The Rift in the Domain- The Auranos Stories Book 2

Chapter 23 - The Lagokian, Part I

Reinon

I was born and raised in Lagoki, quite similar to everyone else I knew back then. My family was simple- we had a little flat in the city, as it was just my mother, my father, and I. The three of us against the world, as Abigail would say.

We made quite the dynamic trio. My father was my mother's antithesis, and my mother my father's. He was proud man, one of the Lagokian military's finest commanders. She, on the other hand, was a quiet, brilliant city architect whose buildings will be studied for generations. He carried a sword and she carried a scroll, to put it artistically.

This worked for us, for a while. We lived comfortably and happily- both of my parents were well respected by Orai and the Lagokian community for their work, and we never went hungry. And my father never went thirsty, either.

He grew apart from my mother and me. I was quite young when he first started stumbling home in the middle of the night. The differences in his personality compared to his wife's were becoming more apparent then- where they used to complement each other, there now was only a lack of understanding.

My mother kept working, though. This I remember vividly. I'd come home from school to see a new dent in the wall where my father had walked into it, and my mother sitting quietly at her desk drawing up building designs. I'd sit across from her at the table and work on my homework while she built the city.

My mother loved her work; she always told me every little detail. I'd listen in earnest as she described soaring vaulted ceilings and bright windows, intricate designs and broad strokes alike. She took up a project commissioned to her by Orai himself- designing a new, secret building almost in the heart of the city. It would be revealed to the public once the designs were completed. My father overheard when my mom told me of her plans. He leaned around the corner and the lights went out in her eyes.

"A... they are building... s-something new," he muttered, words trailing together as if on a string. "Wonderful... I am s-sure. A military fac-cility... right? Probably for... training-g."

"Of... of course," she replied, treading carefully.

"Mmm," my father smiled, stumbling into the kitchen.

"Go to bed, Reinon," my mother said quietly. I obeyed without another word.

A few weeks later, we were invited to a gala at the palace for the announcement of my mother's building. My family was dressed in our best clothes, prim and proper for the festivities. I don't remember the party much, except for the look on my father's face when he heard Orai's announcement- the building would be a history and art museum for the public to enjoy.

Oh, I also remember him taking another glass of wine.

My mother dragged us out of the party hours early. My father was sick by then, and angry. We got home without event, but the minute the door shut behind us, before we'd even turned on the lights, a hand shoved me up against the wall by my throat. I choked, struggling against it in vain.

"You... I bet you knew, you little, s-sneaking-" a hardly familiar voice rasped, thick with the smell of alcohol.

"Let him go," my mother's voice said urgently. The hand's weight vanished, only to be replaced with the awful, crushing fear that something bad was about to happen.

"Mother?" I squeaked.

"You traitorous insect!" my father shouted. "Iffinia!"

I gasped, backing up. He'd never spoken to us like that before.

"I made a fool out of myself," he spat. I couldn't see anything in the dark, but my parents were moving towards the kitchen. I followed them on quiet feet. "Do... do you have any idea how many people I told about your plans-s? I look ridiculous now!"

"That is not my fault," my mother replied, anger burning in her own voice.

"Watch your tongue!"

"Watch yours!"

There was a sound like a flash of light on metal, and my mother gasped.

"Reinon..." she said quietly. "Head over to the neighbors, would you?"

"IF HE MOVES, I WILL KILL YOU BOTH RIGHT NOW!"

Suddenly, there was a click and the lights came on. My father was standing with a kitchen knife, hovering over my mother, who had a hand on the lightswitch.

She looked past my father, locking eyes with me. I'll never forget the fire in her eyes then, the desperation and the panic. She started to speak, "It will be fine, Reinon, but you have to leave-"

"SHUT UP!"

I froze. My mother seemed completely oblivious of him, staring only at me.

"Get out, Reinon," she begged quietly.

There was another click- the lights went out.

And everyone in our flat screamed.