You and I [Desami Fanfiction]

Chapter 28: Brothers

Desna

Father hardly gives me a second glance as Eska and I stand in the front line of his troops. He scans the crowd, but his eyes won't meet mine. Neither will Eska's. She still seemed upset about what happened yesterday.

"The men of the South are planning an invasion soon. When they arrive, we need to be ready," Father commands. He told us earlier today that he had confirmation that the Tonraq was coming for all of us. His tone when he reported this news was nothing shy of hysterics. "First, with the help of the dark spirits, we will stop the men. Then you will all report to the portal and have it on full lock down."

The troops nod and disperse. When only Eska and I are left, Father finally looks at me. "What are you still doing here? You have orders."

We silently follow the troops into the Southern City, where it seems the men were already moving in.

"Eska," I say, trying to catch my sister's attention.

"Look, Desna," she growls, not looking at me," I don't want any of your ridiculous arguments about how this fight isn't worth it and that Father doesn't control us. I used to think you were going crazy, but now I see all the lies that girl was feeding you. We are fighting in this no matter who is on the other side." Her tone is final, ceasing any of my arguments.

Instead of responding, I wrapped myself in my own thoughts. Was Eska right? Did I only think we should keep peace because Asami told me that? What did I really think?

"Come on," Eska growls, bending her way onto one of the building roofs while the troops proceed forward. I follow her up, hiding on the opposite building.

It isn't long before we hear quiet footsteps, and then the clear sounds of battle.

With a quick nod from Eska, I knew it was our turn to attack. Just as we hop from the building, Father comes swooping down on the back of a dark spirit. He doesn't land. He simply continues to the heart of the city, his eyes on his brother.

Eska and I attack in unison, knocking weak men of the south to the ground.

Tonraq manages to dodge our attacks as more of his troops surround him. Finally, he rolls out of one of Eska's water blasts and we have him cornered. We take turns attacking him as he gives orders to his men.

"I'm going to end this right now!" I hear Tonraq say. Suddenly a wall of ice flies up at use, leaving a shield around Tonraq. We quickly throw more attacks at it, getting closer and closer. Just as I'm about to strike again, another wall appears, knocking down my attack and separating me from Eska.

I drop the wall as fast as possible, but I see that Tonraq has already escaped us. I glance at my sister to make sure she's all right, but she's already racing after our uncle. I see four troops fall to the ground as Tonraq gains ground.

"Looking for me?" my father bellows, his voice taking a new tone. All sincerity and sugar coats are gone.

Just as Tonraq leaps off the ground in a spin, Eska slams a pile of ice into his body, knocking him flat on his back.

Father turns to use and frowns. "Stop," he says. "He's mine." We obey him as we recede into an alley behind us.

Eska stops as I turn to leave, watching the action. I just barely catch glimpses of water flying my, obviously Father's attacks.

Eska gasps, forcing me to move closer to her. I see what she's looking at. Father grabs Tonraq's weakened body from the ground in a spiral of water and freezes him in midair. He looks at his brother's body for only a moment before sending a shard of ice at him so fast I almost miss it. Tonraq's lifeless body falls to the ground.

What sickens me the most is the smile that passed over my father's face just before he sent that final blow. The only thing I could think was pure and utter hatred. For his own brother.

"Come, Desna," Eska says quickly. I hardly even noticed she moved until she said something. Now she was already heading back to the portal.

I follow her silently, neither of us speaking of what we witnessed. Finally, I managed to speak up. "Do you think he deserved it? Tonraq, that is?"

Eska hesitates a moment. "If Father did it, then of course he deserved it," she says, but her voice doesn't sound so sure. I'm not so sure either.