A small bird landed in front of us, its cheerful chirps a fragile reminder of life against the heavy silence that had settled over the clearing so close to our house. The house now haunted us with the pain of what once was. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their branches unmoving in a gesture of reverence, while water trickled and splashed, a faint, rhythmic pulse against the quiet sobs. The little bird flew away as footsteps broke the solemn stillness, a reminder that even in grief, life continued.
I slowly rose, my limbs stiff from remaining still for so long. My hand found Aria's shoulder, a silent anchor in our shared grief, offering what comfort I could.
"Sis..." My voice was bearably audible, the emotion still running deep.
"Zeph, Aria," a familiar voice was gentle but firm, carrying a weight of concern.
"How are you holding up?"
My eyes were locked on the two graves before me. Slowly, I turned to face the familiar voice, each movement heavy with grief. Turning my back on my parents' graves felt like turning my back on their lives, a crushing weight that threatened to bury me. Alistair saw the redness in my eyes, the thick eyelids swollen from a constant stream of tears. Aria followed my lead, her own eyes mirroring my sorrow as she rose to face Alistair.
"By the gaze," Alistair's voice was filled with worry. "Have you been here all day?"
We both nodded, not able to hold back another wave of emotions.
"What happened?" My voice was broken, as if I had been shouting for days.
"I don't know." Alistair's voice uncertain.
"Who... who attacked us?" Aria's voice small and equally broken.
"I... I don't know." His voice shook as he tried to find answers.
"Then what do you know?" My throat burned with every word as my emotions took over, and my desperate cry for answers filled the calm air.
He turned his head, unsure how to respond.
"Look," he sighed, defeat heavy in his voice. "I... I don't know what happened or who did this. And I sure as hell don't want to leave things as they are, but my hands are tied."
As he came closer he knelt down and put his arms around us, pulling us in close. His embrace brought some solace to our mental state, the ground soaking up our emotion-filled tears.
"I'm sorry, Alistair," I managed as the emotions subsided somewhat.
"Don't be." His voice was soft and gentle as he placed a hand on my head
"How are you two doing physically? It's been only 3 days, I much rather have you rest a bit more than running around. Even if it is just to be sure."
My body felt heavy, but since waking up, I had the intense urge to go home.
"I'm feeling fine," Aria answered softly.
"Yeah, me too." I echoed.
"That is good to hear. Why don't we go get some lunch together?"
Though I didn't want to admit it, a tight, painful knot had formed in my abdomen, as I hadn't eaten in 3 days. The sensation came to the forefront of my mind as Alistair mentioned food, drowning out some of the emotions that had rampaged my head just moments earlier.
Aria and me nodded again.
Alistair took a step forward, now standing between my sister and me. We turned back towards our parents and the stone slab standing in between the 2 mounds. A text was engraved on the stone slab.
"May your final flight be true. Astraea & Cyrus Diaghriados"
As we all made a bow, Alistair had some final words that were audibly filled with emotions as his voice trembled.
"Dear friends, you leave us with a vast emptiness that can not be replaced or filled. Your departure from this world will have a lasting impact on our community. But wherever you are, don't worry about your precious son and daughter. I will take care of them as if they were my own. I will not let harm come to them. Rest easy, knowing that your children will get the same love and care from me and my wife as I once received from you. Rest well, my friends."
A few more tears soaked the ground before we rose and, with a final sniff and shuddering breath, followed Alistair back to Laurelwood.
---
The aroma of freshly baked flatbreads filled the warm kitchen as Rowena set them on the wooden table.
"There we go." She said with a warm smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"It's fresh out of the oven, so it can be a bit hot still. So be careful, Alistair." A sly grin grew on her face as she settled down next to her husband.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Alistair stood up and gestured expansively to all the bowls filled with fragrant food on the table.
"Make yourselves at home; there is enough for everyone. That is shredded chicken, those are vegetables, and these are some sliced fruits."
My sister and I exchanged a hesitant glance, then nodded. Alistair, with a flourish and a wink, ignored his wife's warning and grabbed a flatbread. A quick succession of 'Ah! Uh! Hah!' escaped him as he juggled the bread between his hands before finally dropping it onto his plate with a sheepish grin.
Laughter bubbled up from my sister and me, filling the room as I picked up one of the flatbreads with exaggerated care, so as not to undergo the same fate as Alistair.
The warm room and the genuine care from Rowena and Alistair helped us forget, if only temporarily, all the pain we had endured. It was a welcome reprieve from the dark memories of just a few days ago.
The room was bathed in sunlight streaming through the two large windows, casting a warm reddish glow as it bounced off the polished wooden table. The light seemed to caress the vibrant colors of the food, making it almost irresistible.
WWe happily yielded to the insistent demands of our stomachs, and an hour slipped away unnoticed. Soon, the once-full bowls lay empty as Rowena began clearing the table.
"Should we help?" Aria offered, a satisfied grin playing on her lips.
"Hey!" I interjected before Rowena could respond. "What do you mean with 'we'?"
Before my sister could retort, Rowena cut in gently.
"Don't worry, Zeph. You don't have to lift a finger, and neither does Aria. But thank you both for the kind offer."
I let my head fall to the table with a theatrical groan.
"Dodged that bullet," I muttered under my breath.
"Did you say something there, little brother?"
"No, shut up. And I'm not your little brother."
Aria's eyes sparkled with mischievous glee, and I braced myself for the inevitable comeback.
"Ow? According to Mom, I was born first, so you will forever be my little brother." She laughed, and I pulled my head back up from the table's edge, about to counter her jab. Instead of a witty reply or a snarky comment, the mood turned dark.
She chuckled, and I raised my head from the table's edge, ready to deliver a witty retort. But instead of a clever reply or a playful jab, the atmosphere abruptly chilled. The lighthearted banter dissolved as the full weight of Aria's words sank in, shattering the fragile barrier we had erected against the encroaching darkness. The haunting memories of those recent events resurfaced, threatening to engulf us in a fresh wave of sorrow.
"That is, enough." Alistair's voice sounded commanding, pulling us both from an emotional downwards spiral we were about to embark on.
"I know this is devastating. I can't pretend to fully understand the depth of your pain, but I do know loss, and I know it leaves scars. Remember, I didn't become the Silverwatch Commander by avoiding hard truths."
His voice showed the authority he commanded on the field; he definitely didn't become a leader of Silverwatch Vigil without putting in the work.
"Sorry," Aria and I whispered, our heads hanging.
"Honey, I know you mean well, but was that necessary?" Rowena put her hand on Alistair's shoulders.
"I think it is." He put a hand her his wifeâs and looked back at us.
"Aria, Zeph, though it might not mean much right now, you still have each other. I knew your parents well. I sparred with your father when I was just a kid, and I learned most of my skills from him. Your mother always bragged about how amazing you two were, and how fast you were learning at school. Though they might not be here to see it, show them that all their love and support was not for nothing."
Alistair, who had been standing next to the table, sat down, his voice now softer.
"Live, and support each other. That is what your parents would have wanted."
Aria and I burst into tears as his command echoed the final words of our mother; the image of her blood pooling around her was burned into our minds. Flashes of the scene played on repeat, never to fade away.
Rowena and Alistair quickly moved around the table and pulled us into a firm but caring embrace.
A soft 'shhh' filled the air as they swayed gently from side to side, their hands softly brushing our hair as we calmed down.
"It's alright," Rowena whispered as she and Alistair stepped back.
But the images of our parents' deaths had already flashed before my eyes, and the face of the cloaked man ignited anger within me, pushing aside the sadness.
I gritted my teeth, "I will find him. I will, you hear."
"You are not going to find anyone, Zeph." The commanding tone was back, laced with a hint of persuasion, as if he anticipated my intentions.
"That path you're envisioning, filled with revenge, leads only to more pain and death. And I won't stand by and watch you walk that road."
The mood shifted abruptly, the sadness and tears replaced by frustration, hate, and a thirst for revenge.
"You said it yourself, Alistair!" My voice overflowed with frustration. "I sure as hell don't want to leave things as they are," I mockingly imitated his voice
Alistair seemed unbothered by my attempt to provoke him. He simply looked at me with the unwavering gaze of a commander, a deep and piercing look that made me wary of what would come next.
"I can see you are serious about it. But I am not going to let you."
My body trembled with rising tension, each denial fueling my anger.
"Why? Why won't you let me go? I'm not your son. Why should you care!"
The words were barely out of my mouth when Aria's hand struck my cheek with surprising force.
"Don't say that!" Her voice trembled with an anger I had rarely witnessed.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
My head hung low as I slumped back in my chair. Thoughts swirled in my mind, a chaotic mix of emotions.
*What would happen to me now? Will Alistair hate me now? But I crave justice for our parents! I want to... kill?
The thought sent a shiver of fear through me. I had never contemplated taking a life before.
Is this what revenge feels like?
I was jolted back to the present as a hand gently tilted my chin, raising my head to meet Alistair's gaze.
"Zeph, I see your strength, but you're still so young. That fire in you, that belief you can change things â I understand it. But raw anger won't guide you. Revenge offers no solace, only more darkness. That's why I want to offer you a different path."
The unexpected offer caught me off guard. My eyes widened with curiosity, and my trembling subsided.
"Well, what is your offer?" I asked hesitantly.
"Why don't you join the army in the Silverwatch Vigil?"
Aria's attention sharpened, and she quickly stepped away from her seat to stand beside me. Alistair now held our undivided attention.
"If you join, I will train you myself. I will make sure you get strong enough to hold your own. And after you can land a solid hit on me in a sparring match, you can decide for yourselves what you want to do." A soft smile touched his lips, a gesture meant to put us at ease. "So, what do you say?"
My thoughts raced, and I quickly concluded that I could probably land that hit right now.
"I challenge you right now!" My voice and posture exuded arrogance.
A booming laugh erupted from Alistair.
"Bwahaha, you're on, little boy. Show me how far your arrogance can take you then."