“What!?” Xanthip shouted, she sprung up from her seat and grabbed the graying man from the collar. Yet he stared at her, and grabbed her hand, softly. His eyes held none of the mirth they used to. None of the weakness.
“You mean to cut off your son and put all the blame on him?! That’s cowardly Archeseus. That is not how you were raised. Your Father was a man of honor.” An old man spoke, taking the wind from Xanthip’s sails and charging in head first.
“Do Not worry old Pryam. I will be gone from this seat of mine soon enough. But there is just one thing that I need to take care of before that is done. I can not have the history of Patriarchs, of my ancestors besmirched thus during my reign. The Laertis Clan does not belong in this poor, flat, treeless, hell. We belong on our ancestral lands. And we will be taking it back. I will lead the mission. If we can get support and weapons from the people here all will be well. But no matter the outcome of our preparations, soon, we will rush back. With Qi in our bodies and hatred in your hearts. And we will kill those savages, and take back our home. I will not let the Laertis Clan and in obscurity, not when the time for us to shine has come! All those that spoke against my Son will come with. Their spirit has been witnessed by the Elders themselves and the Spirits of our forefathers. I could ask for no better warriors.” Archeseus spoke with command, conviction. Something he had not shown in the past weeks, where he ambled forward like the living dead. Spirit returned to the eyes of the onlookers young and old as parents and grand parents saw hope.
It was Argea that noticed first that Atlas had left her side. She looked around and saw him walking away, back slumped, hands limp on his sides. She rushed after him with a shout of alarm, Xanthip turned around and gasped, she rushed after them. “Carius!” She called, the man had shied away from the turmoil, he closer than her to the pair. His ears perked up and he looked up and saw Atlas had dashed past him, he had entered into the city proper.
He looked back. There he saw Xanthip holding onto Argea. She cried and screamed and all the world heard as she crawled, nails digging and bleeding on the coarse dirt, her legs pushing through mind numbing pain as she resisted Xanthip’s grasp, fallen from her wheelchair, she called for Atlas to return. “NO!” Her little voice shrill and empty.
“Stay With him! Protect him! Send a report every once in a while for us left behind.” Xanthip ordered weakly. Carius obeyed with a nod. He took only what was on his person and left. Running after Atlas he disappeared from the deathly still camp. The camp was thus divided. Some looked on in horror, others in great disappointment, others in twisted joy.
Little Argea gripped tightly in her hand the paired necklace Atlas had handed her as he left, she felt the living warmth of the dragon scale, and saw the glimmering fire of the stone, a ruby light playing softly on her tears, refracting and spreading in a dazzling manner, the light seemed to wrap around her, comfort her. She pushed those things deeply in her chest as she cried and cried herself to sleep. Aunt Xanthip took her to her own personal tent, she massaged her legs deep in the night over no light as to not wake her. Eventually she fell asleep right there on the ground next to the bedding meant for her. Her hand wrapped around Argea’s, the shared warmth gave them a good sleep.
Archeseus looked to where his son had run off to. He closed his eyes with a heavy sigh locked in his throat. It remained unexpressed, Instead Archeseus excused himself to his personal tent.
There, that night. A talk with his brother in duty, Ru Wai would take place in absolute secrecy.
The Tent was near empty with no decorations, A wooden stick at the center held its roof in place and large bedding, made of expensive feather material and elastic pillows like you have never seen. A set of double chairs, both small camping sets, with the little plastic-like back support, whose legs extended from the center in a triangle.
Portable gas and battery driven lanterns were laid out on the ground and turned up as Archeseus silently knocked the flaps of the tent aside. Ru Wai following behind, ducked down to fit in the tent and they took their seats, each one less comfortable than the other.
“What was that?” Ru Wai asked, his arms spread open. Age showing in the wrinkling around his eyes. He had shown his bewilderment, now he settled in, waited for an answer.
“It was for the best…” Archeseus sighed now. He knew would have to explain his reasons for acting so harshly on Atlas yet again. Outwardly it would seem that nothing had changed in the way he treated him. As if he had learnt nothing.
“Not about the Heir-ship, that I understand.… During the March! You were there in all the way it didn’t matter. You let it fester and build. You carried your knowledge, the treasures. All things important to your Laertis Clan and it’s heritage is here with you. There is no way you will be left to the sidelines if you simply act upon it and spread your wings. This is a fresh start. Why did you vow to take back the clang grounds?” Ru Wai rocked in his chair, his brows flowing like waves up and down his face. To calm himself down he placed a hand on the ever cared for mustache. Just feeling its well groomed volume and thickness brought peace to his heart.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“That vow is real Ru Wai. We’ll get what we can and dive head first to our deaths. If the Ru Clan is not willing to help. I is within your rights. We never even thought of a name for our Union anyway. But, after I am gone, please take in those that are left behind.” Archeseus frowned. He shook his head and continued. “You should understand just fine what is going through the minds of the Laertis People.” He lectured to his younger counterpart.
“You have no right to lecture me… You made this situation. Form the way you talked to your son, what you forced him to do, how you acted throughout the Siege. Like a demon possessed, like a drunkard, and now the best way you can thing of giving back to your son is forcing freedom on him. Making him run away as if he has no choice to live his life. Hah! You’re a mess of a father, and a mess of a leader, a mess of a person. But think about this. You’re still their Patriarch. No matter how broken and useless. If you show them a real path forward they will follow. My people did, through a thousand miles, and jungle and bog, and mountain, and desert.” Ru Wai stood up. He stared into the raven black eyes of this new yet forever comrade.
“Is that what you did with your daughter? After she returned that night alone, where you the one who showed her the path she is now following?” Archeseus still sat, his eyes examined the brother in arms. He had been harsh just now. He waited for a denial, for a reprimand. Yet only silence reigned. “Melding one daughter with another. You’re as sick of a bastard as I am. Yet What about now? That misfortunate event happened long ago. What is stopping you from correcting your mistakes? I have tried to do so today. No matter how harsh the method.”
“See, we are not the same. I took that first step, no matter Atlas’ thoughts on me. I am going do die soon so all that matters is for him to be away from my influence. From the hate I brought upon him. And this cancer that I fed and let fester within my own people. I will be the one to cut it off.”
“When Atlas looked at me, with that desperate, anxious look, the one that told me he wanted to run near me and hide in my hug as he would have done with his mother... I woke up then. To my crimes. Have you?” Archeseus stood up and opened the flaps of the tent, pulling down the zipper. He showed the way for Ru Wai who departed with his eyes to the ground, not another whisper exchanged between the two. A cold striking wind, dry as a desert, slapped the both of them in their faces. He felt the cold hard judgment of the wind in his bones as he retreated back inside his tent. His words was set in stone now. The future of his people, the healthy ones, was going to be secured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shouts chased after Atlas as he speed walked through the town and headed straight for the pavilion. Carius had to side step and flow in between the gathering crowd and the guards swearing after the young man.
It was a blur to Atlas, his eyes full of tears, nose clogged with runoff. Dazzling golden light wisped past his face, glowed in his flooded eyes as Atlas pushed past the foreman and his men trying to stop him. He jumped into the pavilion, seconds behind him Carius followed, showing some special acrobatics to pass over the human wall that had been created thanks to Atlas’ rule breaking entry, on many levels.
“I didn’t really expect to come back here, ever, If I am honest.” Carius said as the noise and hubbub of law enforcement turned to the silent quiet of the entrance garden. Not a speck of dust had moved in this long pathway to the most crammed city in existence. A shiver traveled down his spine. “Oh… This must be my diseases acting up again. We should better hide, lest anyone comes in from behind and clocks us in the back of the head.” The man crossed his hands over his body as if he was cold. Holding onto his shoulders, shivering.
“Carius!? What are you doing here?” Atlas wiped the tears and snot off his eyes and face, scanning Carius in case he was an illusion. An open palm rapped him on the top of the head as Carius pulled Atlas aside and behind the rock formation flowing with water.
“You think Xanthip would let you, after making Argea cry go unpunished? The announcement of your… new situation, was just as socking to her as it was to you, and now you went up and left?” Carius judged, he shook Atlas by the had as he spoke.
“I will not go back, do not hold out hope for it. If you do, you better live right now and do not return. I do not belong there anymore. Argea will be fine without me. She will grown strong, at a pace you won’t believe. Her dream is already within her grasp, all she has to do is work till she bleeds for it.” He shook his head with a tearful smile.
“I don’t even know who I failed, what I should feel. Do you know? My disgust? I felt free for a moment…. IMAGINE THAT!” Atlas screamed. He grabbed a hold of his thumping heart and shook his head denying Carius’ unspoken words. “Now don’t argue. I’m tired. Let us do this tomorrow? If there is such a thing in this hell hole. Having daylight all the time. No wonder they’re such pricks, those otherworlders.”
Carius accepted. He retreated to another set of artificial stone formations, making sure shadow fell upon his form and sat in silence. Hidden sobs reached him not much later, strangled in embarrassment. Yet they were deafening in the curated silence of the portal garden. The reality of the situation, and the change that had been thrust upon them, upon the young man that had known nothing more for his whole life dawned upon Carius. The 18 year old boy that still dreamed of his mother, trained with his father, lived under his guidance, was no more. Ousted, alone but for himself. In a hostile place, foreign. And to him, it was all his mistakes. He shook his head, and pondered in this strangled silence.