I do not own the Inherence Cycle.
Warning: there is language and violence. Do not read if you cannot not handle it.
A short chaptered story. The idea was my brother's, and he even tried to write it but quickly gave up. I took over because; well, why not?
I debated over the last few days about posting it and figured I would since I had such fun. This story is only three or four chapters long.
Enjoy,
A Call to Resurgence
One
The room held within it the silence of death.
Selena crept around the doorway, glancing around for her son. She could not see him, not on his bed, the covers were neatly drawn to the feathered cushion, nor was he seated at his usual post. The cushioned chair by the window was painfully void of his tiny rump, though a wooden toy rested at the window's edge. "Murtagh?" she whispered, barely able to get his name out. Her throat felt tight, and her hands began to shake.
She called out to him again; "Murtagh?" and again there was nothing.
What had Morzan done to her son now?
"Murtagh?" Her voice came out loader, clearer as anger interlaced with her panic. She rushed to his bed and peered beneath it, searching in vain for her young child. He was not there. She hadn't thought that he would be but she had hoped. "Murtagh, this is not a good time to play a hiding game. Come on out."
For a painful moment she held her breath, daring not to move. Nothing in the room stirred, not so much as a mouse. Selena's breath escaped her in a rush, as she croaked out his name once more.
Where was he?
He was not under his bed, nor was he inside his wardrobe, nor the long chest resting near the wall. As she searched, she became more and more frantic, tearing the room apart in her haste. But Murtagh was not there.
Selena's son was rarely out of his room in the evenings. She had told him to hide there when she was away, it is safer- a place where his father would rarely enter, if at all. But the boy must be elsewhere, unless he was- Selena shook herself, she refused to think such things. He was in the castle somewhere and he was safe. He had to be.
She rushed from the room, eager to find her son. It had been weeks, nearing almost two months since she lay eyes on the child, and her heart ached from the lack of contact. Looking down at herself, she supposed it was for the best; her not being able to find her son at this time. There was still dried blood on her clothing, though she had tried to wash the stains out some days before, and in more than two places there were signs of injury, not to mention the knives and sword swinging from her belt. She did not want Murtagh to get ahold of the weapons, but she so very dearly wanted to see him.
It was just as she thought this when she heard a set of footsteps slapping against the wood flooring. Knowing the culprit of loud these steps, Selena turned as her heart jumped in her chest, and-
-There he was.
Murtagh stood before her, a large grin breaking across his face, a goblet held carefully in front of him. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and his tiny nose was wrinkled. It didn't look like she had been away from him for merely two moon cycles but a whole year! He had grown so much!
Her eyes began to burn at the sight of him. "Mamma!" he cried, nearly dropping the goblet. He ran forth, liquid flying out the cup and wetting his neat tunic.
Selena kneeled down and caught him in her arms. They embraced for a moment. "You should not run in the halls," she said quietly, not truly meaning her words. She embraced him tighter, and then let him go. A cold replaced the warmth in her arms where he had been, and she felt suddenly very empty. She wanted to hug him again, but instead folded her arms across her chest. "You might fall. Come here and let me look you at you." Leaning away she examined him, and flicked his nose. "Oh, my! Just look how much you've grown! I think you could take on a bear!"
Murtagh laughed, and shook his head. "A bear too big!" he said as his giggling stopped. "Don't be silly, Mamma." He took in a sudden breath, and then glanced inside his goblet. It was empty, its contents on spewed across the floor. He glanced behind him at the liquid, and then back at his cup. With a shrug he looked back up at her, a grin spreading across his face. "I didn't know you home!"
"Nor did I." They both turned to see Morzan. He stood behind Selena, watching the scene with his strange eyes; one dark as night and the other as bright and blue as the day's sky. His hair fell past his shoulders and down his back like a waterfall made of raven's feathers, shockingly dark against the pale of his skin. He was not wearing his armor, as he rarely did in his home and the dark green tunic he wore looked out of place on him. "When did you get back?"
"Only moments ago," Selena said, keeping her face as blank as she could. She could feel Murtagh's small body press into hers- hiding himself behind her legs, trying his best to remain out of sight.
Morzan's lip curled up as he frowned. "You're supposed to come to me when you when you return."
"I was on my way to search for you," she lied, smoothly rising to her feet. Selena was not going to admit that she had returned some time ago and spent that time as far from her husband as possible- for as long as possible.
"Of course you were," Morzan muttered lowly. His voice no longer held the charm it once did, now it sounded as he spoke from the depths of the Void. "I take it that the traitors has been executed in an orderly fashion, and you know all that they once did?"
"Naturally," she muttered. She hadn't killed Hemard and his family, but sent them south to Surda, she did explore their minds before doing so, and set their home ablaze afterward… But no one, not even Morzan, would be able to call her out on this bluff. Selena had taken too many careful steps and Morzan trusted her completely. This was the only thing she could count on him for, his complete trust. "I have done as you asked, Morzan, no more, no less. And now that I have reported to you, may I tuck my son into bed? It shan't take long."
Morzan looked at the boy hiding behind her, his face darkening. "No," he said. "The boy is too old to hide behind his mother's skirts and be tucked into bed, he should have a sword of his own by now." He stood for a moment, watching Murtagh before flicking his hair from his face. "Well, boy? What are you still doing there? Get to out of my sight!"
Selena pressed her lips together. She didn't dare say anything, even from this distance she could smell the reek of alcohol seeping from Morzan's breath.
Behind her she could feel Murtagh's debate; Morzan was standing by his bedroom door, her son knew not to walk by the man in the evenings, nor could he flee back the way he came, and to knowingly ignore his orders would lead to punishment. Slowly, Murtagh detangled himself from around her legs and walked past her. She placed a hand on his shoulder as he passed, and let it fall to her side when he walked out of her reach. The boy glanced nervously at his father before continuing to the door. His shoulders and back were stiff with anxiety. As Murtagh walked past Morzan, as close to the wall as he dared to get, the man reached out for him but Murtagh was faster and dodged towards the wall just out of the man's reach. He ran the rest of the way to his room, and slammed the door shut behind him.
Morzan snorted as he watched the boy. "Your son's a sniffling coward."
"He's hardly more than a babe." Her hands tightened into fists, as a boiling anger roiled through her.
"I don't see him nuzzling to your tit," he said with a sharp laugh.
She pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to let the words she thought to be said. It would be worse for Murtagh if she did, and she couldn't do that to him. She could not be that thoughtless.
Morzan began to walk away and she followed, knowing that it was best not to let him become angry in the slightest way. And him being drunk did not help her in that mission, not in the least. "What did they tell you?" he asked after a moment.
"Nothing," she said. "I couldn't get them to talk. I searched their minds instead. They did not know much."
Morzan grumbled something she couldn't hear. "That boy is turning you indulgent," he said after a moment. "You should have brought them here where they could have been properly taken care of."
Again Selena said nothing, her lips pressed tightly together. Slowing her footsteps, she held her hands behind her back, placed there to resist the urge to strike at him. She was still very upset about what he had done to Murtagh- she would never forgive him for it.
"It would do that boy good to see what his mother can do."
Visions of the past flashed before her eyes; the blood and the faces twisted in pain as the lifelight in their eyes slowly faded and flickered out, like a candle being snuffled. She had done that; killed them. But Morzan had done that to her. He had killed the innocence she once had, killed it and twisted it until it was unrecognizable and horrible. He would do the same thing to her son, unless she did something to stop him.
"He will be a man soon enough. He'll need to hold his own against any who challenge him."
Murtagh had witnessed no more than three winters. He would not a man for a very long time. He didn't need to learn to defend himself, expect perhaps from his own father. The man had almost killed him once, and he would no doubt do it again. She should be there for her son more, to protect him; it was her greatest regret.
"You should have gotten more information from them, woman," he continued after a pause. "I know they knew more, and now what they know is gone as well. You made a mistake."
Selena had made mistakes. All people did. Her biggest was putting her trust in this man.
As they turned down the collider towards Morzan's bedchamber, something shifted inside her. Something dangerous. Something thirsty. Something he had created.
Anger swept through her; her skin felt like it was crawling and boiling.
Morzan turned, and he must have seen it, whatever 'it' was. His face paled and tightened. "Selena?"
She had to protect Murtagh- him and her unborn child. She couldn't stand here in front of him, any longer. Each day, each and every moment, was like death. Her hand went to a knife, the smallest one, the one he had enchanted for her. Before she knew what she was doing, she threw it at him.
Morzan did not move, he was far too shocked, and watched as the knife sailed into his chest, just above his heart. He stared at the knife, then, and like an angry cloud his face darkened. He pulled the knife out, muttered the healing words, and grabbed at her.
Fear ripped through her, cold and distracting, as she ducked out of his way. She fell back against the wall, and rolled out of his way as he charged her. Her head slammed against the wall, and for a moment she could see nothing.
As her vision cleared she looked up.
Morzan stood over her, with one hand on his blood-colored blade, it glittered in the dim light from the torches. His other hand was clenched into fist. His carved white face was set into a sneer, splitting the fuzz that covered the lower half of his face. "Get up."
Selena spit the hair out her mouth then stood up, not knowing what else to do. A moment later she gasped in surprise as he seized her by the shoulders, and spun her around so that she was facing him. He glared down at her. She felt something inside her flinch.
The look in his eyes, froze her in place. He leaned closer and put his lips to her cheek, close enough that she could feel them move he breathed. "What did you think?" he asked. "That you could kill me with a cutlery knife? You know better than that, Selena. You are better than that because I made you that way."
She couldn't help it, she did flinched. Reality of what she just did began to weigh on her. Her eyes widened with the relation of what she must now do. She raised her hands and placed them against his chest, then turned her head. Her lips met his, her stomach twisted sickeningly, and she felt him stiffen against her. Her lips moved against his- warm as a dying, yet hard as ice in the dark. Selena slid her hand down his arm, to his sword and tingled her fingertips with him, at that moment he pulled away from her. "I thought it would be more interesting," she murmured.
"Stabbing me in the chest would make our bed games more interesting?" He laughed, the sound echoed throughout the halls. His lips met hers lightly, almost teasingly, and he pulled away once more. He had to have more to drink than what she originally thought he had. "Interesting, indeed, but I would prefer both of us to live through more than just one night."
She nodded, and wiggled her leg free, then brought it up and kicked him hard in his knee- where he had an old injury from his childhood that had hadn't quite healed. As he fell back, she yanked Zar'roc from his hilt, and shot towards him. Morzan jumped to his feet, and nearly fell, but she did not wait for him to gain his balance and swung the flat of the blade at his head, knocking him off feet, blood blossoming against the black of his hair.
He snarled and sprang at her, his fist slammed across her face with enough force to send her skidding across the floor. She was stopped when she crashed into the wall, gagging, and coughing blood. Zar'roc spun down the narrow hallway and bounced against the wall. Selena dared to look at Morzan, he was fumbling over himself in his drunken state. She took advantage of this, and threw another knife at him. It bounced off his wards, he didn't even notice it. She forced herself to her feet, and launched for his sword.
The ruby blade cut her hand as she grabbed it, slicing the skin clean open to the bone. Morzan yelled from behind her, and jerked her away. He was casting a spell, but his words fumbled over each other and he could not get much out. She stood up slowly, her muscles giving way, and slashed Zar'roc at him. He jerked back in surprise. Selena jabbed the blade into his thigh, and when he reared back, she drove her elbow into his throat, cutting off his spell. He went sideways, choking, and she rolled, pinning him under her as she yanked the bloody blade free from his leg. She drove the blade down toward the pulsing vein of his neck, and stopped-
Morzan was laughing.
He lay under her, bloody and injured, and he was laughing, his body vibrated through her own. His skin was spattered with blood- both his and hers, dripping down his face. He let his arms fall down to his sides, and looked at her in disbelief. "You've changed," he said, his mismatched eyes meeting hers. "But you shan't kill me, wife. You have not the prowess."
Selena disagreed and thought of her unborn child and her living child. She would not allow Morzan to have control over her life or theirs. He would not hurt them anymore.
She brought the blade down and screamed when it met skin.