BLOODY VENGEANCE

Betrayal between family.

Somewhere in the capital, there was silence in a certain house that was broken periodically by the sounds of some objects breaking on the floor with a thud. The servants of the household present were all wishing they could disappear at the moment but their masters had not yet dismissed them yet so they stood there with dread and trepidation. A young boy was on the bed panting out of breath and sweating as a healer carefully bandaged his injuries. Large drops of tears leaked out of his eyes but he stubbornly refused to cry out loud in the presence of his father who was pacing back and forth in the room. He gritted his teeth and said. "Father, you don't need to worry about me. I am alright..."

"It's not you I am worried about, Elif!" The middle aged man who was huge and tall snapped at his injured first son but he didn't even flinch. He kept pacing about until the healer was done with her job and had left the room before he approached him on the bed. He said angrily. "What is going to happen to our plans now that Gudmund has cut off your arm? Are you sure you did not do something to offend the Crown Prince?"

"Of course not, Father." Elif was equally perplexed about what had entered the Crown Prince to make him do such a thing to him considering their friendship. "Do you think what the rumours are saying about him is true? Has he really been possessed by a demon?"

Commander Ingouf shook his head deep in thought. "If that is the case, that old woman would've spoke up first. From the look of her face when she left the palace, I think something else is going on..."

Elif lifted up his body to lean against the pillows and walls as he suggested eagerly. "I will send my men to investigate this matter immediately!"

Commander Ingouf looked at his son and suddenly couldn't bear to see him anymore when he saw the missing place where his right arm should have been. He knew that Gudmund must have completely overpowered him in order for this sort of thing to happen and that only made him annoyed at the moment. "Forget it. You should focus on resting. You are in no condition to do anything right now."

Elif felt uneasy seeing his father act so coldly towards him so he tried to coax him gently. "Father, if you give me enough time, I am sure I can learn how to wield my sword with my other hand. Rest assured, I will-"

"We don't enough time for that." His father cut him off briskly as he stared outside the window, not seeing his son's shocked face. "I think we should allow your twin to take your place instead. That way, we won't experience any setback in our plans."

"Father!" Elif tried to stand up but his weak body would not allow him so he wobbled and fell on the floor. He watched his father leave the room with a face filled with disgust and annoyance instead of helping him off the floor. He cried out pitifully. "Father....Father! Father!"

"I am afraid that Father would not be able to help you now, Brother." An unknown voice made Elif lift up his head towards the door where he saw his younger twin leaning against the door with a happy smile. "You are now disabled so you are nothing but a liability to him. A shame that he would now avoid, just like that silly girl who chose to become a palace servant rather than to warm our beds."

"I am not in the mood to talk to you, Eluf." Elif tried to get up and return to his bed but he could not do it. His eyes reddened slightly at his miserable condition as the pain killers the healer had given him had already begun to wear off, causing him to feel an unbearable pain that threatened to make him fall unconscious. "Leave my room."

"Don't worry, I will. But I feel like you should know how you became like this or you would feel very wronged." Eluf entered the room and sat down on the chair, reveling in his brother's demise with a smirk. 

Elif frowned when he heard his brother's words. He had many enemies throughout the land so it was not a surprise but none of them would dare harm him this badly. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Eluf adopted a mocking horrified face as he said to him. "Who do you think gave you the advice to visit our sister in the palace after hearing the Crown Prince's sudden change of behavior? Who is that person that bribed the servants not to come to your aid and went far as to stall our father from coming to you?"

"Eluf!" Elif's face went pale when he heard his twin's words, his whole forehead was covered with sweat. Although he and his twin had never been on good terms, he could never imagine that he would scheme against him. "That was you?"

"Why do you look so shocked, brother?" Eluf unrepentantly looked at his hands while his brother struggled from the pain of losing an arm. "You should have seen this coming when you mocked me for always been under your shadow. Now that you are utterly useless to Father, I guess that just means good opportunities for me."

"I. Will. Kill. You!" Elif gritted his teeth tightly as he clenched his fist and tears dropped on his cheeks. He glared at Eluf with eyes that promised vengeance although his face was contorted from pain. "Father will hear about this and he will not let you live."

"I know." Eluf let out an evil chuckle when he saw his brother spitting out blood from his lips all of a sudden. "That's why I asked the healer to come and take care of you personally. This is your chance to say your last words..."

Elif's angry face became one of horror when he realized what his younger brother was saying but it was already too late. His insides began to churn with pain and he could feel himself taking his last breath. He could hear his twin's last words ring in his ears. "And I wouldn't be able to do this if not for my lovely woman, Princess Selene. You know right? She is coming to Krudak to kill the Crown Prince..."