My existence is a scandal- Oscar Wilde
The Kingdom of Aeolus, Northern Ardeneon.
April 13
Emily aggressively rubs her eyes to be sure, but he was still there, still very much real.
The stranger with her brother's face, however, did not take his eyes off her. He stared like she was someone familiar to him. Emily's stumbles back a hundred and one emotions going through her, Elijah holds onto her, keeping her from falling. She turns around to face her boyfriend "I think I'm seeing things" her voice cracks, Elijah couldn't respond he saw it too, and she saw the pain in his eyes telling her it was not her hallucination.
Her breathing started growing unstable making it hard for her to make sense of anything happening. With her vision beginning to blur, she tries to shut her mind down, unwilling to comprehend anything.
"We see it too Em" Skai breathes out and Emily turns back to face him. He slowly makes his way towards them, dressed in armor.
"Lily" He whispers stepping closer to her and she flinches in response. "Y-you're dead" she sputters out and he shakes his head.
"How did you get here?" he asks.
"No, no, you're dead" she says but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than telling him what was obvious to all of them.
"Lily I can explain" her 'dead' brother moves closer to her, and she stumbles back again into Elijah this time burying her face in his chest. "It's not real" she mutters continuously convincingly; Elijah pats her head comfortingly.
"It's real" River taps her shoulder informing her and Elijah pushes him away.
.....
"This is where I opened portals to visit the human world" Callum tells them as he shuts the entrance
"Sprites seem to have an affinity with caves" River mumbles to himself looking around the cave.
"We're looking for Kaito" Emily tells her 'Brother' ignoring the previous piece of information he disclosed to them. She knew the others wouldn't speak up because they're too busy worrying about how she was taking the situation. She really wanted answers to questions of her own but so did her friends, so she wanted them to have it first. "But if you can open a portal to earth that would be fine too."
"No, I can't do that...The ingredients for the potion are rare. Queen Soleil stopped giving them to me and I stopped going. Wait you know about Kaito? He's left Aelius already"
They all let out groans or sighs of frustration and Emily walks over to Callum.
"Can I talk to you?" She asks, her eyes refusing to meet his.
"Let's go for a walk" he nods standing up, he turns around to the rest of them "You lot stay in here, don't leave." He practically commanded. I could hear a little 'pfft' leave Dexters mouth while Skai was mumbling to herself inherently.
"What is going on?" she asks him as soon as they get out of the cave.
"I can explain-" she cuts him off.
"Are you even my brother?" the tears brim her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall.
"Technically yes" he looks down "but I was hidden for a long time like you, I'm illegitimate".
Emily had no response to that. Since he 'died' she had gotten pretty good at not feeling anything but he's here now and she didn't know what to act anymore.
"Explain" She finally says something as they walk through the streets.
"Mom was in love with a guy she couldn't be with, my father, her mother's protector she got pregnant and hid it along with my birth when I became of age she kept me in the palace to keep me close and deemed me your protector" he starts "I was assigned to you before you were born, she didn't think she'd have an affair again though I guess, her child was meant to belong to the King"
"How old would that make you?" her eyes widen.
"A century, two decades and seven years" he quips, and she nods for him to go on, processing everything one by one "Our mother, Queen Soleil had an affair with her personal guard, Rowan, then she had you, but she couldn't let your presence be known, because it was much too huge of scandal"
"What the hell"
"So, she sent you to earth, the only sprites that know about you are The Queen, Rowan and myself" he looks at the castle in the distance while saying this. "It's possible that the King is aware of this, but he never said anything"
"Is he aware of you?" She asks him
"Oh no, it's better he doesn't know, I've made peace with how I live and my birth is an even bigger scandal than yours"
"Anyways...I was sent to earth with you, I used a potion on a random family with similar genetics and then about 4 years ago, the great council was catching on, there was no record of death and the census in Aelius had changed over the course of the past couple of years, they accused your mother of suspicious behavior and she told Kaito to send me back on his visit, I had no choice but to fake my death"
"But they didn't catch on to your birth" Emily looks at him in confusion.
"My father's wife claimed me when I was born because of the shame she'd have to face of her husband having a child outside their marriage, she was also indebted to our mother....its a long story let's not get into that, but your dad was very single and mom had no one to pin the blame on."
That was a lot for Emily to take in.
"But you look exactly the same as you did back then?" she asks confused "I watched you grow up"
"Well first of all sprites age very slowly and I have an unusual skill" he smiles at her scratching his neck awkwardly, but it was a rather sad smile "Age manipulation"
Then he morphed into 12-year-old Callum before her eyes and back to 17 years old Callum.
"I choose to look this way, but I timed it perfectly over the years and would morph slowly" he explains.
"Is Callum even your name?" she looks at him and he looks away.
"It's Alistair"
She holds in a scoff before asking "Where are my parents?"
"No one can know you're here Lily" he tells her.
"Why?" I ask "I want to see them"
"Because you're the heir to the throne of Aelius, and the heir to the throne can't possess commoner blood." He tells her "And Rowan has been missing for years now, so even I don't know where he is."
"Shouldn't you be the heir?" Emily asks.
"It's a matriarchy"
...
Inside Alistair's secret cave, the other four were sitting in wait, hoping for good news when Emily and Alistair returned. Dexter's eyes moved to Skai for the 148th time since they got into the cave. "I wonder what they're talking about" Skai tilts her head back staring at the stone roofing causing the fire that was burning in Dexter's guts to burn even brighter. To him she was perfection itself, it was only such a shame that he was only completely appreciating her beauty now, after so many years.
"If you stare any longer, she might just disappear" Elijah whispers in his ear making him jump in his place.
"W-what are you talking about" he stutters.
"You are so into Skai, Dex" he chuckles leaning back next to him.
"Shut up" Dexter's face heats up as he narrows his eyes at Elijah, doing his best to play it cool.
"River doesn't know about this does he?" Elijah turns his head, asking Dexter.
"No" he looks down at his fingers "And he doesn't need to, I'll just wait for the feelings to leave"
Elijah laughs.
"Goodluck with that Bardo, feelings don't just dissipate into thin air, especially when you spend every waking minute with the person." He teases Dexter and looks over at Skai who is now talking to River, both laughing as if they had not a care in the world.
That's the Ladistons for you, no matter what happens they can always make each other forget their worries.
"I think we should split up" Elijah tells him, changing the topic and Dexter lifts a brow up at him uncertain.
"Split up?" he asks "that never goes well in the movies Eli"
Skai and River hear them, and they move closer to join the conversation. "What do you mean split up?" River asks.
"That never goes well in the movies" Skai adds making Dexter smile at her repetition of his phrase.
'We're literally meant to be.'
'Is destiny against us?'
Dexter thinks dreamily.
"We're not in the movies" Elijah rolls his eyes. "I've been studying the map and there are two possible routes leaving Aelius, one is through the valley of Jann and the other one is through rackedit forest."
"So, we could take one and there'd be a possibility that he is on the other" River sighs understanding Elijah's point.
"Yes" Elijah says.
"So, there's not much of a choice" Dexter concludes.
"No, if we want to move faster, we need to split up" Elijah confirms his thoughts.
"So, who's going where?" Skai asks no one in particular.
"I was thinking we do a hat draw when Emily gets back?" Elijah shrugs. "Because I don't think anyone willingly wants to go through rackedit forest."
"What's wrong with rackedit forest?" Dexter asks. He had heard about it in history class, but he was also half asleep in that class.
"It's where the souls of the dead go to rest" River answers "Or haunt"
"They say it opens your mind to things you could have never even imagined, and sometimes the souls talk to people" Elijah further explains.
"That sounds ghastly, I love it!" Dexter exclaims just as Skai jumps "Woah that sounds fun, I'll go!"
"Me too!" Dexter smiles at her.
"Of course you two would wanna go" Elijah shakes his head as River pulls his sister down. "Skai, this isn't your usual fun, you'd face dead people, like in horror movies"
"I love horror movies" she rolls her eyes at him.
"You cry through them Skai" River looks at her in disbelief. That's true.
"Because I sit through people dying River, I'm not a monster" she groans dramatically.
"Let's just do the hat draw" Dexter tells Elijah interrupting the Ladiston squabble.
"Three people will go through Rackedit forest and the other two through the valley of Jann" Elijah tells us taking a book out of his bag.
"What's the valley of Jann anyways?" Skai asks.
"It's a normal valley, but there are these mystical creatures that fly above it; like dragons, it's best to avoid them, if they lock eyes with you, they open your eyes to your biggest dreams, both past and present" Elijah answers while writing down the names in the book.
"That doesn't sound bad" Dexter says "A little boring though"
Elijah, tearing up the paper he had written on to fold them directs a question to Skai and Dexter "Don't you guys get tired of adventure?" They both laugh.
Just then Emily and Callum(Alistair) ran into the cave.
"The Bolveras are here!" Emily pants.
"we've got to leave" Elijah curses.
"No, no, if you leave, they'll get you, I think I know why they're here" Callum stops us before we get up.
"Why?" River asks.
"They want power, you two" he points and Dexter and Elijah "Have more than you need, While I was watching Emily, when I came across you lot, something about the two of you was always so overwhelming, I couldn't put my finger on it then, but I get it now"
"Why didn't we feel it?" Emily asks her brother.
"You guys haven't been exposed to skills like I have, the two of them don't just have skills, they're powerful." He says "If they have that kind of power in their reach, who knows what they could do with it, if they catch you guys, there is no guarantee that you will live"
He morphs into a toddler, leaving the cave.
"Did he just-" Emily cuts Skai off. "Age manipulation" she informs them
"How long do we wait then?" Dexter asks.
"Probably till he gets back" River sighs.
"So, you guys are powerful?" Skai smirks turning to the two "Do you feel powerful?" she lifts a brow in anticipation of their response.
"No" Elijah deadpans and Dexter bites his lower lips, nervous and a little bit scared. Not only was he currently journeying through a world he never knew existed, part sprite and part chorling but he also possesses 'great power'? It's a lot for him to take in.
"Oh well" she frowns, but as soon as it etched on her face, it disappears and she changes the topic "While he handles it, we should probably plan our way out of here"
"Oh yes, while you were away, we had a conversation" Elijah informs his girlfriend, proceeding to relay the conversation to her.
"So" Elijah begins after he had filled her in. "In the absence of a hat we will be drawing the papers from my bag" He empties his bag putting the papers inside.
"Let's do it youngest to oldest" Skai suggests all jittery making Dexter smile.
"Okay" Elijah shrugs with a smile "Skai you can go first" Skai places her hand the bag, taking a dramatically long time searching the bag before pulling a paper out.
"What does it say?" Emily leans over Skai's shoulder in curiosity. Her eyes glimmering, a sparkle they hadn't seen in years.
"Rackedit forest" she squeals showing River the paper. "You're weird sis" River shakes his head.
"Alright River, you're next!" Elijah holds the bag in front of River and River complies dipping his hand inside and pulling a random piece out unlike his sister who spent a concerning amount of time.
"Jann valley" he opens the paper then turns to Skai "I love you Skai, but I'm glad I don't have to go there with you" "Fair enough" she smiles with a shrug.
"sunshine" Elijah holds the bag in front of Emily. "Jann valley" she reads her paper out.
"I don't think there's any need for us to draw papers" Dexter chuckles to Elijah. "Yeah, I guess we're going through Rackedit forest" He sighs then turns to River "Unless you want to switch?"
"Oh hell no, I'm not going to play with ghosts, I'll take care of Emily don't worry, I'm sure it'll be a smooth journey" River smiles at him.
"That's if you two don't end up fighting the whole way there—and we're not going to play with ghosts Riv, we're looking for dad" Skai hits her brother.
"Whatever you say bubblehead" he shoves her away.