Xiphos

Chapter Three: The Bell

I know war is fast approaching. The bell -- it rings every day, brother. The sky is alight with flame.    

Excerpt from a letter that was never sent, Author Unknown, circa 327 u.e.

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    Asketil woke up the next morning to the low, dull ring of a large bell. He could feel the vibrations in his bed even though the tower that held the bell was at the other end of the building. The pounding in his head hadn't faded with sleep, apparently, because even as he stood he still had a massive headache.

    He rubbed his temples. Any moment now his sister, Coralora, would come barging into his room telling him to get dressed quickly and come to the dining hall, as per emergency plans considering his family found him too "unreliable" to do so without reminder.

    The finishing touches were put on his ensemble for the day just as his sister threw the door open, right on time.

    "Asketil! The bell!"

    "I know, Lore. Where is Ilonin?"

    She looked puzzled at first. "I thought he was with you. He wasn't in his room."

    The two walked out of the room and down the hallway, calling for their brother.

    Asketil grabbed a maid by the arm, asking her if she'd seen Ilonin. The maid shook her head and ran off with haste, clearly shaken up by the encounter.

"You're quite popular around here," Lore muttered.

He shot her a glance, mentally throwing daggers at her. "You're one to talk."

"He's probably already in the dining hall."

"Probably."

The two walked to the end of the hall and down a flight of stairs, making their way to the dining hall on the first floor. Their parents were already seated at the table, but there was no Ilonin in sight.

Lore was the first to speak. "Where's Ilonin?"

Their parents exchanged glances. Neither opened their mouths. Deafening silence filled the room as pure crystalline nothingness. The four remained that way for a moment as if frozen in time, and that moment was an eternity.

Finally Asketil spoke, the silence broken by the noise, shattering like glass. "He's gone, isn't he? That's why the bell is ringing. He never returned last night."

His father nodded.

Lore gasped softly, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. "He's gone?"

A sickening feeling rose up in Asketil's stomach. He normally loved being right, and he usually was much to Lore's distaste, but this time he would've given anything to be wrong. Ilonin was his older brother and as much as the two fought, they were still inseparable. Until now.

"We're sending out a search party. They'll be heading out any moment to the inn he was last seen at," their father stated.

Asketil clenched his hands into fists, meeting his father's gaze. "I'm going with them."

"You will do no such thing. You will stay right here until this entire matter is sorted out."

"No. I'm sorry but I won't sit around here and do nothing while my brother is missing."

His mother looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Please listen to your father for once, Azy. We can't lose you too."

He shook his head and turned around, storming out of the room.

Lore watched as he left, then looked to her parents. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, thinking it better not to make them any more angry than they already were. Then, she too ran out of the room, following her brother.

"Wait up!" she called out.

He didn't slow down, and instead ignored her and continued his pace out the door to where a group of men were preparing to go out on horseback -- the search party. Without saying a word to anyone, he grabbed a horse already equipped with a saddle and mounted. No one dared say anything to him, except of course for Lore.

"What in Athar's name do you think you're doing?"

Asketil looked down at her, as he always had truthfully, and commanded his horse to trot toward the front of the group.

"Answer me when I am speaking to you, brother!"

He didn't bother looking back at her. No, she would only try to hold him back and insist he stay. In fact, he would bet she would use the same reasoning his mother had. Wasting time was not an option. For all he knew, his brother was dead. Or worse, tortured and soon to be dead.

"Azy."

That got him. "Don't. Don't you ever call me that."

Lore looked down, shuffling her feet. "It got your attention didn't it?"

"Yes. It earned you negative attention. Congratulations. I'm sure it's the biggest accomplishment of your week, hmm?"

That stung her. She felt as though she had been slapped by him and he didn't even have to raise a hand toward her.

Lore nodded slowly and walked back inside, slamming the door behind her.  

"Wait! Lore, I didn't mean it like that! Come back!"

He started to dismount to go after her but the leader of the search party was already taking a headcount and preparing to leave.

"There is no time to waste. Is everyone ready to go?" The leader's voice boomed loudly enough to be heard even inside the building.

There was a wave of "aye"s through the group of seven men.

"I am Captain Daeyln. We will be heading to the Silver Sky Inn and Tavern. That is where Prince Ilonin was last seen. Stay close. Do not wander and get lost. We already have one missing person, we do not need another. Are there any questions?"

Captain Daeyln paused a moment. "No? Alright. Let us head out then."