"Did you hear about the Pitchaqi family?" Kyu hummed from a chair, seemingly randomly placed in the middle of an otherwise empty room, the second Hatch entered.
"Fill me in," Hatch responded in a tone that might have been considered as uninterested to many, but this way Kyu. Kyu was content as long as he received some sort of an answer.
"They're all cursed, the whole lot of'em!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.
Hatch nodded, as if he was listening, while he summoned a table covered in silver platters, topped with food of all kinds.
"Apart from the eldest, I can't seem to remember the name of the guy, he was murdered! Bloody mad, eh?" Kyu scoffed before lifting a goblet from the table and bringing it to his lips.
"Sure, who did it though?" Hatch asked, seating himself and carefully filling a plate with his favorite foods.
"No idea. My bets on Clay," Kyu guessed, nodding to himself.
"Not Kithalyuh?" Tennex asked as he entered the room, pulling a shirt over his toned and honey colored chest.
"The Pitchaqi family are all Qilains. Kithalyuh is the leader of the Qilains. Obviously, it is not Kithalyuh," Kyu explained and rolled his eyes.
"Take it easy on your bother. He's got a few hundred years of knowledge less than us," Hatch softly chuckled and signaled for Tennex to take a seat.
"Our brother, mind you," Kyu responded.
"So, what are we doing today?" Tennex asked as he sat himself down and reached his hand over the table, picking up a bowl of fruit.
"Medelyn told us to stay home and take a break," Kyu answered with a smirk, while he ran his fingers through his golden locks.
"Okay, but what are we doing today. Where are we going?" Tennex asked, even more eager than before.
"I've arranged for a meeting with Laxía, so I for one will not be home." Hatch said with a sweet smile.
"For goodness sake Hatch, stop being so in love," Kyu scoffed, while attempting to untangle parts of his hair that had gotten stuck in his rings.
"Kyu, brother, where are we going?" Tennex asked a third time, giving his older brother his full attention.
"I'm off to the White Kingdom," Kyu said, "you're welcome to join as long as you don't get in the way of my work," he continued with a wink.
"For goodness sake Kyu, stop being so in love," Hatch mimicked and Kyu laughed. "In love? I'm sure I don't quite understand the meaning of that word." He continued. "But I am eager for some intense royal-skin-contact," Kyu laughed wholeheartedly.
Tennex shuddered, "you guys are awful," he stated.
Kyu and Hatch looked at him sternly, making Tennex think he was in actual trouble, before they both broke out laughing.
"Of course, we are," Kyu stated.
"We're warlocks," Hatch continued, raising an eyebrow in a cocky display of arrogance.
Kyu chuckled at Tennex's disgusted facial expression and threw a platter at his head with the flick of his wrist. Tennex crossed his arms in front of his face, stopping it midair. It hovered in front of his tense arms for a few seconds before he threw it back. It passed Kyu and crashed into the wall behind him. Kyu grinned, "eat up brother, we'll be leaving shortly."
They continued the meal in silence.
Tennex looked at his brothers in turn. At times it was hard to tell Kyu and Hatch apart, as they were identical twins, but Kyu had recently found joy in metal and stones. Meaning that Kyu, apart from Hatch, had taken a sudden liking in jewelry of various sorts.
Now it wasn't at all difficult to tell the two of them apart, but it was getting increasingly difficult to recognize Kyu.
"We should all be back before Medelyn returns," Hatch commented when he rose from his chair, being satisfied with the food. He reached into the empty air in front of him and pulled his cloak out of, seemingly, nowhere.
"And when would that be?" Tennex asked.
"No idea," Hatch responded, fastening a scarf around his neck.
"As usual," Tennex sighed.
"Kyu, take care of the youngest," Hatch continued.
"Youngest doesn't necessarily mean young, thank you very much," Tennex mumbled.
"And I'll see you two later. In one piece preferably." Hatch concluded.
"I think you mean two pieces, unless you want us stuck together?" Tennex countered.
Hatch rolled his golden eyes at Tennex before making eye contact with Kyu.
Tennex knew they were talking to each other, using telepathy. He also knew that he was not allowed access to the conversation. Even though he knew that they probably had reasons, it annoyed him to be so obviously dismissed.
Hatch turned and made eye contact with Tennex. He looked worried for a split second before his expression softened. He winked and disappeared.
"And what was that all about?" Tennex asked.
"Dinner plans," Kyu answered before he grabbed a very confused Tennex's arm and teleported them both to the white.
Tennex straightened his back the second they reappeared, keenly taking in the new surroundings. He stretched his mind out and recognized his whereabouts almost immediately. They were in the castle in the capitol of the Kingdom of White.
Kyu looked nauseous as he stumbled a few steps forward, he blinked hard and sought support from the closest wall. Tennex raised an eyebrow and sniggered, "you still haven't gotten used to it? After how many thousands of years?"
"Okay so you can handle teleportation, but might I remind you that you still can't stop time? Or shapeshift? Or manipulate memories? Or-" Kyu mocked but Tennex broke him off: "And I can't take control of other people's bodies either, yes I know, but I've only just passed two hundred," Tennex excused himself.
Kyu scoffed and started parading down the hall. Tennex chose not to point out that Kyu was still wobbling and swaying even though he had increased the pace.
"I have to morph if I want to get passed the guards ahead, I'll find you when I'm done," Kyu stated and Tennex pretended to gag.
"Very funny. I expect to not find you in any form of comprising situations, mind you," Kyu stated, waving a finger at his younger brothers face.
"Oh, don't you worry, I can assure you that sex is not on the agenda tonight," Tennex responded tensely.
"Or any night, as it might seem," Kyu chuckled.
"If it is not out of love, I really can't see any point to it," Tennex responded, furrowing his brows.
Kyu smirked "Heard it before. See you round, little one," and within a second he had evaporated, or so it seemed. Tennex could sense movement towards the ceiling, and guessed that Kyu had turned into a fly, or some other creature of the tiniest sort.
Tennex walked along the passageways, nodding to the guards that he passed. None of them recognized him as a prince or member of the court, but seeing as he was cloaked in robes with as much royal pomp and pretentious splendor you could possible find on the market, and his posture was that of a royal, they wouldn't dare to stop him to try to inquire him about his name or position.
Thanks to this, It didn't take him long to reach the library; the room in every castle that carried the most secrets.
Tennex crossed the room and made for the corner shelves, figuring that that's where he would find either the information most irrelevant and uninteresting or the information the royals would be most eager to hide from the public eye.
He plucked a book out from the row and read the title. A detailed description of the Adechi kind.
Tennex had heard of Adechis but didn't know much about them. He had heard, or more correctly sensed from the attitude of his brothers that they were a disgrace to the warlocks.
Adechis were cursed by birth, limiting their powers and lifespan, and the only way to break the curse was by stealing a royal's powers. How an Adechi could steal someone's powers was a mystery to Tennex, and what would happen with the person who lost their powers, Tennex could only imagine.
He flipped through the pages but stopped at a drawing. It looked like a human, floating over a lake. A variety of objects were floating around him.
The detail was incredible. The man was in deep concentration, his eyes closed and his hands level with his face, somewhat stretched out, as if he was reaching for something.
Tennex tried to make out the objects flying around the man on the picture. One of the objects seemed to be a cloak, similar to a royal robe. Another looked like an animal. A third seemed to be a doll, like the ones the trained puppeteers and jugglers in the courtyards used for their shows.
Tennex glanced at the man again, trying to decipher the drawing seemed pointless so he decided to try to understand the man instead. He studied his features and wondered how the artist had managed to capture the person so well.
He was intently focused on the bloke's face when the man in the drawing abruptly opened his eyes and stared straight into Tennex's.
Tennex gasped and dropped the book. He stepped backwards on reflex as the sound of the hard cover meeting the solid floor, echoed throughout the library.
Tennex's heart was beating loudly and rapidly in his chest. After the echo died down, the room was otherwise silent.
Tennex was about to pick the book up again when Kyu appeared, he materialized himself between the book and Tennex.
"Kyu! You have no idea what-" Tennex started, but Kyu grabbed his brothers arm with such a force that Tennex whimpered and was unable to utter another word.
"We're leaving."
When they arrived back home, Hatch was already waiting for them there, as if he somehow knew that Kyu would be hurrying back.
Hatch looked worried and tense. "Talk to me, Kyu," he demanded.
Kyu had turned a sickening shade of white, more so than usual after teleportation.
"Tea," he muttered, and with a wave of his hand he summoned a table for two and a kettle of tea.
"I'll take the hint," Tennex responded irritably.
"Check again, dear brother," Kyu replied, his voice thick with irony.
Tennex glanced back at the table and noticed that three mugs had appeared.
"I think I'd prefer to stand," Kyu explained in response to the confused expressions on both of their faces.
Tennex sat down, and nodded his head upwards, causing the kettle to gently lift itself off the table and pour tea into each of the mugs.
"Thank you, brother," Kyu mumbled.
"Quickly Kyu, explain," Hatch urged.
Tennex suddenly became very aware that they had not made room for Medelyn, which probably meant that this was a conversation she wasn't entirely welcome to join in on.
"She's pregnant," Kyu said, and his voice broke. A chair materialized behind him, he fell back into it and covered his head with his hands.
"Who is pregnant?" Hatch asked, leaning forward towards Kyu. Kyu merely looked at him.
"One of the royals?" Hatch guessed, to which Kyu nodded.
Tennex drank from his cup, determined to keep silent throughout the conversation.
"Ohh," Hatch exhaled, the realization dawning for him. "You were in the castle in the White Kingdom," Hatch asked, although it wasn't at all a question.
Kyu nodded. "Wasn't a far off relative good enough for you?" Hatch asked, a strict tone entering his voice. He lowered it to a hiss and leaned as close to Kyu as possible without forcing anyone to leave their chair. "People will think you're cursed, Kyu." He said it with the greatest intensity.
"That is not my worry, Hatch, for I will easily prove them wrong. I am worried about the woman," he explained.
Tennex almost choked at that remark.
"She is to be sent to the countryside, to some distant relatives. She will return when the child is disposed of, I presume," Kyu grunted.
Tennex dropped his cup, it could have shattered against the floor, but it didn't. It hovered over the floor for a few seconds, then it rose up to the table and neatly sat itself down again. All three of them noticed the presence at the same time and rose.
Medelyn appeared in the sort of baggy pants that men used, tucked into tall black boots. Her shirt was tight, the fabric clinging to her skin. She had let her hair down, such as she normally did when she returned home after combat. It looked like a wavy river of fire.
"Sit, boys, sit. You as well Kyu. What is your big worry, seeing as this has happened countless times before? Have you become emotionally attached to the child already?" The sorceress asked, a taunting tone danced upon her lips.
"It's the queen," Kyu said softly, not at all surprised that she knew what the conversation was about.
"Does it make a difference if it's the queen or a princess? Or a servant for that matter?" Tennex asked.
"Foolish child," Medelyn sighed, creating a chair by the table that she could sit on. "The king, as they all are, is desperate for power. The offspring of a warlock such as Kyu, would certainly be right up his alley." She explained.
"You checked if it was a boy or a girl?" She asked and Kyu nodded. "Boy," he said. "I'm going to have a son," he continued.
"No in fact you will not. The child is not yours to keep any more than it is hers," Medelyn said.
"Then who's is it?" Kyu asked.
"Property of the king," Medelyn responded. "The king is also sending his concubine away. When they both returns, they will altogether be two women and one son. The queen will give her son to the concubine, and the boy will be a bastard. End of story, not a problem. Now what is really bothering you?" Medelyn asked, taking turns looking at all the boys. "There is an unspoken word, floating in our midst," she whispered with a smirk.
Tennex was picking a new cup up when he froze.
Medleyn had set his entire being on pause. She twinned her thick, long locks around her finger. "Now talk to me, tell me your secrets, while he still cannot hear,"
"It's nothing," Hatch said quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly.
"Kyu, dear. Will you cooperate?" Medelyn asked sweetly, but the undertone was unmistakably stern.
Kyu glanced at Hatch, who raised his eyebrows and gently shook his head.
"Medelyn..." Kyu started nonetheless, but he was interrupted as Hatch slammed his hand into the table.
Kyu jumped and Medelyn rose to her feet. She pointed an accusational finger at Hatch. "Are you deliberately trying to keep me in the shadows?" She roared.
Hatch felt a noose tightening around his neck. "Please don't," he whispered before all air was pressed out of him. He struggled to rip away from Medelyn's course, and fell off his chair. Hatch's hands were around his own neck, trying to pry off an invisible force. His vision was stained with black dots, and he could feel his heart beating intensely.
"It's about Tennex," Kyu said. Medelyn turned away from Hatch, allowing him access to air once more. He gasped and coughed as he tried to get himself up from the floor.
"We think he's an Adechi," Kyu continued.
Medelyn went quiet. Her hair was fuming, legitimately emitting smoke, making it seem even more like her crimson hair was on fire.
"He can't control other bodies, shapeshift, manipulate memories or pause time," Kyu explained in a whisper.
Medelyns jaw was tightly clenched. "To think I've allowed an Adechi to reside within my house," she snarled.
Tennex turned his head towards her, as Medelyn had allowed him to hear that last sentence.
Tennex turned towards Hatch, who was still on the floor looking quite frightened, and therefor misinterpreted the situation completely.
Medelyn rose from her chair and lifted her hand out towards Tennex, who shot Kyu a confused glance, but Kyu was already rising to his feet.
"Medelyn!" Kyu bellowed, just as she started to clench her fist.
Tennex felt his ribcage bend inwards, inching closer to his vital organs with every passing second.
They started snapping one after one, he gasped shocked, tears trickling down his cheek.
The shock only added to the pain - until it was gone.
His sight was blurry with tears, so it took a few seconds before he realized that Kyu had flung at least a dozen daggers at Medelyn, who had released her grip on Tennex as she had been forced to concentrate her powers on another task.
"How dare you?" She screeched, and Kyu had to cover his ears to escape the agonizing sound.
"Medelyn! Forgive him, I beg of you," Hatch desperately yelled. He bowed with his head to the floor.
"Do with Tennex as you must, but please remember that he is no longer your property and Rain will indubitably want him now," Hatch continued.
Tennex was still struggling to breath and was far too afraid of the damage he would cause himself if he moved too much.
He was trying to heal himself but concentrating was hard in a situation like that.
"I can't let you throw him out. He's our brother!" Kyu protested.
Hatch quickly scrambled to his knees and ran over to Kyu.
"Listen to me- Please listen to me, brother," Hatch desperately whispered. "I cannot survive losing two brothers in one day," he continued.
"And I suppose you think I can?" Tennex softly sobbed.
"You are lucky to not be dead, Adechi." Medelyn hissed, seconds before Tennex disappeared.
She knew very well where Rain lived, and expected he would be quite happy with her speedy delivering.
Tennex didn't feel anything during teleportation, but the shift from hard floor to wet grass was quite noticeable.
"Tea?" a calm and deep voice asked.
Tennex scrambled to his feet and stumbled right into a middle-aged man with shining silver hair.
"Who-?" Tennex started, but the pain in his chest was too intense for him to speak. He fell to his knees as tears once again flooded his eyes.
"Let me take a look at you," the man demanded, lifting two fingers so they were level with Tennex's face before tracing his body, without ever touching him. He stopped at his chest, where his rib cage was still contorted.
"You're injured. Medelyn wasn't happy to find out you're an Adechi?" The man asked.
"I'm not... I can't be..." Tennex stuttered, all choked up.
The man gently laid a hand on his shoulder, the pain in his chest disappeared instantly.
"Tea?" The man repeated.
Tennex looked shocked at him. He wasn't a warlock. He knew the name and aura of every warlock in the universe, and this man was not one of them. The man had completely healed Tennex in a matter of milliseconds, and the fact that he knew Tennex was an Adechi, and still even talked to him was enough proof that the man in front of him was in fact an Adechi himself.
"Heturain," the man introduced himself as, offering Tennex his hand. "Tennex," he answered.
"Pleasure to meet you, Tennex, but now it is due time for me to make you some tea."
When they were safely inside, and Tennex had calmed down, Heturain started talking. "Being an Adechi isn't all that bad," he assured the young man.
"It's a curse," Tennex answered. His eyes were focused, but on nothing in their presence.
"It can be broken," Heturain comforted him.
"By killing a royal?" Tennex asked, slightly irritated.
"You have to sleep with a royal, because only after the connection of aura that comes with such a deep connection, can you steal their powers. Regrettably, your lover slowly dies, because his or her powers will be drained and transported to you. You will then have all the powers that a warlock has, just stronger. You have probably noticed that some warlocks aren't as good at everything?" Heturain explained.
"My brother, Kyu, can hardly teleport without puking," Tennex said with a careful smile.
Had it not been for the drug in the tea, Tennex would likely have been extremely riled up over the fact that sleeping with a royal would inevitably mean that that person would die, but due to the substance, he was completely calm - even slightly drowsy.
"It has undoubtedly been a long and eventful day. We can talk more in the morning," Heturain said, rising and guiding Tennex to a room that Heturain had made ready.
"Thank you," Tennex whispered.
"Good night," Heturain responded, and the second Tennex's head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep.