." I hated it.

"Unfair! And wouldn't you think the people here would notice it if you're gone? And I'm pretty sure nobody would know I'm missing. I'm practically invisible in this town! Clearly, I'm the ore logical choice."

"Not quite, you see. I've had experience with this before. And you don't." he said in that annoying voice of his.

"As far as I know, the only thing you ever had field experience is running a school. And that has nothing to do with defeating an evil witch."

"You never even managed kids. They're like little devils running around. And I'm older than you. Now, where do you think I came from?"

"From your mother's uterus."

"Haha... Very funny. I came from Iris." He stated. "And nobody's going to notice, There's this thing they call the Mist. The next day you'd just see another principal in that school and nobody would even know I existed. Well, maybe except for you but that's it."

"As entertaining you guys are with you're father- daughter fight-"

"He is not my father."

"She is not my daughter." We answered in unison.""Learn something new everyday." Achilles said.

Don glared at him, "Well as I was saying, we need to go now. To finish that witch off just when she's at her weakest, at the summer solstice. And as much as I don't like to bring you with us. It'd probably much safer than you just staying here. I' pretty sure she has a gist that were here already and she's just itching for our blood so we need to go. We need to set up a plan and now, train you two. So pack up this fight already. We need to go now."

"I'm coming with." I gave a smug smile at Nate. "And thank you for that speech, Mister President."

"Shut it. I'm the reason you're only coming with us. And I'm starting to regret it."

"Well, then no hard feelings." I smiled at him. "Mister Grumpy Pants."

"Ughhhhh."

"So where to now? Are we heading for Iris?"

"We'd do that in the morning. I just think that everybody is not yet ready for a journey. We're tired. And will you guys let us crash at your house for tonight?"

Nate answered this for me, the house wasn't mine. "Sure make yourself at home. And I think Dan is managing that feeling-at-home very well." I looked over at Dan, he was sprawled on the couch. Mouth open. I wanted to say something to him but I'm not that mean.

I headed upstairs, just as I heard Nate's door shut. I was gonna ask him something about the Mist but since I was too considerate on letting him sleep, I didn't. Or maybe I was just too lazy to got to his room. Probably the latter.

I fired up my phone, opening the World Wide Web to google and typed 'Mist'.

It instantly showed the scientific explanation of it, I was pretty sure Nate didn't mean that kind of mist. I looked for another meaning. It took time but finally when I saw what Nate meant with it. The Mist is something about Hecate the goddess of magic's line of power making humans blind to see the truth. If maybe it was a monster, they'd just see a large animal instead. Basically obsecuring our sights from the real thing.

But what was actually real?

I wish I knew, even just for once.

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Next chapter (will be posted if)- 10 reads and 3 votes

Sorry have to do it this way or I wouldn't know if someone is actually reading this....