The Shadows

42| The Mending Process

"You're all weak! No son of mine will rule the throne in this state."

I whip my head to my father. He was scolding us, as he did every day. A tinge of pain stings my head, today was different? It was a notable time in my life. But why today?

"Your mother has made you soft. I am training you all to become kings, rulers! Not prissy little girls!"

He sighs loudly, crossing his arms as his eyebrows deepen. The wrinkles in his forehead set into a V as his eyebrows were always furrowed.  "You begin your training immediately. Go change into appropriate clothing and meet in the arena."

The arena, something I had suppressed. A large room, dirt floors where he would let anything and everything come at us, fight us, tear us apart. Harden us.

"You will no longer see your mother until I see fit. She is slowing your progress." An evil grin creeps up his cheeks.

My body tenses in anger, clenching my fists. A small voice brings me back.

"What did you do with mommy!?"

I turn my head to the smallest boy, me. My father quickly approaches the younger version of myself, slapping me across the face. The young boy stumbles backwards, shocked.

"Don't touch him!" Cain grips our father's sleeve, pulling him away from my younger version.

"Enough!" The king growls, shaking Cain off of him. "You two will regret speaking back to me."

He proceeded to call in his advisor. Ordering him to take us to the middle of the desert. "These boys need to learn a lesson." The advisor stands awkwardly, obvious that he didn't want to proceed with this task. "Father is that really necessary?" Kai asks quietly. The king turns to him, "Would you like to join them?" Kai quickly closes his mouth. "You can't make me go!" My young version yells defiantly. "The hell I can't" The king waves him away. "Get lost. We will see if you will receive the title of my son, if you return."

I hadn't realized how tight my fists were until the boys were guided away and the king had sat back in his throne. I understood by now that they were not able to see me and this was a flashback into my past.

Kai stood still, staring at the ground. Terrified to move and disappointed with himself for not doing more. "How could I have spawned such spineless children." The king rants. He turns to Kai, "Maybe your disgusting mother cheated on me." Kai's face twists in anger, he crosses his arms, gripping his biceps in an effort to stop him from lashing out.

-----------------------------------------------------

I blink and I am in the desert. The advisor says a sad goodbye, leaving the boys with some food, water and blankets to help them out before departing.

The younger version of myself begins to cry, yelling at the advisor to come back, not to leave us. Cain quickly comforts me, holding me in an embrace. "We will find our way back, D." He says to me as I cry into his shirt.

The weather quickly changed as they walked through the desert. I followed closely behind them. The sky began to pour large beads of water, lightening striking the sky, brightening the way. By the time they found shelter, they were soaked, freezing and hungry. Cain quickly started a fire with wood they found along the way and covered little me in his jacket to keep him warm. He then continued out on his own to find more food. I couldn't have been older than the age of six at this time.

They continued like this for a few days, the weather unpredictable. Leaving clothes behind due to the unbearable heat; regretting it not long after in the cold nights. Cain had piggy backed me most of the way, I had trouble dealing with the emotional stress. Until finally making their way back home.