The Metaphorical Key Book I- Call of the Raven

Chapter XV.II

This is a continuation of Chapter XV.I!

The woman picked up speed and passed the man. She skidded forwards and practically plucked Pollux off his horse.

He hissed like a cat, even lashing out with his arm as if to claw the woman off him, and it would've been funny in nearly any other situation.

But not this one.

The man was next. Dulcie got off her horse as Pollux struggled out of the woman's grip.

The man opened his arms wide, and Dulcie came forward.

She socked him in the mouth.

He staggered back, cupping his face.

"I know I made some mistakes," the man grumbled. "But is that any way to greet your father?"

So he was their father.
"Some mistakes?!" Pollux hollered, pushing the woman behind him.

"SOME MISTAKES?!" Pollux's voice increased in volume and became more hoarse with each breath.

"I mean," Pollux laughed humorlessly. "I know you didn't want kids, much less twins, but you were hardly there! You don't even know that your precious, sweet, Dulcette, has been loudmouthed, vulgar, Dulcie since we were eight!"

Aiden let his wide eyes flicker to Dulcie, who was smiling proudly through her clear fury. He didn't know if it was from Pollux's description of her or pride in her brother's fury, but she was smiling either way.

"Dulcie, then," the woman said. "Either way, we'll welcome you home with open arms. We'll be better parents this time."

"No!"

Pollux threw his arm out as if he was going to lash out.

"For ten years, you didn't give a rat's ass about Dulcie and I, and now you show up, after faking your deaths because raising children was too hard, and sending a letter to some underground rebellion to take us in if something happened to you? I guess you thought that was a suitable environment for raising children?"

Aiden could hardly believe his ears. At least the twin's parents had the decency to look ashamed.

"And guess what?"
Pollux's voice was spilling over with rage.

"It was a million times better than your care, which consisted of making us and calling it a day. Do you think that's how you raise a child? I get that you didn't want us, I get that. I get that we were such a goddamn burden on you that you couldn't bear wait until we were eighteen to cart us off. I'll stay with my actual family, thank you very much, Minta and Walter Percell."

Pollux screwed his lip and turned away.

Dulcie sighed and climbed back onto her horse.
"And good riddance."

They left.

Aiden didn't press anymore, just stared ahead and let the silence speak for itself.

Pollux groaned and settled his face into his horse's neck.
"I hate everything."

Aide inched closer to Pollux, his brow furrowed and lips pursed.

"You want to know what it was like," Pollux said, voice steady and matter-of-fact.

Aiden opened his mouth to object, but quickly shut it.

He eventually mustered the strength to speak.

"If it's alright with you, I mean."

Pollux nodded and took a deep breath.

"Dulcie and I were accidents. Our parents didn't want children. Their care for us was really just stopping us from starving. They always loved Dulcie, because she was pretty and I was just average. They bought Dulcie new and nice clothes, I got clothes from my cousins. We became close despite the favouritism, and eventually, Dulcie started to pick up on the favouritism when we were... eight? She became angry, running off into Chodel to talk to the people our parents didn't want us to - teens, angry people, people who were in the same situation as us, because they didn't want us to know that the way they were acting wasn't normal. Eventually, despite them not caring much about us, they picked up on Dulcie's rage and my involvement in spurring it forwards, decided they couldn't deal with the kids they made angry, and so they wrote a letter to The Ravens through some distant relative in case anything happened to them. When we turned ten, they died - faked their deaths, I see now, they wanted to get rid of us that badly, and it took a year for The Ravens to realize that we were alone. We became super close over that year because we had nobody else except for the people on the streets, who honestly didn't really do much except for give us the meals we missed and teach Dulcie all the swears they knew."

The story was told simply, but it still made aside want to drag the twins off their horses and hug them.

That can wait.

Aiden looked ahead to see an ominous forest.

The Sickly Wood.

He knew immediately how the forest had gotten its name. Everything smelt of death and sickness. He could see very few animals, but a flash would occasionally catch his eye.

The fog that hung around the forest thickened until Eros of precipitation splashed Aiden's face.

The fog warped as they went and turned into something completely different. It wasn't fog or smoke , but something entirely different, something that made Aiden's stomach twist and curl.

Eventually, it cleared up and Aiden could finally breathe, but that didn't last long, as they soon ran into a thick wall of the stuff.

Curtis took a deep breath, which wasn't the best decision this close to the horrible smog, and the older teen broke into a coughing fit before speaking.

"Dismount."

Trembling, Aiden got off his horse. The stench was so terrible that Aiden wondered how long it'd be until he vomited.

"Are you ready?" Curtis asked.

Each of them nodded, shaking.

They moved forward at the same time, hands searching for each other. Eventually, Aiden grasped Pollux's hand and he and the other boy turned to face each other with shaky, worried smiles.

And the wall swallowed them whole.