15 THE BARRIER

“You are the first born, you go and check,” Lotus yelled out while holding Marcus.

“You are the one that has got the mouth go and talk to it,” Nephius replied “Barrick, what exactly did the snake woman tell you?”

Barrick who was as numb as a stone and sweating like he had been running a marathon kept shivering and ignored his brother's question. They had locked themselves in their parent's Chambers in fear. The Naga had appeared in front of Barrick the youngest and handed Omen, her son to him. “Take him, he is your young brother, Omen is his name,” she said while placing him in his hands. “he is going to save you all,” she said and disappeared. Barrick, who was handed a baby like white lion with wings, dropped it on the ground and ran screaming on top of his voice.

The brothers thought it was a joke when he came running but they all took off when they saw the Pixiu running after him in excitement. It thought they were playing a game and kept chasing the brothers until they finally managed to hide in their parent's Chambers.

Suddenly Barrick felt soft feathers rubbing against his leg, he slowly looked down and it was the Pixiu it had teleported into the room. Instead of screaming this time, he fainted. The others looked over and screamed on top of their voices. “Open the dumb door!” Miguel shouted out. They opened the door and all ran out leaving Barrick alone. The Pixiu began licking Barrick's face.

“We have to go back in there, what if it eats him?” Lotus said.

“What if father and mother came back and found that we left him to be eaten in their room.” Marcus asked between breaths.

“They are not coming back,” Daniel replied

“They have only been gone for nine months, let's not lose hope,” Nephius urged them.

Suddenly they heard a loud bang outside, Lotus ran to the window, “guys it's father and mother, they are back.” They all rushed outside with tears of Joy. It was Lotus who was the fastest and he quickly ran for his mother but was pushed back by a strong force. The other brothers stopped in their tracks. He got up and held his hand forward and he could feel a barrier. A soft layer was circling the entire castle.

“Father! mother! Where have you been? Why is there a barrier here" Daniel asked, touching the barrier.

“My sons we missed you, Clarris held us captive. Drop this barrier, who put this barrier up.”

“We have no idea who put this barrier up, it was not here this morning,” Miguel replied.

“Mother, there is a a white lion with wings about to eat Barrick for lunch, it's all Nephiu's fault he left our baby brother in there,” Lotus replied.

“Shut up, it's just baby, it can't eat him," Nephius replied.

“What do you mean by a lion! Darrell find a way to get past this barrier,”

“Wait a minute who is Darrell?” Marcus asked.

“The shapeshifting idiot servant of Clarris,” Lotus said “guys move back, this is not father and mother.”

The brothers began moving backwards slowly, Clarris realized that they had been made and shapeshifted back into her form and Darrell too shapeshifted back.

“Wow you are really beautiful, please remind me why dad cheated on you?” Lotus asked this agitated Clarris and with all her might she whirled hell fire and cast it towards Lotus but to her surprise the barrier sucked the fire. “No no this can't be happening!" She yelled out.

Lotus burst out laughing “stupid witch, show your fury now. You are useless now, show us. We've heard how you've terrorised our parents for centuries.”

“Lotus shut up,” his brothers yelled in unison

Clarris breathed in and began singing her usual Melody, a sweet Melody that she has always used to seduce and lure the sons of king Jerald to follow her at their will. But it now sounded like a lusty tin and everyone around her held their ears.

“My queen I think the harvest is not working too," Darrell informed her.

She stopped in frustration, and yelled out, everything was falling apart in front of her eyes.

The other brothers ran into the house while Lotus remained. He moved close to the barrier and held his middle finger at Clarris. Who was fuming with fire coming out of her nostrils.

“Lotus bring your stupid ass in here!" Nephius yelled out.

“I will spare you Lotus,” Clarris said “just give me the description of the animal that is inside the castle?”

Lotus laughed out

“In your dreams bi**tch!” Lotus yelled out and ran into the castle.

“Time for plan B, Darrell bring king Jerald and his stupid wife here!” she yelled out.

Darrell disappeared in seconds and came back with the king and queen tied up. King Jerald was still bleeding from his wound. He had already lost a lot of blood

Clarris moved over to Rachel and grabbed her by her neck. She knew her sons were watching from the windows.

Inside the castle Barrick joined his brothers whilst holding the Pixiu and stroking it's head,“ guys it's harmless, it only wanted to play with us,”

“Put it down what if it's one of Clarris's tricks, she might have shapeshifted into that snake woman who handed it to you!” Nephius yelled on top of his voice

“It can't be Clarris, she was asking me to describe it for her in exchange for a way out of the curse.” Lotus corrected

The rest of his brothers looked at him weirdly

“What?” He asked, confused.

“You did not take the offer??” Miguel asked.

“Of course, I'm curious to find out what she does to us,” Lotus replied

“You are so stupid?”

“So you would have taken the offer? Why I'm I not surprised,” Lotus said while moving towards Barrick

“No I wouldn't have taken the offer, we are all in this together, if she takes one she takes all of us. And if she leaves one then she should leave all of us. Are we all in agreement”

“Yes,” they all yelled in unison

“Where is Marcus?”

They all looked around but Marcus was nowhere to be seen.

“He has gone to sale out the cute lion,” Daniel yelled out

“This is why I hate quiet people, they are so unpredictable,” Lotus yelled out

They all looked outside the window and just like they had predicted Marcus was outside talking to Clarris. “Mother! father! they all said out and quickly rushed outside but nephius stopped them, “Barrick go and hide that thing, it's obvious that it is the reason why we have a barrier outside.” Barrick nodded his head and ran off to hide the creature. The rest of the brothers went back outside.

They were met with a sight of Clarris stranggling their mother,

“Put her down you stupid witch,” Nephius yelled out

“Give me that creature you are hiding in the castle in exchange for her,” Clarris ordered.

“Father are you alright? What have you done to him?” Daniel yelled out.

“I'm fine, do not give her the creature,” King Jerald said in a faint voice.

“Father you know the creature?”

“His name is Omen, he is your brother, my seventh son.” King Jerald replied.

At the mention of that Clarris dropped Rachel and stared at king Jerald with fury.

“Our what? You guys went and had a baby before an angry witch took us? How is that possible?” Lotus asked confused

“No he is not your mother's but mine,”

“You cheated on mother?”

“Lotus that's not important, please, just don't hand him to her!” King Jerald replied

“Let's give it to her, she said she will spare us," Marcus spoke

“Shut up! You were selling us and not even ashamed. Haven't you read father's diaries. Clarris never asks or negotiates. If she wants that creature, let her come and get it,” Nephius stated while looking at Clarris.

“I will kill both of your parents if you do not go in and bring that thing out. What is it going to be? your parents or that thing??” Clarris asked.

All of a Sudden, Barrick came out with white eyes and walked near the barrier. He held out his hand and vacuumed both his parents through the barrier. It happened so fast that Clarris was left with her jaw hanging.