Chapter 3: The Ikagai sister

Recap...

Her father was buried behind their house. Everyday she brought him fresh flowers, and watered his grave. She made a cross using wood she chopped from a nearby tree and manually carved his name onto it. She stuck it into the soil, and had always told her father about her day. Wishing he was here.

" Sadness which consumed onself, along with anger that consumed ones reason "

Chapter 2: A Tragedy

Author: Hayven Averdine

Chapter 3....

..Kaiden's POV..

A loud and agonizing scream of a man pierced through the air. Alerting him, he stood up, peeking through the cabin windows. He teleported to the forest near the ruins, peaking cautiously. He sees a bloody corpse, being dragged by two guards. As they threw him into the river. His brows furrowed, he stormed inside through the portal. "What did you do this time." He said bluntly. "I've finished your job" Dasmus says with pride.

Short silence entered as Kaiden strayed in thought. "That was Dallas?.." he says slowly processing things. "Yes, it's not my fault the prey entered a lion's den." Dasmus says as he stands up from his throne and walks away through one of the palace halls. He didn't find reason to waste his energy chasing after Dasmus, knowing he can't change his mind.

Kaiden pissed at dasmus' unreasonable action, came to a conclusion. He will make things right, if his father can no longer rule on the throne and make it right. He will go for the next best thing..

He came to the castle's basement. Where most servants rest, he walked towards a long and dusty hallway, where no one ever comes. He came upon a cobble stone wall he lightly moved his hand over the stones, til he pushed on a certain stone. It made a click and the wall opened to a long stairs down. He walked down into a lair, his father's lair. He pulls down a tarp covering a mirror. the mirror showed his reflection. He waited patiently as the silence seeps in. Placing his hand onto the mirror. Suddenly a mysterious hand slammed itself on the mirror. Slowly losing his reflection, it reflected nothing but darkness. "You have grown.." an eerie voice says.

" I've not come here for you, I have came here for them.. " Kaiden says bluntly. The reflection of the hand disappeared into thin air. A low growl was heard, a cold breeze sent a chill through the atmosphere. Distinct whispers surrounded the area. "Looking for a me" a feminine voice, was heard through the overlapping whispers. A woman, with her back facing the mirror. Her Hair laid behind her as it rides through the breeze. Her red cloak swimming through the wind. The mirror reflected the woman standing on land, near a flowing river during the night. The night of a crescent moon. "Yes, you. I need to know all about our history. If I want to execute a plan to make things right around here." Kaiden says in determination. "You are the spitting image of your father." The mysterious woman says, "you aren't even looking at me." Kaiden says confused. "Believe me, I am.." . The woman combed her hair with her hands to the side. Revealing a gut quenching view. An eye was staring directly at him from behind the woman's head. She turned her face to his view, revealing a face of a woman that looked elegantly beautiful. But as she smiled, her Aura darkened. She grew sharp razor teeth as her smile turned big. She smiled big enough to rip the corners of her cheek. Her eyes grew bloody red as her pupils dilated black. Immediately and swiftly her silhouette moved towards the mirror. Making Kaiden flinch. A wave of soft laughter was heard. "I am Lai, a river spirit." She says in a raspy voice. "I thought the river spirit's was name Chang?.." he asks. "No.. that's my sister.. I am the river spirit of the night.. You have freed me.." she says eerily in a raspy voice. "How?" He asks, "By opening this mirror and making contact with it, you have opened the walls." She says in a raspy voice as her face slowly turns back into the beautiful and mesmerizing face of a woman. Kaiden remained silent.. "You don't know how powerful you are do you?" She asks with a cheeky grin. "You have held the Mirror of souls, but touching it, you have unknowingly broken an invisible force which makes the barrier vulnerable for us spirits to escape.." Lai explains. She slowly reaches out into the glass, placing her hands onto it. "I need to ask you something" he says bluntly. She remains quiet, listening. "Can you contact the spirit world from this prison?.." he asks. "No, if I could this wouldn't be much of a prison won't it?" She says. "I guess not.." he says in a sad tone.

"Get straight to the point. Why did you really want to see me? You're wasting my time" The spirit asks pissed. " I will set you free.. completely. Only if you swear to bring me to the mother of all spirits, Calisto" He says. "Oh, you poor boy. You are that desperate to trust me? Lai. It's in my name dear" she says in a motherly tone. "I know, but I've got no choice. I need her in order to find out a secret that my mother has been hiding from me. I know she has been keeping something, my father has once told me about a dead relative named Karim, nicknamed The serpent. He apparently was a great warrior, but died too soon. But whenever I asked my mother about it she avoided the question." He explains pacing back and forth. She chuckled as her voice echoes. "You really don't know me child.. but I will agree, in exchange for my freedom." She says.

"But why Calisto?.." the spirit asks. "Because she is one that is known to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And I have a feeling the death of.. this serpent guy is nothing ordinary. Because he never had a funeral, dad always said that he died when I was 20. If he was family, shouldn't there have been a funeral set up? And there was no pictures of him, or anything that he used to own. I feel as if I find out the reason of his death. I could regain something this kingdom has lost. Their will. " He explains, as his brows furrowed. Showing his determination and curiousness.

He placed his hand onto the mirror, gathering all the energy force into his very palms. It was gut quenching, all the energy that he was gathering was overwhelming. But in a few minutes he broke a thin layer of the barrier. Letting her out, a growl echoed as the mirror's reflection turned pitch black, hands of mysterious trapped souls desperately trying to rip the barrier open. He set branches of the energy everywhere, freezing them in place, til it created a new form in the barrier. Locking the other souls in, cries echoed. A sinister laugh was heard echoing. The lamps suddenly lit by itself, "follow me" a faint whisper was heard. He followed the swift and cold breeze, just as he followed the lit lamps around the halls. It led him into a door, in the basement. It was dusty and webbed, he tried to open it. It creaked as it slowly opened despite it's heavy weight. The spirit led him into a room, which looked like a library. A really big one infact. With it's wide and tall dusted book shelves. Ladders leading to a second floor, with more dusty books. With a big circular shaped skylight in the roof. Reflecting the sun's ray through out the place.

A dusty and webbed circular counter in the center which seems like it is for a librarian. The gust of wind led him to a stand with a book, cased in glass. It was near the area that is labeled as "Mystical History" .

He stared at the reading on the name plate. "Souls of Ikagai" it says. He grabbed a candle holder set on a dusty table beside it. And smashed the glass into pieces. Soon enough lit fire reflected on the wooden wall.

A gust of wind was heard, as Lai seemed to have roamed elsewhere. He took the book and quickly hid behind a few barrels.

"Someone has been here, I'm telling you" a man's voice was heard. As the clanging of iron armor echoes through the room. "Stop over reacting there is no one. " The other says. "I heard something break, I am not hallucinating" the man responds. A minute of silence filled in, "look!" He finally spoke. "Shattered glass" the man says. "Roam the areas!" The other shouted, making it clear there were others with them. "You, search this part of the library. Who ever it is must not have gone far" the other ordered. "Yes sir" stomps were heard as they responded in unison.

Kaiden hugged the book tightly, he knew he could teleport back. But he couldn't, his powers seemed to have been weaker in the library. He moved cautiously as he changed his hiding spot. He saw a ladder near him, and quickly climbed to the 2nd floor. Witnessing two guards roaming around it. He was about to go back down but the guard saw him. "I found the intruder!" The guard shouted. The two guards looked at his direction. He quickly ran through the halls and halls of shelves. "Stop right there!" The guards shouted. Til he then found a wooden door, he entered it as it revealed a long and spiral staircase. Quickly climbed up as the guards followed him. He reached the top and entered a lone wooden door. It revealed what seem to be a room in the head of a tower. He looked onto the arch shaped window. He quickly shoved the barrels and other old furniture he found to block the wooden door from opening. He opened the webbed closet to found dozens of blankets and clothes folded and dusty, he shook the dust off as he tied them together making a rope to climb down.

Soon enough the door was banging, clearly the guards caught up. He quickly made a makeshift baby carrier. And placed the book in it. Having the "baby carrier" Carry it on his back. He tied the rope onto the feet of an old bed. As he tilted it sidewards against the wall. He proceeded to slowly climb down. When he was halfway there, a loud thug was heard. Kaiden then realized they busted the door open. He climbed down faster and when he knew he could make it if he jumps, he jumped and landed on the soft grass. The guards proceed to climb down the rope as fast as they can. "Follow him!" The guards shouted, not realizing it was Kaiden. As Kaiden starts to carry himself up, the castle slowly turned ito a ruin. Disguising itself again. This time he could feel his power again and teleported into his wooden cabin.

Taking a deep sigh, he plopped down onto his couch. Breathing heavily, still catching his own breath. "Had an adventure little brother" a man's voice was heard, as clanging cups peaked through the silence. As his breath finally stabilized, Kaiden spoke. "What are you doing here Kan." Kaiden says In a monotone, like he always does. "Aren't you glad to see me home?" Kan says with a grin as he set down two cups of water on the coffee table. Kaiden took it and drank it immediately. "Now tell me, where did you go this time" Kan says. "I was off, starting my plan to bring back the glory of our kingdom. But first I need the truth" he explained. "The truth?" Kan asks curiously as he put his cup down. "The truth about Karim. I have a gut feeling who ever he is, or whatever happened has a connection to what state our kingdom has been in for probably more than a century." He explained to his brother calmly, with a determined look.

His brothers grin faded away. "No" he said coldy, chugging his cup of water til empty. "And why is that?" Kaiden says curious but furious. "I said no!" Kan says as he slammed his cup onto the table. He stood up infuriated. "You are to stop your nonsense!" He shouted. Kaiden remained quiet, as Kan stomped away.

Soon enough he stood up, "Why was I always kept in the dark?!" Kaiden finally spoke, furious. "I need you guys to stop telling me what to do!" He shouted infuriated.

"I was always being lied to, straight to my face. You all said that father's death was an accident. That I hallucinated Because of fear and newly found trauma. Or that it was probably the sunlight and I didn't see what really happened. Because no, the truth is it wasn't an accident. Something else had it for my father. And I am exhausted of you making up stories saying that I'm in the wrong. That he was not killed right before my eyes. That I was too blind to see the reality. Is it bad to try and move on and help my kingdom as it is what dad would've done. If he was still alive? I want to continue what he had tried to fix. Is that so wrong of me. You all always had told me to do my duty to my kingdom, if this is not it. Then I find no reason to obey you all!"

Kaiden blurted out. As he did his eyes were glowing, as if a fire was lit within his pupils. His brother stared onto it, his face confused.

On kaiden's neck it looked like lava was flowing through his veins til they reach his face. Creating a crack like branch structure on his face. His voice grew deeper as he got angrier.

As soon as he was done. His body collapsed and the marks on his face was gone.

___________________________________

Clanging of glass plates ring through out the atmosphere. Cold breeze entering through the gaps, a muffled knock vibrated through the door.

"We are the guards of the Withara Clan, we seek a woman named Zara" a voice of a man was heard, as heavy stomping, and sounds of metal armor was heard.

Zara, curious. She washed her hands as she placed the washed plates in their racks. She cautiously walked towards the door, "what is your business with that woman?" She asks, trying to implement that she is someone else. "Ma'am, open the door. " The guards said. "I need to know your intentions" she says as she grabbed her cloak from her wooden bed. She wore it, and covered her face with a piece of torn black cloth. She grabbed her sword belt and her swords.

"Ma'am, open the door before we bust it open for you" the guard started to sound more furious. "State. Your. Business. " She repeats yet again readily holding onto her swords, ready to draw it out.

They busted the wooden door open. She ran fast enough to run on the walls, cleverly twisting herself with her swords as her shield. Grazing the iron armor of the guards. She landed on her feet as she ran towards the town. "Get her!" The guard shouted, heavy hoofs of their horses was heard as they chased after her.

A wave of gasps and whispers were heard through the air,

It's the Devil Woman.. , Omy! It's that rascal Lilith, Looks like the devil got caught.

She ignored it as she ran. She encountered the stables of horses in a nearby barn. A stable boy was brushing one of the horses. She came into one of the stables and rode a brown colored horse "Hyah!" She signaled. "HEY!" the stable boy yelled, "Sorry!" She shouted to make sure that he heard. She rode the horse out of the village with the guards tailing her. Soon enough she entered a large forest, a forest she wasn't familiar with.

Still, she rode the horse inside the woods hoping they don't catch up. She came upon a cabin in the middle of the woods, it didn't look like anyone was home. She climbed down her horse and they went behind the cabin. She hid herself and her horse there under a big oak tree. Giving him some apples she found collected in a wooden bucket behind the cabin.

Til she heard the thuds of horses hoofs, she quickly crouched down holding her horse by the reins. Making sure he doesn't move too much to get them caught.

When they were in sight, she peaked carefully. "Come on, she shouldn't be hard to find. She's in our territory now." The seem to be general spoke. She was shocked, she unknowingly gave them the upper hand..

Unknown spark of rage,

Chase to their own gate.

Author: Hayven Averdine