12 Years Earlier

Averan was half dragged, half helped along by Sandorn. He was tired, hungry and scared. He wanted to stop. To sit, to sleep. But he couldn’t, Sandorn wouldn’t let him. But more important than that Father had told them to run. He had to run. Mother could not help. Not with Catalina in her arms. Averan tried to look behind him but quickly decided against it when he nearly tripped over himself. Father was somewhere behind them. He would protect them. He always did. The Lion King, that was what Sandorn and he called Father. Even when he changed to the Beast he always looked kindly on them. Mother said Father was the most powerful Chimera in all of Gorias. That those in the parades were nothing compared to him. Averan knew Mother liked to say many things about Father, he knew they weren’t all true. But Father could beat any of them. He knew that. Easily.

“Come Sandorn, this way.” Mother veered off to the left, guiding them down another street, this one smaller and tighter than the others. Sandorn tugged Averan along after them.

She tried to speak like normal. But Averan heard the fear in her voice. Averan felt a tear fall down his cheek, he couldn’t stop it. Had he not been out of breath Sandorn would have heard his crying, he’d be angry then too.

Suddenly his mother stopped and barged in a door to her right. Holding it open she pulled Sandorn and Averan in behind her.

Averan recognised the small house, Father always said it was important to keep moving. He always had at least two ‘homes’ where they could stay at any one time. This place was the smaller of the two he had prepared for them this month. The other place had been taken by the Hunters. The Hunters always chased Father. But he never got caught. Not really, anytime they got close he turned into the Lion king and sent them away.

But this time was different. Father tried to hide it but he wasn’t ready for the Hunters when they came. Averan had never seen the Beast angry, hearing and seeing what his Father could do to a man was scary. More scary than that however was the other Beasts. Beasts which tried to hurt Father. They were not nearly as big as him. But Averan had spotted four of them before they fled.

Mother quickly rewrapped Catalina in her blankets which had become scattered as they fled. She began to sing softly to her as the Baby cried out. Averan wiped away his tears and moved closer to Mother. He could feel secure when he was near her. He tried to avoid Sandorn’s glare. His brother would be mad at him for crying, only Babies do that. But he didn’t care right now.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours until fnally they heard a knock on the door. Mother released Catalina slowly, careful not to wake her. Handing her to Sandorn she got up, placing a finger to her lips as she did so.

A minute passed before a knock came again. Averan wanted to rush out. It must be Father, he had to be finished and back by now. It was alway like this. This time his knock was different though.

Mother slowly took out a dagger tied about her waist. She moved stealthily, reaching the door she raised the blade to head height.

Just as she placed her hand on the door however it came crashing down before her. A ball of dust and steel bursted inside, men Averan did not recognise came piling in. One came straight for him scooping him up off the floor as if he was nothing, his flaying fists having little effect other than to hurt his own hands as they beat down on the metal plate.

More men kept coming, one picked up Catalina, by now she was wide awake and screaming, calling desperately for Mother. Sandorn was being held just like Averan was, his brother’s protests proving as ineffective as his own. They could only watch helpless as their Mother struggled in the grip of one of the men, she slashed out with her knife slicing across the man holding her. The blade Arronian, it cut easily, the shrieks of the man almost matching Catalina’s in volume. That only seemed to spur on his comrades, two of them drawing swords and advancing on Mother. She tried to lash out again but they easily swatted her aside. Her dagger clattered onto the floor. The man she’d cut before got up and rushed over, grabbing Mother roughly by the hair and forcing her down onto the table. Sandorn cried out now, he almost pulled himself away for a moment but one stinging strike from the soldier holding him sent him sprawling. Averan could only watch with horror as the man bent back his Mother’s arm and began pulling on her clothes. The soldier was a monster, laughing as he held her down. His mother was screaming now, louder than any other her cries echoed in Averan’s ears. Sandorn was bleeding from the blow to the side of his head. Catalina was being held awkwardly in the hands of a solider. Watching it all unfold Averan felt an unfamiliar feeling settling into his stomach. Rage. He felt as if it was inside him, bursting to be out. Averan had been frozen, his soldier’s grip on him loose, grabbing him by the collar. Because of this he was able to duck and quickly remove his shirt to slip away from the soldier. Before they could react he picked up the dagger Mother had dropped and attempted to stab the soldier now atop her. His strength was weak, the blade heavy but Arronian steel needed little to draw blood. The man had dropped his own garments now, though Averan didn’t understand why, and left his calf exposed. As Averan did his best to draw the knife across him he surprised himself when the blade drew blood. Shallow but enough to force the man upright.

Sandorn had used Averan’s distraction to free himself too, pretending to be lying lifeless on the floor now he sprung up and charged at the man jabbing a fork he’d picked from the table onto the man’s other calf.

Two guards came for them, but now both had swords drawn. Mother was still weeping but pushed the man atop her aside before slamming a plate over his head. As the blood poured she held out a shard keeping Sandorn and Averan behind her as they backed away into the corner. The two soldiers advancing looked back expectantly to their Captain. He looked angry.

Sandorn put a hand in front of him as if to protect but for once Averan did not want it. He felt no fear, just anger, fury, rage. These men needed to leave. Needed to die. Now.

Averan heard the whistle before he saw the arrows. One, two, three, a pause then one, two, three more arrows came flying into the room. The two guards in front of them both fell with arrows in their necks. One by one the other guards crumbled. Once they were all down only the monster remained, he’d scrambled away from Mother now. She had rushed over immediately when the soldier holding Catalina fell. Grabbing her she quickly dashed back over to where Sandorn and he stood with knife and fork raised.

Averan’s eyes filled with tears again when what remained of the doorway torn away and Father came in. Happy tears. Father had one look at them before his eyes fell on Mother and down to her torn dress. The look on his face was unrecognisable to Averan. He almost cowered just glancing at it. Father turned slowly.

The monster was now huddled in the corner. Averan looked at him and saw him as a man again. A sad man, he looked small before his Father. The man raised his sword but Father smashed it away with his own before bringing his sword down to cut the soldier’s arm just below the elbow. It clattered onto the ground. Averan smiled through tears as the man’s cries reverberated around him.

Father took another step and this time took the man’s opposite leg, removing his lower leg from his body. Averan laughed.

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The man slid helplessly to the ground. Father stood over him a moment before drawing his dagger. He kicked the man’s leg away before he slamming the blade down hard. It landed below the man’s belly, below his belt. The man stopped crying immediately. Instead he began to whine, Averan remembered a puppy they once had. He remembered how it had cried when they’d been forced to give it away. Small, pitiful cries. The man’s were much the same.

Ignoring him Father turned back to face them. Instantly his face took on a softer touch. A worried look.

“Did he-”

“It’s fine Drevan. He didn’t….he didn’t.”

Mother embraced him with Catalina now in her arms, Father pulled in Sandorn and Averan beside them.

“We’ve been betrayed,” he whispered. “Our plans in ruin Senara. We must flee. Leave the city. There is little time to explain nor show you what I mean. Later.”

Father slowly grabbed Mother gently by the elbows.

“Listen to me. Fenadorn will lead you away. I will follow. Go with him and you will find a safe place. Once we are all together again we can leave this city once and for all.”

Father stopped to kiss Catalina on her forehead. Looking down to Sandorn and Averan he hugged them tightly.

“I am sorry. For everything. But I will make it up to you. All of it.”

“My King.”

The two guards who had accompanied Father burst into the room, Tron and Fenadorn. Both had longbows drawn with arrows already notched. Both were like Father, bloodied and their armor dented and without shine.

“They are almost upon us. Your orders sire?” Tron asked.

Father nodded and turned back to his family.

“We will cover your escape. Once we can we’ll regroup. I promise,” he added before Mother could protest.

He kissed Mother and led them outside, he looked to the two guards he had remaining.

“Go with them, keep them safe, at all costs. I will deal with whatever comes after us.”

Both men nodded. No one ever questioned his Father’s command.

Father peered outside the door, Averan could hear shrieks and roars, distant, but every moment they drew ever closer.

Father smiled down at them once again, “Be Brave my sons.”

That was all he said, but it didn’t matter. They would see him again soon.

“Come along boys, we will see your Father after.”

Mother spoke without rush or irritation now, calm, in control. She stopped only a moment to kiss Father, they stared into each other’s eyes for another moment before he led her away out the door.

With that they were away again. Now they had the two guards behind them to guard their rear. Averan and Sandorn ran hand in hand, but sharing a similar thought they both stopped almost simultaneously, turning around they saw the flash of their Father changing and his transformation into the Beast. Seeing him like that Averan felt relieved, he could not be killed, he is too powerful.

When they ran now they moved with fresh enthusiasm, sounds of fighting broke out behind them. Fenadorn helped him and Sandorn as they went.

They kept climbing, further and further up Lonely Hill, Averan’s legs had never hurt so much as they did now, but they had to run, had to flee. Only at the top did they stop. There Mother had came to rest at a clearing, where a statue of King Anaval the First stood proud overlooking the city. Averan wasn’t sure why she stopped but soon came to realise as he followed her gaze.

In the early morning sun the view afforded them a look down at where they had just fled. Down to where Father was atop city roofs.

Catalina cried out at the sudden stop but Mother seemed frozen, she did not move.

Tron came up beside her and tried to pull her away but she ignored him completely. Her only thought for Father.

The figures appeared tiny, the sounds of Battle faint. But they were blood of the Chimera. Pure blood, that is what Mother and Father always said. They could see far beyond most. Averan quickly made out his Father. He wished he hadn’t. He tightened his grip in Sandorn’s hand. Down below Father was being mercilessly hunted, he was bigger than those around him, but it was three against one. To his Father’s left and right lay two lifeless bodies of Chimeras. Still with three remaining they could attack on all sides.

Again Tron and Fenadorn tried to prise their Mother away. Again she ignored them. Sandorn too ripped away when Fenadorn tried to turn him. Catalina’s cries grew quieter.

It was inevitable.

His Father stumbled, a tail of one of his attackers breaking through his tired looking defense to slash him across the face.

Behind him another of the Chimeras saw their opportunity arrived. With a leap they landed themselves upon Father’s back. Exposed the two other Chimeras charged at him. Father desperately lashed out, managing to whip his tail around to knock aside one and his horns to gore the other. His attention diverted the one still left on his back bit down hard, the roar which came from his Father was enough to wake the whole city. It sent shivers through Averan’s body and mind. He felt cold, the sweat from running solidifying on his skin.

Father somehow drew on what energy he had left to use tail and paw to throw off the Beast clamped down on his neck. There was no respite however. The moment he threw one off the other two returned, flanking him. One attacked his right, the other his left. Both slammed into Father almost at the same moment. Averan felt his own ribs tighten as he watched.

Mother thrust Catalina into Sandorn’s arms and tried to wrest free of Tron who now held her, preventing her from going to Father’s aid. She struggled in vain as he held her steady.

Averan had only seen his Mother’s Beast once, it was not near so big as Father’s but lighter, fast and agile. She’d been away from them then, had disappeared and only returned to them after days away. She had never changed since. Averan knew why she wanted to change again now. He could see as well as she could. He and Sandorn had often imagined what theirs would look like. But they were too young, even Father agreed it was too early. Never had Averan wished he could change more then he did now.

Father was weary, overwhelmed. Averan could see him lying on the rooftop, lifeless, surrounded. One of the Beasts still standing faltered and collapsed almost in front of him. The other two however attacked in unison, each of their spiked tails striking Father simultaneously. Averan couldn’t see the blood, but he knew, he knew it was pouring out before him.

While the others kept their tails embedded in the larger Chimera’s body, the one which had fell dragged themselves up to stalk over and stand facing their Father. It now looked like he was bowing down to the injured Chimera. It was a position no King should have to face. The Chimera did not attack however. Why Averan didn’t know. Did he now want to talk with Father?

“No.” Sandorn whispered beside him.

But Father was a King, he did not cower, did not give in. With a roar that Averan felt shook the city he pounced. He was not clear of the tails, Averan saw them ripping out of his body, forced out by the strength of his leap. A deathly leap, a costly one. His Father’s last move placed him atop the one in front, Averan saw him bite down hard at the neck. In a furious reprisal the other two screeched before similarly leaping on Father. One by one they bit down on him, tearing him to shreds with tail, claws and horns.

Mother screamed beside him but Averan heard nothing, he did not hear when Tron roared for Fenadorn to pick up the twins, did not feel it when his Father’s young guard picked them up on his shoulder and began to bound away. His eyes wandered back to the roof, back to his Father. His Father who was dead. Killed by the Hunters, those who went against his Family. Who had destroyed it. He would destory them. All of them.

He glanced across to Sandorn, he stared blankly, seeing nothing they passed in their flight. Sandorn’s eyes glowed with a fire. Averan felt it coursing through him as it did his Brother. Together. Together they would be their Father’s sons. Together they would fulfill his dreams. Help Mother, help Catalina and end their Family’s suffering. They would do it. The Twins Aureate.