Chapter 1 Antioch
Antioch waited for his brothers by the river. They were late again, as per usual. Cadmus was probably talking to Miranda, his fiancee, and Ignotus.. Well, Antioch never knew what he was doing. Ignotus was always the shy one, the one that didn't really trust anyone and could hide better than anyone in their village. Sometimes, he'd be gone for days and then come back without warning, and when Antioch or Cadmus asked him where he'd been he would just smile and retreat to his favorite hiding place, inside himself. However, the trouble really started when they got to school.
Ignotus just didn't fit in. The teachers were all a little wary of this strange boy, and the students were vicious. He would always come home bleeding or with his schoolbooks missing, or the bruises of insults that can't be seen on the skin apparent in his eyes. But he never cried, Antioch thought, no matter what happened to him, my brother, he would never show it. Ignotus just retreated deeper and deeper inside his soul and made dreams his reality and reality a dream.
Of course, the brothers had tried to make things better. On days when his schoolmates were being especially malicious, Cadmus would always come to his room laughing and tell him a story about magic and the wizards of old, before they had to hide away. Sometimes, all three of them would join together and create new spells under the cover of night, where there'd be no watching eyes of the non-magical folk that could have them killed if they were caught. Normally, it was just Ignotus and Cadmus though. Cadmus, the social one, the one who got along with everyone, and was the only one that could get through to their brother. Whenever Antioch tried, he was just met with a wall of indifference and the glance of someone who's just been woken from an especially pleasant dream.
Antioch helped Ignotus in his own way, through combat. He would always stand up for his brother against those who hurt him, but every day he hated himself and his situation, for hitting children younger than him to stop them taunting his brother and seeing the fear in their eyes, fear of him, who just wanted to protect his brother. He hated that before Ignotus came, he was popular, the one the girls smiled at and the boys laughed with, and then he just became known as the brother who beats up kids years younger than him. Soon, the children in his own class, who had once been his friends started mocking him as well. After that, he fought them too and just became known as the person who would fight anyone and everyone. Of course, Antioch thought bitterly, Cadmus never stood up for me, never helped Ignotus during the times of need, only comforted him afterwards when the damage had already been done. He did nothing that would sully his perfect reputation. Now, it was Cadmus that had the beauty of the town betrothed to him, Cadmus that had the whole town as his admirers, Cadmus who had their brother's love, while he, Antioch, the one that had sacrificed everything for Ignotus, was barely dignified with a glance.
Cadmus walked up to the river. He was tall, with fair-hair that shone like the stars whenever it was caught in the light, and an ever-present smile and a laugh. Antioch compared Cadmus' looks to his own dull brown hair, more the color of mud then anything that would inspire poets to praise, and his brother's permanent smile to his own face that seemed to stay sullen. Even in this, I am beaten, he thought before greeting his brother warmly. Ignotus clung to Cadmus' side, his feathers of hair hanging down on his face, and his bird-like frame shivering with the cold of the day. All three Peverells had the exact same emerald green eyes.
"Looking at the river?", Cadmus asked, "Don't worry, we'll get across someday." Then the brother's three watched the setting sun as it fell down towards the impassable river. All three brothers Ignotus with his eye firmly fixed inward, Cadmus with his perpetual smile, and Antioch with his boiling anger, all had the same thought. There's a new life across this river, and we are going to find it.