The light of Xal poked through the gaps of the trees, his burning rays bringing an oppressive heat. Galliard wiped the sweat from his face as he and his brother darted through the trees of the forest.
The warmth radiating off the beams was far more brutal there than anywhere else in the Shattered Isles. Though, it was to be expected since the sun's warmth was being amplified to unnatural levels. The thick magic surrounding them increased the already sweltering temperature. The light of Xal that hit this particular island was enchanted to be five times as hot to keep most mortals at bay. A rather extreme measure, in the Lord's opinion, but it had worked for the past few thousand years. So its effectiveness was undoubted in any case.
“Would you keep up?” Wrath snapped at the younger man, his annoyance clear through the telepathic message. The wind blowing around them was so fierce that the boy would be incapable of hearing his spoken words.
He was getting annoyed at his youngest kin, already forced to travel at what he considered to be an agonisingly slow speed. The little prince had just started seriously training recently so he could not be expected to match his pace.
“But I can't breathe brother,” Galliard panted, "Why do we need to travel by land anyways, should we not just teleport there?”
“You would not be in your current state if you stayed back at the keep.” The Lord grumbled, annoyed that his youngest sibling had insisted on following him.
“How could I possibly stay home knowing where you were going.” Galliard huffed, wiping the sweat from his brow. “It has been so long since I have seen our aunts and cousins”
“This is not a trip of leisure, I am here for work.” Wrath sighed bounding from one tree to the next
The new Lord of Wrath had received a message saying that there was word of his lesser family planning to overthrow him; he wanted to speak to his aunts and judge for himself if there was any truth to these rumours.
The brothers have not seen their extended family since the death of their mother. They undoubtedly would have come to our father's funeral. However, only the lords and ladies of the clans, barring their heirs, were allowed to attend.
“I doubt that our own family would want to overthrow you, brother.” Galliard almost cried in relief when he noticed the thick cover of trees began to make way.
“Then you are a fool, who knows nothing of how the world works.” Wrath stated bluntly, frustrated at how naive he could be. “If there is one thing that can make even your closest family turn against you, it is the promise of power.”
“It wouldn't be the first time in the clans’ history that a lord has been overthrown by a family member.” Not to mention that the new High Lord's position was not as secure as he would have liked. With no Lady by his side and no viable heirs besides his brother, his hold on the throne was far from unquestionable.
Wrath comes to a stop at the opening of the trees and waits for Galliard. His younger brother grunted at Xals glare, squinting and covering his face from its brightness.
“What is the point in living in a place that is this hot!” Galliard complained, exasperated at the choice of locale.
“It is only like this in the surrounding area, once you cross the barrier everything will cool down.” Wrath explained curtly walking to a shimmering wall of air.
Galliard reached forward cautiously, this would be his first time going through a barrier barring the one surrounding his castle home. He had not been to many places with such magic and his extended family usually came to them to visit.
His fingers slipped through the nearly invisible wall first, a wisp of wind and cool air bit at his fingertips. Galliard heard his brother huff right before the palm of his hand connected with his back.
The young prince tried in vain to stop his fall, but not fast enough to catch himself. His body met the ground much faster than he anticipated and he landed with a resounding thud. Wrath's laughter could be heard as he stepped past the barrier himself.
“What was that for!” Galliard bellowed, his bones cracking back into place as he stood up. “Why would you do that?”
“I did it because I could do so, you were taking too long.” Wrath stated with a shrug of his shoulders.
Galliard's face blossoms with the kiss of an enraged blush across his supple cheeks, and anger erupts from deep within his chest. But as he is about to unleash the fury that is his words onto his eldest kin, Wrath turns around and walks away.
“Do not turn your back on me!” Galliard fumed at the older man. “Apologise this instant!”
As soon as those words spilt past his lips he regretted them immediately. In a moment his brother was before him, a hand gripped around his throat flinging them both back through the barrier and into the strong bark of a Glet tree.
There was a loud crack as Galliard's skull split open, the blood dripping down on him like a waterfall. Wrath's eyes flashed in fury and disgust, the younger prince knew he had truly infuriated his brother with his words.
They were never friends and hardly even brothers. Galliard had only seen the man a handful of times before his father's death. Now they had been thrust into each other's lives as strangers. Thinking he could rebel against him in such a way had been a grave error.
“Watch your tongue boy!” Wrath growled out, the words feral and laced with magical power that made the very air tremble. “You need not forget that I am your Lord and head of your house.”
“Y..yes your majesty.” Galliard choked out, barely able to speak past the blood in his throat. “A thousand apologies, I did not know my tongue.”
“You will stay silent for the rest of the trip, I do not wish to hear a peep out of you, or you will be severely punished.” Wrath spoke plainly, tightening his grip and crushing his throat. “And when we return, find yourself nowhere near my person.”
The boy nodded his head to the best of his ability and Wrath dropped him to his feet where he bent over and grasped hold of his open throat. Spitting out a mouthful of blood even as the damage began mending itself. He looked up to see his brother stepping back through the barrier, never looking back at him.
Galliard raced over so he could keep up, not wanting to make his eldest sibling more furious than he already was. Galliard slowed down when he was a few steps behind him and studied his brother from behind. Taking the moment to clean himself with a simple spell.
He had always felt lesser than his brother, compared to him he was clearly the lower of the sons of Wrath. Looks, strength, tactics and even political power. There was nothing he surpassed his brother in it seemed. Not only that, but he was an eternity away from ever reaching his magical prowess. Wrath was the prodigy child of the House of Wrath, excelling in every field. It had been many millennia since someone with his potential had been born to their bloodline and he knew it.
Since rejoining the clans, the young prince had been ridiculed and looked down upon. He has no idea why his father waited so long to bring him back to his family. He found himself hating the man for it at times, something that brought him shame now that his father had passed.
Whatever it was the boy was sure that his father had good enough reasons whatever they may have been.
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Galliard's thoughts were interrupted as the scenery of the village they entered transformed before him. The place was colourful and so full of life, that he nearly forgave them for the apocalyptic heat outside of it… nearly.
Children were running around laughing and music filled the air with a sweet melody. Everyone here seemed happy, and at peace, a vast contrast from the towns he regularly visited in his youth.
Wrath could feel his brother's excitement pouring off of him as he gazed around the village in awe. He clicked his tongue at Galliard's innocence, this childish boy would not last a single second out in the real world and certainly not in a war. Hopefully, he could at least find himself a suitable bride to secure his bloodline if he was not going to be useful for anything else.
He reluctantly slowed down a bit knowing that the boy was not paying enough attention and would get lost. The last thing he would want to do is hear Gabriella nagging about the boy getting left behind. Oh, how she would hum and haw on and on about how he should have been keeping an eye on him. Wrath stayed silent for a moment, allowing his brother to marvel at his surroundings. It was his heir's first time visiting after all.
“Enough gawking, we have wasted enough time.” Wrath motioned to the boy after a minute or so deciding it was time to get moving. “I do not want to spend more time than need be here. “
Galliard bowed, not saying a word like he was told, even though Wrath's back was turned to him. Jogging to catch up and following closely behind. They stopped in front of a small wooden hut, confusion flashed across his face at the sight of it. He had been told that there were two dozen adults and their children here. This place was not room enough to fit three people let alone twenty-four and their spawn.
“This is the place?” Galliard asks, forgetting that he was supposed to keep silent. “It is so.small.”
“It only looks this way on the outside.” Wrath answered, reaching out with a hand.
Wrath pushed down the handle to the door and it opened with a grating creak. The two step in and Galliard's eyes widen, darting around in utter surprise. True to the Lord's words they stepped into a massive courtyard. The walls were not of wood as they seemed from the outside but of massive stone blocks bigger than he was tall.
The inside of the house seemed bigger than an entire town which made the young lord wonder how they possibly hid it so well. It could not be the barrier, that was simply a warding shield. Galliard knows very little of this world, he had freely admitted that himself. That only solidified in his mind that he had a lot of learning left to do.
“My Gods, this place is incredible.” Galliard spun around to take in the rest of the room.
In the process, he noticed that the door had disappeared and in its place a long corridor held up by stone statues greeted them.
“Lord Wrath, Galliard, It is a pleasure to see you've arrived safely.” Ivory, the eldest of their aunts' voices calling out, caused him to turn sharply in her direction.
A slim woman faced them, pale and with hair the colour of a starless sky. Her brown eyes were half closed as her smile split her face. She flung open her arms in her nephew's direction, beckoning him towards her.
“Aunt Ivory!” the young boy exclaimed running to her and wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace which she reciprocated with a smile.
“There is very little that can harm us in our travels,” Wrath stated, pausing in thought. “Well harm me at least…”
“Are you not surprised by our visit?” Galliard questioned, looking up with his arms still tightly around her. Deciding to ignore another one of his brother's obvious barbs at his current level of strength. “Brother, did you not say that you did not inform anyone of our arrival?”
“We have been expecting this since word of your father's passing.” Ivory patted him on his arms. “I know how your brother thinks, he might look like your mother but he is certainly your father's child.”
Galliard scrunched up his face as he let go but did not say anything, his father was a very kind man, that is not a word one would ever use to describe his brother.
“Since you anticipated my arrival, I hope that everyone is here that needs to be here.” Wrath stated rather than asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, my Lord.” She curtsied deeply, before gesturing with a gloved hand. “Right this way.”
They follow her down a hall into a grand courtyard. It glitters within the sunlight, a product of the well-tended garden with crystal lilies and sapphire roses.
They soon entered the large area where their extended family was sitting around the table. Whatever conversation they were having was stopped by the appearance of their lord. The place would be silent as a graveyard were it not for the odd Flame Raven cawing overhead. The young man took a seat, content to let the silence linger for a moment more.
The tension was so thick it would take a fool not to notice it. It swirled through the air, grazing the skin of every soul in the room. Taunting them, though none took the bait. The silence continued to fill every corner and every crack of the room. Galliard could sense that something was wrong the instant they stepped foot inside.
“I presume that you know why I am here.” Wrath was the first to break the silence.
His voice was hard and laced with only a minuscule amount of the power that he possessed. Still enough to shake the bones of those who heard it. Even as he observed his kin he could see them fail to hide the effect his power had over them.
“Why all the hostility, cousin?” Barnard, the youngest boy of the older bunch cheerfully chirps but even Galliard could hear the underlined mocking in his voice.
Barnard, youngest of Ivory's sons. A cocksure and arrogant man who often spoke before thinking. His mouth had not endeared him to Wrath when they had met as children. That has not changed in the decade since.
“You know very well why,” Wrath said short and curt. “Do not play games with me, cousin.”
“It is a shame that you would even think that we would do such a thing to you.” Celest tittered, the young woman's false smile strained with poorly concealed worry.
Celest, Ivory's eldest daughter, would look like a clone of her mother. Were it not for the golden locks that fell around her shoulders. The only blonde at the table stood out with her white dress and gleaming jewellery. Ever the attention seeker that one.
Looking for praise and glory wherever she went. Her looks belied a strength beyond any of her siblings, however. As a powerful sword maiden, she had earned her renown as much on the battlefield as off it.
Having fought alongside him she knew even if all of them fought him together they would have no chance of success. They were not weak, far from it in fact, but her distant kin was simply at a level of power beyond any of their reach. Not to mention the sentinels that would surely be watching, out of sight perhaps, but always watching.
“It is your birthright to lead the clans,” Maze spoke up after her sister, chuckling shakily. “As your family, we would never think to take that from you.”
“You are the best person to rule over us all,” Onyx grumbled, not even trying to hide her contempt. Hissing at her brother when he kicked her on the side of the shin.
Maze and Onyx, twin sisters that looked and acted like they would rather have been born as men. Short-cut black hair and ever-in-wargear. One was always scared to speak her mind and the other was too blunt by far. They seemed like opposites in every way but looks. Both with a drive to prove themselves for different reasons.
“Precisely, the clans would fall to ruin under anyone else's reign.” Fernando smiled brightly, out of all of them he might have even been the best liar among them. If it was just him he may have even had the chance to convince Wrath of their innocence.
Fernando, one part adventurer and another part raider. The man held a charisma that had both helped and hindered him many times over. Though he was often disparaged as a pirate, none doubted his skill in politics or at sea. He had made his fortune leading adventures into the shattered isles. Discovering lost treasures and securing trade with other nations.
Wrath stared at him for a moment, out of all of his cousins he was the most problematic. For how much he was hated he had amassed a large fleet of warships that had experienced much. With ties to many pirate lords and merchants he would be no small headache should he rebel.
Since Galliard was there and able to see them face to face, to hear them talk, he realised that his brother had valid concerns. Even though they were saying everything that should persuade him of their loyalty, only a fool would fall for it. It would be laughable for them to go against Wrath, at least openly. The High Lord was strong beyond measure and he would not take lightly any betrayal even if it was family to do so. In fact, he might come down all the harder on them for it.
“Though we are not surprised that you would doubt our sincerity,” Dejon admitted to wide eyes from his family. “You are now leader of all the clans, a thousand watchful eyes would make anyone paranoid.”
“Precisely, it is normal to be suspicious of those around you, but we are family,” Zera nodded, reaching forward to lay a hand on his, pulling away as if she had been burned when she felt something shifting beneath his gauntlet. “And in this family, we stick together.” She finished, hiding the look of fear that flashed across her face.
Dejon and Zera were closer in age to Galliard, they were the eldest of Ivory's grandchildren and the children of Fernando. Young, but they had already proven themselves as captains of their own ships. Something their father oft-praised them for, usually loudly and with a mug of something frothy in his hands.
Silence fell upon everyone as Wrath took their words in, looking at all of them individually. Galliard watched his brother patiently waiting to see what he would do to the obvious liars. Though what came from his brother's mouth was the last thing he would have ever suspected.
“Perhaps you are right.” Wrath spoke softly after a long silence. “I should not have let my doubts cloud my judgement of you.”
Shock went through the prince but he masked it before it could show on his face. He was sure that his brother had caught the underlying threats in their words, open or otherwise, and could not understand why he would do nothing about it.
“My apologies for wasting your time but since there is no problem here I must get going,” Wrath announced, nodding to his kin. “There is plenty that needs to be done.”
“I shall lead you out, my lord.” Aunt Ivory spoke, her voice tinged with the open shock that Galliard felt.
Wrath stood up from the table and their cousins followed, bowing to him and giving him a synchronised. “My Lord.” He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the farewell but turned his back all the same.
“Till next time,” Wrath waved a hand over his shoulder. “Galliard let's go.”
“Yes, brother.” The little prince got up and followed him out of the room, walking behind him, he watched his brother's back, thoughts swirling through his mind.
Ivory let them out and Galliard gave her a hug not knowing when he would see her again. The older woman held him for a moment, smiling at the younger boy with genuine fondness. They walk back through the town to get to the exit portal but this time the young prince paid no attention to the things going on around him.
“Say whatever it is that is eating you alive.” Wrath stopped abruptly with annoyance in his voice.
“Why did you walk away when they were so obviously taunting you?” Galliard questioned gently not wanting to overstep for the second time in one day. “Why did you not punish them right then and there?”
“You naive little boy.” Wrath sighed, ignoring the glare his brother gave him in response. “This was never about me punishing them, I simply wished to let them know that I am watching.”
Galliard nodded in understanding, his thoughts travelling to how little he knew about being a prince and how to handle both the vassals and courts of the one thousand.
“Oh, and you will receive your punishment for speaking earlier as I promised.” Wrath spoke as he stepped through the barrier once more.
“Oh come on!” Galliard groaned as he followed his brother through it for what was hopefully the last time.