Chapter 2.

FIVE DAYS EARLIER.

“Open the gates.” The elfish watchman shouted as he sighted a wounded rider approaching the castle.

The gate was opened according to his command and two elfish guards ran out to help the rider after noticing it was the King’s brother, Calaudra Ethren. The manner of his return told that the rest of the elves who went out to war with him were dead. So he was rushed to the healer for immediate attention.

Merethyl Ethren, the elvish princess, was the first to come see him after the healer was done attending to him. “Uncle,” She said as she came close to the bed Calaudra lay on. “Where is my father? Why didn’t he return with you?”

“I’m sorry Merethyl, he didn’t make it.” Calaudra cried both for the loss of his brother and pain which his niece felt at the hearing of the news.

“Father, I came as fast as I could.” Berilan barged into the room. Seeing the tears on Merethyl’s face, he knew what had happened and also felt sorry for her even though it was difficult for him to believe that his uncle, the elvish king would fall in battle because he was the greatest warrior amongst the elves.

Seeing Berilan, Merethyl walked out of the room, leaving him and his father alone.

“Merethyl wait.” Berilan wanted her to stay while he leaves to come back later, but she didn’t stop, yet he attempt to go after her.

“Beri,” Calaudra called his son in short form as he used to and Berilan stopped, turning to his father. “I am glad you are here. There is something I want to tell you.”

“What is it, father?” Berilan replied even as he looked at the door once again because he was feeling for his cousin sister and didn’t like to see her in pain.

“You have to leave Brendal.”

“What!” he exclaimed. “Father you know I can’t, not in such a time as this. I have to stay with my kin.”

“I know, but you must be prepared for what is coming and the only way is to find your brother.”

“Brother? Father you realize I don’t have a brother?” Berilan was beginning to feel his father’s wound was messing with his memory.

“Of course you do. I had another child with a human, eighteen years ago in Freytown. I never thought a day would come when I’ll speak of him, but right now, you have to find him because you need each other’s help against what is coming.”

Now it was clear to Berilan that his father was still in his right senses and was very serious about having another son. “What is coming father?”

“I can’t give you more information, until you’ve found your half-elf brother.”

“How do I find him? What does he look like and what is name?”

“I haven’t seen him before so I can't tell you what he looks like. But you’ll find him, by finding his mother, Thola in Freytown. You have to leave as soon as you can. Take my bow and sword, you’ll need them.”

“Yes father,” He replied with inner joy, as the said weapons had been passed down in their family for generations.

“Here,” Calaudra took off his ring and gave it Berilan. “When you meet him, give this to him.”

“I will.” He receives the ring and embraces his father. “Get better soon, father.”

*****

“Marc, where are you? Come on.” Berilan called out as he pursed Marc to the waterfall which was nearby. But there was no response, yet he kept looking.

Soon he found Marc sitting on a rock near the flowing river, so he approached him slowly.

“Go away. I want to be alone.” Marc said to Berilan even without turning. He heard him call and deliberately kept quiet.

“I just can’t.” Berilan kept drawing close. “Mind if I sit with you?”

“I want to be left alone.” Marc replied.

Berilan was not going to respect his decision at the moment, “I can’t claim to understand how you feel right now, but I really need you to listen to me.” He paused only to hear from Marc, but no words came forth so he continued. “My father, I mean our father.”

“I don’t want to hear about him.” Marc stopped him from speaking further.

“I totally get it, but you have to.” Berilan refused to be silent. “He spoke some kind of evil, and how they will come for you, for all of us, which is why I am here. We need one another and you must believe me.”

“How long?” Marc finally found the words to say to Berilan. “How long has it been since you knew about me?”

“Five days. He returned from battle injured ….”

“That means he never spoke of me.” Marc interrupted as he got the answer he needed at the minute.

“I am sure he loves you and there was a reason for his action which you cannot know unless you speak to him.” Berilan sounded very convincing. “He asked me to give you a gift. Something very precious to him.”

“A gift won’t make up for his wrong.”

While he was still speaking, Berilan brought out the ring and showed it to Marc. “It won’t, neither was it meant to buy your forgiveness. He never took it off his finger.”

“What’s that?” Marc asked as he looked around.

“It’s a ring,” Berilan was surprised at how was unable to identify a ring when he sees one.

“Of course I know it’s a ring. I mean what’s that sound? Or can’t you hear it?” Marc was more specific this time because he was hearing some strange noise other than the sound of the waterfall.

Then Berilan paid close attention to sounds around them and was able to detect the sound which Marc spoke of, so he said. “We need to go, right now.”

Marc stood up at once because Berilan sounded like they were endangered but he still wanted to know what was making that sound.

“Here take this,” Berilan forcefully put the ring in his finger and he didn’t consider resisting since his focus was on finding the source of the noise.

Then an axe flew towards him, but he was lucky enough to dodge it while Berilan drew his bow and fired in the direction from whence the axe came and a beast, just like the one he had killed when he first met them fell from the hilltop into the water.

“What is that?” Marc asked after he had seen the source of the noise.

“Minotaur, in thing they are here for us.” Berilan answered as he drew out his sword and gave to Marc because they were surrounded. “You’ll need this.”

Marc had no option than to take the sword even though he didn’t know how to use it. He put on the ring as many more minotaurs came into sight.

While Berilan kept shooting as many as he could with his bow and arrow, Marc remembered his mother and sister, so he took off, heading back home to ensure they were safe.