The Broken Ones

Chapter 16:3 -Family

-Oh, is this your brother? Are you sure, because he claims he only has brothers and no sisters at all, Jack said sarcastically.
-Soi, Siri repeated and tried to stand up.
Jack took a step forward and pushed her down again with his foot. Soi tried to get to her but some guards held him back.
-Let me go! Soi yelled.
Jack turned around and looked Soi straight in the eye and a chill run down Soi’s back as hay-coloured eyes pierced through him.
-I’m sorry Soi, for the way she looks at the moment but that’s simply because she wouldn’t cooperate, Jack said with a velvet voice and snapped his fingers.
Sam held out a silver dagger to Jack. The dagger looked all too familiar to Soi. Jack kept his eyes on Soi and smiled.
-Did you know that when you cut this woman, Jack gripped Siri’s wrist and slowly cut her arm and Siri whined. Blood dripped down her arm.–She heals, like it was nothing.
As he spoke Siri’s wound healed and left no scar.
-Of course, Jack continued, she can still feel pain. Now, I’ve tried this a couple of times as she didn’t give me a satisfactory answer to my question of why she heals. Maybe you could tell me?
Jack put the dagger to Siri’s throat and even though her eyes filled with fear she quietly shook her head. But Soi didn’t have a choice. He coughed a little to muster up his courage.
-That’s because when Siri was little she got gravely ill and had to be drenched in the water from the spring, he answered with a clear voice.
People around them begun to mumble but was instantly hushed by Jack.
-The spring? And what’s so special about this spring? Jack asked impatiently.
-Its water can heal any wound or illness.
-Oh, now that’s more like it. And by the rumours I’ve happened to hear I know that you’re a spring guardian, Jack said mockingly, and that you always carry a little bottle containing this spring water, am I correct?
-Yes.
-Hand it over, Jack said coldly and waved with the dagger.
Soi did as he was told. Jack opened the bottle and emptied its content in a glass, only, the glass remained empty.
-Now, what’s this? Jack stared at the glass with raised eyebrows, his voice cold as ice.
-It’s empty, one of the brokens answered and Jack’s cold eyes bore a hole into him.
-It sure is, which means that this little spring guardian have walked around saving people, preventing them from becoming brokens. Most likely he has saved someone in his company as this secret has not leaked out until his sister arrived and begun searching for him. Who has he travelled with? Jack’s voice rung out hard and cold in the hall.
-Doesn’t anybody know? Jack asked with restrained anger.
-Nebelius Silver, sir.
-Idiots. Mr Silver is still a broken isn’t he? So it couldn’t very well be him, could it?
-No, sir.
-Who else have this guard been in contact with who isn’t a broken? Jack defined the question.
-Jagger, sir, Mack’s daughter.
-Better. Anyone else?
-Those two white haired brothers.
-Find them.
The door to the ballroom opened and people disappeared from the room. As the door closed again Jack turned his eyes back to Soi and his sister.
-You and I have a lot to talk about, my dear spring guardian. Make him dream!
Suddenly the world around Soi turned black. The one thing he could hear was the echo of a scream far away.

He could see her, her hair. Her long blond hair was blowing in the wind. He could hear her laughter. He was looking into her hay-coloured eyes, they were so close. He could almost touch her, then suddenly she was beyond reach. She was standing on the edge of the cliff, that green cliff where his father had once tumbled down from and died. She was waving and smiling to him, her hair floated in front of her face, hiding her smile and her sparkling eyes. Soi could feel his heart racing. Why was she standing on that cliff? Why was she waving to him? He began to run towards her. Was she saying goodbye?
Soi tried to call her, get her to stay but his voice couldn’t reach her.
She took a step back. Soi stopped in his steps. He didn’t want to see. He closed his eyes and…
Suddenly he stood at the edge. How did he get here?
He looked over the edge.
He stopped breathing.
There she lay, her fair eyes wide open and her hair coloured with blood.
He screamed but no noise came out of his throat. So he continued to scream and scream and scream.

Soi opened his eyes slowly, it was dark around him. The only sound he could hear was his own heavy breathing. He hung deeply with his head, anticipating what was to come. He didn’t know what was real anymore. There was a slight movement to his left.
-Ana? Is that you? His question hung in a weak and desperate tone.
He was surprised his voice even worked, it sounded so hoarse.
-Yes, who else, Ana’s voice answered in a bored and irritated manner.
She sounded like the Ana he knew and Soi felt relief for a moment.
-You’re alive, he sighed.
It was quiet for a while.
-Yes, why shouldn’t I be? Ana then said irritated but her voice was unstable.
-I watched you die so many times, over and over.
-Oh. So that’s why you screamed.
-Is this real, are you really alive? This isn’t a dream?
-Dreams are exactly what you’ve gone through. They’ve kept you dreaming all this time. Easier to extract information that way, Ana mumbled.
For the first time Soi noticed that the floor kept moving. As his eyesight accustomed to the darkness Soi saw that they were surrounded by wooden walls. He had a growing suspicion.
-Where are we?
-No idea. On a ship, that’s all I know. But I can guess where we’re going.
-No!
A door opened and light shimmered down through a narrow staircase. Two guards walked up to them and dragged them up the stairs towards the light. They were pushed up on deck and led across to another door, pushed down another set of stairs and into a chamber.
-Welcome, guests!
Jack sat in armchair with his legs crossed and smiled coldly at the two as they were pushed to their knees. At his right Sassa leaned on the back of the chair, sweetly resting her head with small smile and at his left, two steps behind, Sam hid in the shadows. Behind Jack was a large window showing the great view over the dark blue ocean. In the distance a green mountain hid at the horizon. Soi took a deep breath, it had been so long since he last saw those green fields. He never thought he would see them again.
-You recognise your home, Soi? Jack sneered. –Spring Island.
-Why are we here? Ana asked abruptly.
Jack snorted.
-I thought as we are about to reunite Soi with his family, I would like to share a story about another family. Chairs for the guests!
Two chairs were brought forward and Soi and Ana were roughly seated, facing the chairman.
-Good. Now leave the rest of you.
The guards left the chamber.
-Sassa and Sam too, Jack added, his voice firm.
Sassa lifted her head slowly as if she woke up from a dream.
-Are you sure, she said with her velvet voice and stroke with one finger across Jack’s scar.
Jack took her hand and kissed the palm.
-Come on then, Sam, Sassa said and swayed out of the room followed by Sam’s stiff shadow.
The door closed behind them and left the seated in silence. Suddenly Jack laughed.
-Oh, this will be fun.
Jack tapped his fingers against each other while his smiled broadened.
-Ah, Ana, don’t think about hurting me, it’s useless, you won’t even get close. But as a precaution, rise.
Ana rose from her chair, like a puppet pulled by strings.
-Now, stand behind Soi’s chair.
Ana stood close to Soi's back. He could feel her breath in his neck.
-Pull out that dagger I know you hide.
Soi could hear Ana hold her breath. At the corner of his eye he saw the dagger. It was an exact copy of Sam’s silver dagger.
-Hold it at his neck.
Soi saw Ana’s hand tremble to resist the chairman’s words.
-There we have. Now let’s start. Ana, wouldn’t you like to know who your mother is?
Ana stopped breathing and so did Soi.
-See I told you it was going to be a good story, Jack’s eyes shone coldly at the two. –Now, you might wonder why I would know about Ana’s family. Well, there is a simple answer to that question. I am Ana’s family, Ana’s mother is my mother. Ana is my little sister.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick

The Broken Ones

Chapter 16:2 -Family

-How long do we have to wait do you think?
Soi’s nerves were twitching. Nibbles and Soi had been at the ball for a couple of hours and Jack still hadn’t made a move.
-Not long, Nibbles said with his usual twinkle in his eye.
Soi sighed, “not long” in Nibbles’ world probably meant another couple of hours at the ball. Nibbles smile grew wider.
-Actually, I don’t think we have to wait that long at all. See, Nibbles said and pointed at Jack’s direction.
Jack was walking towards the podium where Blackbird had been standing earlier.
-What is he going to do? Soi asked nervously.
-He’s going to hold the traditional speech that the chairman of the Academy always holds at the ball. And after that it’s our turn.
-You knew? Soi exclaimed but was hushed by the surrounding couples as Jack took place on the podium.
-Friends and enemies, the Broken Ones stands before a new dawn where the sun will belong to us, Jack begun his speech. -For too long have we been shattered but I can see tomorrow, a tomorrow where we will be united. Now you wonder how I can promise you all this but doubt not, because already tonight you have witnessed the power of this new dawn.
-Is he talking about Ana? Soi whispered to Nibbles.
-I suppose so.
-That’s not good.
Nibbles snorted in response.
-And there is more to come, Jack’s speech continued.
-And now he was talking about you, I would think, Nibbles whispered cheeky to Soi.
-Thank you, Soi said sourly and Nibbles nodded.
-But only united can we build our world! So tonight we raise our glasses… Jack raised his glass and waited for the rest to raise theirs, -To the Broken Ones!
-To the Broken Ones, was chanted in the whole ballroom and Soi felt a chill down his spine.
The last sound of clinking glass died out.
-Let the ball continue, Jack called out and the music begun once again.
-They’re leaving, Soi said and pointed at Jack’s little group of people who moved away from the dance floor.
-Our time has come, Nibbles mumbled darkly.
Soi and Nibbles followed Jack from a distance to a smaller room. Although there were guards posted outside the room to let everyone know that not just anyone was welcome, Nibbles was let in without a protest. This did not exactly calm Soi’s nerves.
Once again Jack was the centre of everyone’s attention.
-Is everyone here? Jack asked.
-So it seems, a silky voice answered. - Go ahead, darling.
Soi jumped a bit as the answer came from behind, he had thought they were the last one to enter. Slowly Soi turned his head and was greeted by a sassy wink from none the less than Sassa. This couldn't be good.
-As you might have understood from my speech, there is a change coming and it will be to our advantage. I would like to thank everyone who stand beside me, and especially Ana.
Soi saw Ana twitch in her passivity and he wasn’t the only one noticing. Jack’s victorious grin grew wider.
-If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be here, he said. –As a small token of my appreciation I have prepared a gift for you.
Ana’s suspicious expression turned into fear. Jack tilted his head partly and put on a fake caring face.
-You have looked so gloomy ever since you came to Beroal, even though you have been reunited with your precious Sam. So I have taken the liberty to arrange this gift for you, I hope you’ll appreciate it.
The suspension was great, Soi could feel Ana’s anxiety as her body begun to shiver. For her it would be like a living nightmare, this wasn’t happening, it was just a sick dream. Soi wondered if he should tread forward before his name got called out, to not let Jack feel the satisfaction of terrifying Ana. Soi didn’t get the chance.
-Where is he? Where is the guard, whom Ana tried to withheld from me?
Soi swallowed and beside him Nibbles took a deep breath. They looked at each other and nodded decidedly.
-Here, sir. The guard is here, Nibbles called out and pushed Soi roughly before him.
They passed through the excited and wildly mumbling crowds up to the empty space between Jack, Ana and the rest of the brokens filling the room. Ana met Soi’s eyes and sunk to her knees only to be supported by Sam. As Nibbles appeared behind Soi Ana’s eyes filled with rage.
-You?! She growled and threw herself at Nibbles but Sam held her back. –You traitor! TRAITOR! I trusted you!
Jack snorted mildly at her reaction.
-Did you really think you could keep him from me? He sneered at her. –Be quiet.
Ana silenced immediately and hung with her head deeply. Soi took a deep breath, so this was the true power of the brokens, to silence with a word.
Jack reached out his hand to Nibbles.
-Thank you for escorting my gift to lady Ana so faithfully. It’s good to know, in times as these, where once loyalty lies.
Nebelius Silver bowed deeply and kissed Jack’s hand, like a petty dog.
-Sir, I was only doing my duty to my kind.
-Of course you was, and by doing so showing great devotion.
-May the Broken Ones prosper, Nibbles concluded and bowed again, even deeper this time, before he backed away and left Soi to his own.
-Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you our future. A simple guard of seemingly no value at all, yet you can see what his presence has done to lady Ana, the most powerful broken alive.
Soi felt like a game in the claws of a monster.
-So, guard, state your name.
Jack circled Soi.
-Soi.
-Hm. And so you are lady Ana’s late guard?
-Yes.
-The council informs me you come from Casmil, Jack said while smiling.
It wasn’t a question but Soi felt the necessity to answer.
-Yes.
-How very interesting that you would claim to come from Casmil. That’s actually where my special guest comes from too, Jack smile turned dangerous. –At least that’s where we picked her up while she was scouring the streets in the hunt for her brother.
Jack snapped his fingers and a door opened. From the corner of his eye Soi could see that Nibbles straightened his back.
-You don’t happen to know this woman, Soi from Casmil? Jack asked sneering.
Soi’s dark and slanted eyes widened with fear. He had a growing suspicion. This is what Ana must have felt like only minutes ago.
Two guards dragged a lifeless woman before Soi. She had dark hair just like him and it had been neatly braided at one point. Now those braids had almost disbanded and the hair was a mess. She was dressed in blue clothes, all too familiar to Soi. He didn’t have to see the woman’s eyes to know that they were dark and slanted like his.
-Siri, Soi whispered quietly and the woman lifted her head tiredly.
First she looked right through him but as she focused her eyes a light of recognition lit her eyes.
-Soi, she whispered hopefully. –Little brother.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick