The Custodian Chronicles: The Rising (Finished)

Chapter 2: The Line Continues

The darkness had claimed the world; Heklis had cast his gloom, and no one could rival him. His puppet kings governed with Heklis corruption. The courage to defeat him had faded to dim embers of a dying fire. But the fire still glowed. Four Custods lived to prove it. As of that moment, the youngest living Custod woke with a snap.

"Cedrick, get up." The patriarch Custod yelled. Cedrick groaned, turning away. "Up boy!"

Arylana, Cedrick's elder sister, glanced into the room. Her patronizing sigh met their ears. "Every morning, brother?" Arylana rolled her eyes, picked up a pillow and used Cedrick's body as a piñata.

Cedrick moaned as he curled against the blows. He'd been awake studying until two that morning. Not that they knew; they could never know.

Roxorim, eldest of the three, appeared in the doorway. "What's all the racket? Oh." He noticed Cedrick in bed. "Again?"

"Morning after morning. This is insane." Arylana shook her head.

"Hey, it's not really every day." Roxorim defended.

"Get him up." Margorim said.

Roxorim crawled under the bed, rolled onto his back, and -- using his legs to raise the mattress -- rolled Cedrick off the bed. Cedrick groaned as his body met the floor.

"Come on; training time." Margorim said. Cedrick's only answer was a grunt. Margorim's brown eyes met the ceiling as he left the room.

Roxorim's head popped out from under the bed; a big grin splitting his face. "That never fails to entertain me."

"It's fun to watch." Arylana tossed her blonde hair out of her face.

Cedrick pushed himself up, lifting bleary eyes to his siblings.

"Honestly, people would think you never sleep." Roxorim shook his head. "You go to bed early." He patted Cedrick's head like a dog before leaving.

Arylana stayed behind, waiting for them to be out of earshot, before turning to Cedrick. "He's right you know."

Cedrick grunted. If only they knew how 'lazy' he was as he slaved over his books all night, if only--. Cedrick sighed and pushed himself up. As he did, Arylana left as well.

Cedrick shook himself and threw his shirt over his head, rubbing his deep blue eyes and running his fingers through his messy black hair. He joined his siblings in the small dining room that was also the living room.

"Test day." Arylana smiled in a sing-song voice, sitting down next to the exhausted Cedrick. "I'm your tester today; think you'll live?"

Cedrick glared at her. "I'm not a child, in case you haven't noticed. I've beat you before."

"Once and you barely succeeded." Arylana said smugly.

"I have more ability than that." Cedrick smirked. "Despite what father says."

"He did stay out of Heklis's clutch." Arylana said.

"No, he didn't know of Heklis until it was too late. He was too busy being a happy newlywed. He told us he returned surprised everyone but uncle was gone. Don't give father too much credit; most of all for what he won't take credit for."

"Fine." Arylana didn't want to admit Cedrick was right about anything.

"It's not like he came back the conquering hero." Cedrick went on. "He came back and was devastated he couldn't save Uncle Raaben. He was ordered into hiding."

"Give him some credit. He did manage to build this armamentarium; that is a pretty impressive feat." Arylana defended. "Taught us our carpentry and blacksmith skills, as well as countless other skills."