War Is Madness

Chapter One: The First Strike

"Big Brother, what is that noise?" Dendra asked me.

"I'm not sure. It sounds like an odd whistle though. Maybe we should tend to the gardens another day?"

"But why? Ptolemeos! Brother, why are we running?"

I didn't answer the tiny ten-year-old girl after that. Which seemed to only frustrate her further. Her long black hair whipped around in our self-created wind. I had picked up speed and was letting my instincts guide me home. Something just told me to get to our parents as fast as we could.

Soon Dendra looked up at me with fearful eyes. So, I picked her up and started to sprint home. Making it to our front door in record time. Father had seen me run home and quickly came out of his shop.

"Ptolemeos? Son, what is the matter? You look panicked."

Father looked confused and worried. It wasn't often he looked either, so I gestured him to follow. I wasn't sure where I was headed until I ran into the kitchen. The trap door underneath the kitchen table was where my body was screaming at me to go. Mother was in the kitchen making lunch when I ran inside.

"Ptolemeos? Dendra? You're both home early. Is something the matter?"

Again, I couldn't answer. All I did was quickly shove the table out of the way and open the trap door. I swiftly jumped down into the basement before finally putting Dendra down. Mother and Father followed shortly after and Father shut the door closed.

"What's happening, Mom?" Dendra questioned.

"I'm not sure. Ptolemeos what are your instincts telling you to do?"

"Run. Run as fast as I can." I simply answered and slid to the floor, exhausted from doing just that.

"Something doesn't feel right to me either. Peace, it feels like something is going to happen any minute now." Father added and moved to sit beside me against the wall.

My black feathered wings instinctively wrapped around me and I shivered from the cold, damp basement.

"Now that you mention it. I feel it too, Olysseus. I had just shoved the issue aside thinking it was just my paranoia acting up." Mother voiced her discovery and pulled Dendra to sit down with her.

We all sort of huddled together and prepared ourselves for whatever was to come. We, unfortunately, didn't have to wait long. The whistling soon grew to be more of a loud screaming until something hit the Earth nearby and everything around us violently shook. Father wrapped his arms around all of us the best he could and used his large body as a shield from the fallen dust.

"It hurts, Mommy! I just felt all our gardens die! My heart hurts, Daddy! Please make the hurt stop!" Dendra started to cry hysterically.

"It's going to be okay, Little One. Mommy's got you. It'll be okay."

While Mother held Dendra, I looked up at my Father with concerned eyes. He was also worried but trying to hide his concern and stay strong for all of us. Once the Earth finally settled, a sharp pain shot through my chest. Instantly my mind knew something was wrong with my twin Brother Rastus.

"Rastus! Brother, by the Gods. What is happening?" I yelled and tried to get up as I clutched my chest.

Father dropped his strong façade and stood to pull me into his strong embrace.

"I'm so sorry, my Son. I fear the worst."

"No! He's alive! B-but, something isn't right. He's hurting on the inside, Dad!"

Father helped me lean against the basement wall and forced the trap door open.

"Stay here and stay safe! I'm going to go get your Brother!" Father ordered as he lifted himself up and out.