Echo - Chapter 3

Aki was awaken by a loud clank of a cell door. The sounds of Templar boots and their banter was easy to hear. All of the other Mages imprisoned were silent, and the Templar liked it be that way.

“The Knox house hold was burned down – people say the villagers were angry at them for harbouring Mages.” One Templar had said, quickly yanking something up in a rash way. Aki judged by how the there was a clacking of chains, that it was another Mage.

“Ah, that makes sense – some of the Mages were mentioning a fire a few minutes ago.” Another had said, as the sound of a cell’s door creaked and a body was thrown in. 

Neither of two Templar seemed to care, for the walked on continuing their conversation. With a clank of a wooden door, and the slacking sounds of locks, Aki finally opened one of her eyes.

The cells and hallway were dark, which wouldn’t have bothered her if there wasn’t a single torch lit up down the hallway. She let her ears twitch and nose wrinkle at the smell of fresh blood and sweat, who ever that new Mage was they seemed to be greatly injured.

Did another try to escapes during this hell? Maker, they’re idiotic for doing that.

Aki shifted her way towards her cell’s door, wincing as she touched it. It glowed with a light-blue hue before dying down, her body shaking. The blood and sweat that she smelt was strong, cringe-worthy even, as she strained her eyes. The newly-arrived Mage was dark of skin, that or the dimmed light was playing tricks on her.

Her ears lowered instantly once the Mage started to sob, probably form the pain. Aki didn’t know what to do, her body shook as she sat.

Why was the sent that strong...?

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Boots stared at his younger brother, who shook and tried to look brave. Oh, how Remni tried to look brave for Boots – as if Boots didn’t go through the same ordeal as him. As if Boots didn’t see this whole thing unfold and felt the lump tug at his throat.

He didn’t say a thing as he finally stood up, yanking Remni up and forcing him towards their home.

‘Everything should be alright once we make it’, Boots had thought, not noticing the thick smoke come towering above them nor the near poisonous flames in front of them.

‘Everything should be fine and okay. Right?’

        ‘Right?’

He was only pulled out of his thoughts from a shriek from Remni, his feet brought to a halt from his siblings faltering down. Tears seem to shake down his face as a muffled sob making it way passed his lips. Boots flickered in front of him, his breath snagging his throat.

Just a few miles from their home, their only home, was Templar with torches. That, in itself, didn’t catch the siblings’ attention and caused Remni to panic. No, what did was the ocean of blaze and heat – their home in flames and barking heard.

The family’s hound, Pako, was growling at the armoured men. Attacking them with its sharp teeth and tackling one down with a snarl. The Templar panicked, screaming. His arm slammed hard onto their proud hound. She whimpered, getting burns from the torch and limping back in pain.

The Templar smirked, forcing himself up and getting help from a fellow. “We’re done here.” His voice echoed through his mask, the other agreeing and kicking the once proud dog. “Cuán should give us praise for this.”

The Templar head in the opposite direction from beaten dog, chuckling in amuse and amazement over what they’re done.

The only two Knox siblings left watched in horror, Remni’s breath getting caught in his throat as he gasped and sobbed, Boots needing to force him up to his feet.

“Shut it.” Boots didn’t know what came over him as he spoke, his frown stern and his grip tight. Remni whimpered from it, trying not to shake away from it.

“If you cry now, you’ll die.” Boots forced his younger sibling along to their injured hound, pausing and glaring towards the brushes the Templar went through moments ago. He shoved his sibling down to the ground and kneeled towards her, his gently trailing on her wound.

Honestly, Boots had no clue how to heal their family dog. He didn’t want to end her life, nor make her suffer any more that she has. With a glare towards Remni and a hand dangling towards his dagger, he began his demands.

“You were there when Lyida healed Pako, right?” Before Remni had time to response, Boots cut him off with a growl. “Of course you weren’t, mum and father would never let you too.” He cursed his stupidity, taking out his dagger with a wearily look.

He breathed before bring his dagger down towards where the burns were. “I’m so sorry, Pako...” He said before scrapping the dagger across her wound, forcing her down with a stern push of his hand.

Pako whimpered, squirming before giving up. She didn’t trust her master’s siblings, but she knew her burns were far worst. With the small whimpering that Pako gave out, Boots wasn’t sure of what he was doing. His hands trembled, which didn’t help that she was already shaking.

“Remni.” Boots’ voice was faltering, it seeming weak and silent near the end. His younger brother looked towards him with wide, tired and pained eyes. He tried to mutter out a response, but nothing came, and Boots knew why.

“L-Look away for a moment, you don’t need to see this...”

And as Remni looked away, towards the brushes that the Templar left through, there was a high-pitched whimper from Pako that lasted for seconds on end before she fell silent.

All he could hear was Boots’ rash breathing, and a muttering of his request to the Maker.

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Cuán was making his way down to the dungeon of the Tower, reflecting on the events of tonight so far. So many things he did, and there were still many, many more that he had to do. He was humming this queer tone low in this throat, it sounded like the Chant (or so most of the Templar claimed), his hands moving in tune with the melody.

So much was done tonight! He was proud of the lower slum of the chain actually did their work as told. The Knox family would never be a bother to them; the Mages that were still loose were in seer horror of getting caught by him, and he still had a lot more Mages at his disposal.

He had all of this power at his finger tips, and he wanted more. The Templar who were finishing their rounds heard the tune that Cuán was humming and tensed up, slamming the cells of the Mages to cause them to seer and panic. Cuán turned down the spiraling stairwell, his cold-glaze glaring into the Templar who were there and the few Mages who were holding their chest from the scare.

“You three,” He said, voice at an even, breath taking tone and hand gesturing to the area before them. “Your shifts are over as of now.” The Templar nodded, in fright and near panic as the ‘leader’ of the three smacked a shorter one for nodding too much and went to the other exit. Not one of them would dare pass Cuán on a good day, never less a bad one.

Cuán watched them with a smug feeling of power, continuing to hum his now demented tune of the Chant. The Mages who were awake tried not to look at him, fear trembling through them and their breaths quickening.

Everything was what Cuán wanted, until he felt a pair of stern eyes on him, and smirked. He turned himself to see the Mage in question. The Elvin Mage in question. It was the one who was the cause of Autmn Winters escaping, and who was beholding information on the matter...

If it wasn’t a bag of shit and lies, Cuán wouldn’t have had the chuckle that left his throat as he walked towards her. His pale eyes stared down towards her, his arms crossed in a loose manner. He wasn’t here to frighten her like the foolish Knight-Commander was. No, no, he wasn’t at all...

“Aki Lithos, is it?” His voice echoed through the vacant cells and halls, causing the Mages who were there and not out of it to sire and look over to Aki with wide, fearful eyes.

Aki tried not to waver, keeping her eyes and tense body pointed to him as she nodded. “Yes, Ser Templar.” Cuán laughed at title she gave him – oh, how rich it was! ‘Ser Templar’! His laugh was the thing the shook her up, and the thing that showed weakness.

Cuán knelt in front of the cage, a smirk on his lips that only a Desire Demon could muster up. Aki’s eyes and ears showed her fear, and Cuán was milking that up. He brought a hand through the bars, a hand brushing the side of her cheek in a gently way that caused Aki’s stomach to tense up and turn.

“Such a pretty Elf, pity, pity that you’re doomed.” His voice had this eerie, calm and gentle turn in it that caused Aki’s stomach to turn, and her knew it. He sensed it in her fearful eyes and near-balled up body. He knew it all.

“You’re perfect, just too perfect.” With that, he stood up, knowing that all of the questions that the Elf wanted to ask disappeared into the abyss of fear and darkness. He knew that well, and as he walked pasted the Mage he caught not even a few hours ago; a smirk was still on his lips.

Everything was going as he planned, and Cuán was going to enjoy this surge of power. The Mages scattered into the cages were there because he put them there. They were there because of his plan. They were his.

And not even the Knight-Commander can take this power way – he was certain of it. So certain that his tune came back to him as he walked up the spiraling stairway.  

They wouldn’t do anything, he knew it. He knew his pawns. He knew that they were to afraid to do anything, to afraid to move or to even breath. He knew that pretty Elf and noble warrior were only two of the many who would listen.

He knew it.

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The night went by slowly for the last of the Knox family, Boots and Remni were actually huddled up against each other, their bodies shaking. Their hound didn’t stir since Boots tended to her not even two hours ago, and when the bitterness of sun and warmth came across the forest, Boots couldn’t help but to stare at nothing at all.

Remni managed to sleep, he was huddled up against Boots and holding onto him to make sure he was there. To make sure he had someone to wake up too and someone to live with and someone to help him and someone to...Just stay with him. Boots understood why he did that, and he didn’t hold it agasint him like he normally would.

Their home was just down the way, burned to ash and char. Their parents were day, they assumed that late last night when they went to check the still heated ash and burning building. All they had left was each, and a possibly dead hound.

They were alone, and Boots loathed it. His thoughts were filled with hate, hate towards those damned Templar. Hate towards the man who stared down at them. Hate towards everything. Towards everyone—

His hands twitched as a trig was broken not far from where they sat. He roused his brother up, shaking him gently as the sounds of footsteps came closer and closer.

Once Boots was forced up with his dented, broken dagger in hand and stepping in front of his brother – his only living family member. His hand shook, and his eyes were narrowed, his breath was rash and shaking.

The source of the footsteps appeared and Boots was ready to attack – ready to force his dagger into the unsuspecting person’s throat for daring to come near them at this moment – this day—!

Once he heard a feminine squeak and he opened his eyes, he was staring face-to-face with an orange eyed white hair woman with rounded, upside down triangles under her eyes. Boots stared at her in disbelief, expecting a Templar, and quickly changed his expression to something more serious.

The woman, who brought her hands up slowly, fringed a smile and a look of that reeked of masking anxiety. Even Boots could tell that this woman had the exact same night as them, and he brought down his dagger slightly – just slightly.

“Name. Reason. Now.” Boots tried to make his voice more demanding than it could, eyes staring straight at her and Remni getting closer to their hound.

The woman looked from one to the other, breathing in and trying to form a sentence that wouldn’t cause the man before her to shove that dagger in her throat. “Autumn Winters – hiding from Slavers – scared of the man before her.”

She tried to crack a smile at Boots, but his glares caused it to wavier and disappear. This young man was a buzz kill, and he was a deathly scary one at that. Boots kept his glare onto her, his hand trying not to tremble and his throat dry with pain.

Something that this Autumn said sounded like a lie. Was it her name? It was a rather strange one – Autumn Winters. Or was it her reason? What would Slavers want with a queer looking woman like her?

“Autumn. Weird name.” Like Boots should talk, his name was the oddest name in the books, and he was certain that his parents were cracked on when they named him –...He cursed at himself, his hand twitching and in pain.

Autumn caught his sudden change and took a step down. He seemed violent, and unpredictable. And Boots was. His hands were twitching and his stare was straight at her still. He backed off, lowering his dagger and darting towards his younger brother.

Remni was silent, which was normal for him during moments like these. He wasn’t as strong willed or as powerful as his siblings. His body was weak, and his frame showed it will. Boots glared towards Autumn, who didn’t leave from her spot and just smiled. Like this was a day to smile.

“What happen to you kids anyway?” She asked, walking towards them and noticing their hound, a frown on her lips and kneeling in front of it. Boots watched her with bitter eyes, keeping his brother back still and silently told him not to response.

“Things, you?” He kept his voice even, something that shocked even him. It seemed to cause Remni to tense up, and Boots didn’t blame him. Autumn was trailing her hand gently on the dog’s stomach, it was rising but faintly. She had a tired look to her face, and she moved her hands in swirls.

Remni wanted to say something, and Boots looked at him, like he was allowing him too. When Remni spoke, his voice squeaked and cracked, sounding like he wasn’t use to talking. To be fair, he didn’t say a thing for most of the night.

“What are you...?” He looked worried, reaching out for Pako. Once Autumn moved away, Remni quickly went to the hound. His hand trailed against her back, her head, and he seemed to have a small smile to his face.

Boots watched this, looking towards Autumn with a frown and his arms going into a loose fold. Autumn smiled at him happily, pushing some of her white hair out of her face, behind her ear. She was pleased with herself, and Boots knew why.

This woman was a Mage. Perhaps the exact same Mage the Templar were after.