The Claim

Chapter Twelve - Save Him

Mirabelle looked around the square, looking for Merek. If he wanted to hide, he could easily, he could be rather stubborn when he wanted to be, much like her. She needed to find him, no matter what was going through his head, she needed him, he was after all, her brother, whether she liked it or not. She did not want things to be the way they were, the way they had become but she had little choice, her mother was murdered and no matter what the argument over the throne was, that was not going away, she could not just forgive and forget while her kind were slaughtered by the king regent, tutoring her little half-brother on how to the same, how to be a monster.

What Merek did not think about was just how bad things were, it was not his fault, he was always sensitive, their mother did the best she could to shield their eyes, but they were lucky to get out alive that day, their mother gave her life for them, without that, they would all be dead. She did not want him to face death like that, but she honestly believed that if he did not, he would never see the truth, accept it as the truth.

She chose her movements, not waving her hands around too much, her anger could cause anything, from the well overflooding to a house catching fire yet she tried to cast aside the memories of her mother associated with those people, those houses, even the knights could not call themselves that, when they attacked an innocent woman, killed her in the streets, an unforgivable act but what was worse, was the people just watched, they turned their backs on the mother of two, because of fear and their hatred, it got to them, it made them turn against the woman who used to help them, their children. They turned aside when she was to be taken, her children taken, whatever their reasons, Mirabelle had not forgotten what they did, even if Merek had, the fool.

Still, he was family and therefore important. She walked into the inn, casting a tracking spell, she could briefly see where he was, in the forest, as usual. She was not sure what she expected, or why she would be surprised, he always loved it there, it was safe, quiet, she almost felt bad interrupting that, almost.

She left the inn and followed him into the forest, hoping to find him yet only too aware soldiers could be lurking, ready to cut her down her kind, including her brother. She was not what she would find there, she just felt the idea of kill was... thrilling to her, a way to get the king regent who sat upon the throne, the pretender who helped murder her family. Her only hope was that, despite their differences, Merek was not among the dead relatives she would mourn when she got the crown, when it was her turn to bear the weight.

She put her cloak on, hiding her face, although was described as 'sweet', angelic even, not the face harbouring such rage underneath.

Heading out was easier than she suspected, no one questioned a traveller like herself, someone with a decent dress and silk cloak, someone who apparently had wealth and power, they were half-right, she had power just not their kind.

She discreetly tracked her brother, sighing as his signal bounced left, right and centre. He was either blocking her, and doing a good job or he was being moved, either way he was alive, otherwise she would not be able to track him.

She stumbled across a couple of guards, dead she assumed, no big deal at first glance but someone in the distance, appeared to be carrying something heavy. She assumed it was Merek, carrying a guard to bury them, yet she had to be sure, a hundred percent sure.

She approached, a ball of ice in her hand, just hovering in her palm, ready to be thrown. If she needed to use it, she would but it could be a rather devastating spell, with quite a nasty after-effect, if she aimed it directly.

All she could see was Merek on a young man's back, he struggled yet continued, mouthing the words 'help me', as Merek lay lifeless, still alive thankfully but completely unconscious. The man lay him down on a bed of leaves and grass, Mirabelle glared furiously as she watched his every move, still considering using that spell on him.

"You do not need to use that", the man promised.

"And why do I not?".

"We are the same, all three of us... please, just save him, I do not know how", the man explained quickly, pleadingly.

"Do you know who he is?" Mirabelle asked.

"My saviour", the man cautiously admitted.

She placed his hand on his, transferring energy, grabbing hold of his head, tightly as she felt it leaving her own body, escaping into his. He gasped, as white as a ghost as he sat up, looking around.

"They are coming", he insisted.

"You dealt with them", Mirabelle explained.

"No, they are coming!", he promised, looking out in the distance.