Chapter 12 || One, Two, Three
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- Kai's POV -
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"There's a fine line between stupid and Kai Dare," Iris said as we sat together, sheltered amongst thick green foliage, looking down at a huge expanse of emerald forest that touched the horizon and all that was beyond.
I nudged her. "Rude," I objected. The sun was falling across the sky as it gave way to the late hours; orange was starting to glow, lighting the forest up with a soft brilliance. "Besides, you're that line."
"Hilarious," she said, deadpan, but there was a gleam in her eyes that made me grin. The sunset deepened into an extraordinary radiance, staining the skyline with colours that hardly seemed real. We watched it with warm hearts, but as beautiful as it was, there were still questions yet to be answered.
I shuffled and glanced away from the open sky. "What should I do?" I asked, softly. I had told her about the starry woman in my dream - about the titles she'd blessed me with. Wielder. Guardian. Iris hadn't looked surprised, and I guess I couldn't blame her. I mean, everything was a bit weirder than usual, nowadays.
I could hear Gemma and Tali laughing from the foot of the tree. All of the house guests had joined the family for a trip to Folle Park, west of Cart, and although the day itself had been awesome, sitting beside Iris and watching the sun cascade out of view while streaking pink and orange and purple was special. Iris and I were settled in the leaves of the biggest tree we could find - we both loved high places. It was nice to sit with her without stress and anxiety of my uncertain future. We were simply . . . calm.
She sighed. "I don't know, Kai," she said, honestly and deeply. "I don't know."
I leant back against the foliage. "She was so strange, Rainbow - just really weird. And she said she knew Mum, too. I should ask Mum about it, but I don't - she mightn't - I dunno, it could makes things harder for her. She's already super worried about the Child."
"Yeah," Iris agreed. "We can handle this, whatever it is."
My smile was weak. "I hope so."
"We're both Wielders. We're powerful. We can stop a crazed ender-general easily - we can do it together."
I bit my lip to avoid a snark reply - yeah, totally, because last time turned out just spectacular - and instead reached out my hand to hold onto hers. She tensed briefly and then relaxed again, and the darkening sky lulled us into a blissful quiet - Gemma and Tali had stopped play-fighting below us, and the forest barely whispered. It was the most peaceful thing I'd seen in a long time.
Part of me knew that I wouldn't be seeing it again for a while. A large part. A realistic part.
But Iris and I sat, hands joined, wishing our problems away, as the sun descended and the sky faded into the dark hue of night.
I mean, we were only kids, right? We still had our wishes, if there was nothing else.
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- Phoenix's POV -
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Ember did not look happy with me. Although, did he ever?
"No," he stated, hard and firm. "No, you are not allowed to fight the General by yourself."
I groaned and slunk onto Kylie's couch. "You're not the boss of me," I protested. "Just 'cos -"
"- I'm the oldest." Ember's voice rang like cruel iron. "So I make the rules."
I threw my head back and hollered behind me. "Kylie! Ember's being controlling and horrendously un-brother-like again!"
A clang of glass and a muffled reply came from the other room; "Deal with it yourself, Phoenix." Ember held his smug smile for half a second until Kylie continued with "and Ember, stop annoying your brother, because then he annoys me."
Shooting the now-glowering Ember a smirk, I teleported behind Kylie, who was cooking something that looked . . . somewhat inedible. Lucky I didn't have to eat; otherwise, I'd be stuck with Kylie as my chef. She could manage to turn the most fine of pork cuts into a shriveled pile of gunpowder. We weren't sure how that worked, but it did, and we lost a lot of meals because of it.
"You can't scare me, Phoenix, I know you're there," she said cooly, and I grinned, ruffling her hair. She turned around at me and glared with those playful blue eyes Ember and I had come to love and respect so much.
But they were different now, since the Enderman attack on the school. There were - albeit small - gold rings around her pupil, a signal of the magic that had given her life back. It scared me, that power and its potential, but my gratitude for it was too strong to make my mood darken for long. I could never thank Iris enough for what she did, nor could I be any more afraid of what she was.
I knew she would have no trouble protecting Kai - she was extraordinarily gifted - and yet I also knew she needed all the help she could get. The true capability of the Child was much too difficult for two mortals to handle. Neither of them had seen the General at her best and most vicious. I doubt even I had seen her truly unconcealed.
That's why I needed to help. Why couldn't Ember see that?
I appeared in front of my brother and stared him right in the eyes. "Em, if you won't let me fight by myself, then fight beside me."
I knew Ember feared the Child - we all did - but ever since the school attack, when the General took away almost all of my life energy, he feared her all the more. It would take a lot of convincing to force him into aggression.
His face was just as hard as always. "N-O," he sounded out. "NO. Absolutely not."
"Uuuuugh," I groaned, slumping back onto the couch. "You're such an overkilling control freak."
"I just don't want to see you hurt," he defended, but I knew part of the reason was also his own fear. "The Child is more powerful than anything else in the universe."
A small smirk spread across my face. "Apart from the Creator," I said. "And the Ender Dragon itself."
Ember eyed me suspiciously. "I don't know what you're thinking, but stop it."
I stood up again and teleported to the window - it was wide open with bustling streets below, the Saturday morning buzz in the air reaching even our apartment on the eighth floor. It was so incredibly interesting to observe the functions and patterns of life in a human suburbia; they were all so different and yet so alike, tied together with red string that stretched beyond who and what I could see - it was an interconnection of countless fates, all spun together in a single web. It was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever noticed. Humans were very beautiful.
Ember struggled to agree. "They're clumsy," he would say, grimacing. "And they always find ways to mess things up."
I mean, true, that wasn't really a lie, but couldn't he be more positive about it? "You learn from your mistakes," I would counter. "You grow from your bad choices. That's what makes humans so interesting - they're so flawed, Ember, and yet they thrive. Isn't it cool?"
He never answered me. I didn't really mind. That's just how my brother was.
I enjoy being human. Well, acting human, I suppose; I get to talk freely and see so many more colours; my vision is vivid and my will is no longer tied down by a dragon or a child. I can run and swim and jump and craft and build - I can do anything. I enjoy being free.
But that freedom comes at a price, and I haven't yet paid it. I still owe my debts.
I turned back to my brother, all frowns and dark hair. "Ember," I said, low and serious, "If you won't help me, then I will fight this battle myself."
He shifted uncomfortably. "You aren't responsible for this situation, Phoenix. The most you should be doing is keeping Kai safe. Why don't you just focus on that?"
"I can protect him and help him!" I replied, exasperated. Ember was such a pain. "I'm more than what you think I am."
But his stance remained the same. "No," he said, and I wasn't surprised.
I decided to unleash Plan B. "Well, if you won't do anything, and I can't do anything, then we'll just need to find someone who can."
Ember threw his hands over his head and turned around. "I'm not listening to any more of your stupid plans!" he complained, but I was on a roll.
"Hear me out. Kai is connected to the Blade somehow, right? Some mystical destiny thing or whatever. But who is connected to the Blade? Count with me, Ember. One, the Ender Dragon. Two, the Ender Dragon's Child. And three . . ."
Ember sighed deeply. "The Creator," he said.
"Exactly."
He whipped around to face me again, and his eyes were alight with annoyance. "And where do you think we'll find the Creator, Phoenix?" he asked, kinda insultingly. "What, we'll just turn up to some temple and be like, 'Here we are, Universal Lord and Founder of Light, now get down here and help us kick some dragon ass'? Tell me. I'm simply dying to know your ideas."
"Like I said, Em, Kai and the Blade have a connection."
"So?"
"And the Blade and the Creator have a connection."
"Your point is redundan - oh," he said.
I smirked wide. "There's an indirect link between Kai and the Creator, Em. If we can use that to our advantage somehow, then maybe the future isn't as bleak as we think."
He sighed again - it was weary and tired. I knew playing human was hard for my brother; it required a lot of energy and time and thought. He was pushing his limits. "As long as you stay safe," came his soft voice. "Just stay safe." You and Kylie are all I have.
"Obviously," I said; then I grabbed his arm and took him to the window. He didn't care for nice views much, but the hype of the morning would brighten up even the darkest of minds. "I'll be careful," I promised. "I always am."
Little did he know, that was a lie.
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- Kai's POV -
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I knew I shouldn't open the chest. I'd done this before; I'd been helping Mum clean one morning, and I'd stumbled across a tucked-away compartment in the attic, and I'd opened it and found an ancient curse. But sitting here and remembering that powerful urge I'd had with the sword in my hand, that overstimulating, indescribable desire to kill and that feeling of pure fearlessness . . .
I couldn't stop myself. What that blade did to me was intoxicating, and I wanted to hold it again, even just for a moment.
Gently, I unclasped the chest's lock and opened it, the slight creak of hinges piercing the late night silence around me. Mum, Dad, Iris, Gemma, Ethan and Tali were all downstairs, so I had to stay as quiet as possible. They couldn't find out about what I was doing.
And there it was; unsuspecting, seemingly waiting for me in that hidden chest . . .
Nothing. Zero. Naught. It wasn't there.
Oh Notch, I thought. Of course Mum would've hidden it somewhere else, idiot! She knew you would do exactly this. I resisted the urge to slam the box shut, and instead slowly closed it and placed it back behind the trapdoor. The lack of noise around me was frightening, and it made my thoughts spin - Where could it be? How could I find it?
"What are you doing?" came a voice from behind me. I screamed and jumped up from the ground, bashing my head against the low roof in the process. Groaning, I glared at the intruder who had scared the crap out of me; Mum.
"Oh, uh, hi Mum!" I scrambled, kicking the trapdoor shut. Did she notice? "It's such a nice night, I thought I'd better come out and enjoy it."
"In the attic," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"On the contrary, yes," I replied, attempting to cover up the mess of boxes I'd made whilst searching for the trapdoor earlier. "The sky is, uh, very beautiful from here." There was only one tiny window in this attic.
She tried to put on an adult face, but her smile broke through. "You know, sometimes I'm glad that only one of my children got Zach's brain."
"Hey!"
She laughed softly, then told me to shush. "There are people sleeping," she reminded me, and then she pulled out a box and sat down. She inhaled deeply and gave me a pointed look. "I know you were looking for the Blade, Kai," she said. Busted. "And trust me, you won't be finding it for a while."
"Is it in the potions shop?" I guessed, deadpan.
"What? No, no, no way! I would never do something so obvious!"
I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Jan."
"Anyway," she rushed, "I want to talk to you about something. Come sit here."
I sat beside her; we faced the small window, and together we peered up into the stars. It was a clear night.
We sat there for a while. She didn't say anything, despite her reason to sit; I didn't either, but my mind was ticking precariously on edge, scraped raw by the fact that I'd nearly given into the murderous temptation of the blade again - all because . . . because . . .
"I'm scared," I confessed, so softly I could barely hear myself. "Mum, I'm so scared . . . of what's going to happen, of what has been happening . . . It all scares me."
She shut her eyes. "Me too, Kai." There was some silence, and then; "But that's okay. It's good to be scared sometimes. Fear drives us forward, and it keeps us safe."
The attic was dark and cold, but despite that, it was still warm to have Mum next to me. We didn't get to speak to each other properly much. She mostly yelled at me to clean my room, or helped me with my biome studies homework, or took me to the shooting range - just typical mother-son things. But it was nice to just sit and talk for once.
"Sometimes I just wish it wasn't me," I whispered, and the stars seemed to be shining brighter. "I don't want . . . I didn't sign up for this."
She gave me an empathetic smile. "I know how you feel. Being a Wielder- being this different from everyone else - it's hard, there's no doubt. But it's good too. I mean, fire is pretty cool. And you've also got Iris in the same boat as you."
I still hadn't told her about the starry woman, or the legend she'd told, or the title she'd bestowed upon me. I still didn't know if I should. We can do it together, Iris had said, but was she right? Maybe 'the more the merrier' was the path to follow here. Maybe Mum could help me. Sometimes, when I try to fall asleep or I daydream too far, my chest cramps with this stinging, sharp fear - I can't escape it, I can't get rid of it, and I can't face it. I'm scared. I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared.
The stars started to blur and my eyes stung - I didn't want to cry, but I did, and Mum hugged me and I hugged her back and I cried and kept crying. I felt so good to finally relish in my fear, to let it overcome me for just a few moments, that it took me a while to stop. I'm scared. I'm scared. Eventually, the tears stopped coming, and instead of terror, I felt calm. It was relieving; it was awakening.
"It's good to admit what you're scared of," Mum said after I'd pulled back from her embrace. "It means you have a chance to grow from them. What exactly frightens you, Kai?"
Titles. Stars. The Child. Endermen. Dying. "I don't know," I murmured instead, peering out of the window, into the endless sky. "Lots of things."
"Then you have a lot of work ahead of you, huh." Mum gave me a tender smile. "It's okay," she said. "I'll protect you."
A blush crept up onto my cheeks and I turned away, embarrassed. "No, Mum, it's fine, I can look after myself." She laughed, and I grinned, and together we went downstairs and into our bedrooms.
I lay on my bed in a hazy state of awareness, exhausted but unable to sleep. Sleep brought dreams; sleep brought nightmares. I didn't get much of it anymore. Titles. Stars. The Child. Endermen. Dying. There was too much on my mind.
So I tried thinking of the good things, like the little smiles Iris makes when she thinks no one is looking, Xavier and Eve's loud banter, Tali's rude but amusing taunts and the dinner we cook together on Thursday nights, Dad's jokes, Mum's stories, Phoenix's laugh, the soft light across the horizon when dawn breaks, playing with Rudy outside on warm days, the sound of the dismissal bell on Friday, memes, visits to the snow, or when the teachers announces that there won't be any holiday homework. Good, small things.
I sorta got to sleep that night.
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- SEND HELP
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guys, it's the author here, i seem to be trapped in these digital pages - please help me, i'm not sure how i got here, one day i just woke up and the only way i could communicate with people was through this page you're reading
please, if you're seeing this, get help - i'm not sure how much time i have left so ple-
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Aha! Please ignore that last POV added. The problem will be dealt with swiftly . . . and brutally.
Anyway, sorry that this update took a month and a bit. Additional sorry for the gloominess, but guys, I literally made two pages of tiny annotations detailing the exact way in which a particular character is going to die. I'm so excited to reach the chapter in which that two page plan can be put into action. So ready to murder fictional people.
Next chapter, and I *promise* this, there will be more positivity. And dragons. And maybe death. Or Herobrine. Maybe.
Remember that Kai's fears are important. Titles, stars, dying, other things I can't remember, they're important, so look out >:)
*also, ignore the meme references. the author was getting out of hand again . . . i must go now and fix the cause of this issue. ciao
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QOTC: What's your favourite TV show?
aotd: i love upper middle bogan & modern family. i'm a sucker for comedy
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See you guys all later!
- Jazz
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Bonus: Guys, I saw Imagine Dragons in concert. My whole life got refreshed. I am reborn. This is a new me speaking to you, and I am now truly awake