Chapter two

Zesos looked at the floor and sighed. Sadness echoed in his heart and mind making him feel pressure in his chest and a buzz in his head. How is this possible? He thought confused. How is it that I am actually from a different clan than this one, the one I was raised in?

"I can see that you are confused," Teliuer said calmly giving Zesos a sympathetic look. "Shall I explain the details for you in a more understanding way?"

"I knew that I wasn't his blood child," Zesos said, still looking at the floor of the library. "I just didn't know that my father was a Soul Keeper." Zesos shook his head in disbelief, struggling with the whole concept that had just been revealed to him.

"Not many of our people marry those of this world but, your mother and her homeland proved to be far different than we had assumed." Teliuer looked somewhat sheepish as he admitted to their misconception.

"Assumptions lead to the wrong idea. I learned that one quite fast."

Teliuer laughed slightly at the remark and wearily looked at Zesos' mother. His mother looked pain stricken when her eyes met Teliuer's and then she turned away to look at her young son's doleful expression. Zesos, who had lifted his head and was leaning back in the large armchair, grimaced at his mother. She walked up to her son and knelt next to him.

"This is where your journey starts and where mine must abide," she said sadly. "You will go with Teliuer and return to your father. He has never seen your face, but he knows who you are. He has always known you."

"How could he know who I am when he hasn't even seen me?" Zesos asked.

"For the past several years, starting at the day of your birth, I have been sending messages to my home asking them to send letters to your father in the World of the Souls." She said assuredly. "Each message I sent was a detailed inscription of who you were and how you were doing." In her eyes you could see how proud she was of Zesos's accomplishments. "It was the only thing I could do to make sure that he would know who you are; and it has worked as I had hoped." A small wistful smile graced her face.

"What do you mean?" Zesos asked, looking at his mother in confusion.

"She means, that is the only reason I am here," Teliuer said stepping closer. "I am the closest person to your father, for many reasons."

"And what reasons would those be?" Zesos questioned pointedly.

"First and foremost, I am his best friend; Secondly, I have been his protector since day one; and third, we are family."

"How are you two related?"
"By blood. We are cousins by blood and brothers by race."

"So you are also my cousin?"

Teliuer nodded and Zesos stood. Zesos let out a sigh and said to his mother: "I guess this is good bye for now my mother."

She nodded and tears started to roll down her face. Zesos hugged his mother tightly and she returned the embrace. When Zesos finally let go of his mother, he looked at Teliuer and said: "I would like to leave soon, if that is all right."

"It's fine with me, although it will have to wait until tomorrow," Teliuer said.

"How come?"
When night falls on this kingdom, it is near impossible to see which way you're going; even if you have a light and know exactly where you are going."

"Ah. That would prove difficult for even the most experienced traveler."

"Go get some sleep, you'll need it. We will be leaving as the sun places its first six rays on the horizon."

"I have gotten up before the first ray touched the horizon before."

"That is early and a little too early for me," Teliuer said scratching his head. "If you do get up that early, I guess you can pack a few things before I wake."

"What kind of things will I need?" Zesos asked as he pondered his necessities.
"A few sets of clothes. I can't really use my magic in this kingdom."

"Is that because it is devoid of all light?"
"It has more to do with the fact that we forced a Null-Cast on this kingdom to prevent the shadow from spreading." Teliuer said with contemplation.

"Magic can increase the curse of this kingdom?" Zesos asked in surprise.
"Only if used inside it. Once we leave the kingdom, we will be able to use magic."
"I don't know any."
"You have the potential to learn how to use magic; you are of the age to learn its teachings. You will be taught when we arrive at the palace." Teliuer assured him.

Zesos nodded and went out of the library towards his room. This is going to be interesting. He thought as he walked. I only know how to get to the forests in this kingdom from the inner city walls, but from there I have no idea.

Zesos sighed and opened his door. He looked around his room and sighed heavily again. It is going to be a long night. He thought, and laid down on his bed. Zesos started to feel the lull of sleep when he heard a knock on his door. He sat up, noticing that he was still in the clothes he had been in all day and smirked. Oops. He thought. I forgot to change. I guess it'll be fine for now, since I have someone at my door.

"Enter," he said calmly walking to his desk and sat in the chair.

A servant walked in with a tray of food with Dren following right behind. Zesos looked at Dren as the servant placed the tray next to him, bowed politely then left the room as quietly as he came.

He watched as Dren walked over and sat on his bed. Odd. Zesos thought as Dren let out a sigh. He isn't acting the way he normally does. Normally Dren has a cocky grin on his face and never enters my room.

"Is something wrong Dren?" he asked calmly. "You aren't being your usual self."
"You could say that." Dren said calmly. "I just found out that you're leaving tomorrow, just as the sun rises."
"I am. Why would that bother you though?"

"Because I'm losing my little brother."
You and I are not blood."
"I know but, that doesn't mean that you aren't my brother. Father took care of you even though you weren't his son I and I tried to help take care of you as an older brother."
"That's a little surprising since you and your father weren't around much to take care of me and when you were around all you did was irritate me."

"I know that is how it seemed, but you could tell that we were trying."
"I know. I just found it irritating that you two wouldn't leave me alone when I had asked for some peace to read."
Dren laughed, "Father did that more than I did. I let you get through some chapters before bugging you again."

Zesos nodded in agreement. There were even times you would actually read with me, and help me through my studies.

"I'm guessing that this," he pointed at the tray left behind by the servant, "is a little bit of the banquet that your father has called for."

"You'd be right on that," Dren said standing up. "I had hoped that you would eat in the Grand Hall with us, but when I saw father going to the library after you I figured that you'd prefer to eat in your room."

"Thanks for being considerate." Appreciation ringing in Zesos's voice.
"Just promise one thing." Dren asked.
"What would that be?"
"When you do arrive at your destination, you send a message here; to let us know that you arrived safely. If not for father and myself, do it for mother."

Zesos nodded and Dren left the room. I will send a message of arrival to mother letting her know that I am safe. He thought. I will also send you something Dren, you did worry about me the most; second only to mother.

Turning back to the tray Zesos removed the lid to see what Dren had brought him. The tray had equal portions of meat, fruit, and vegetables. Happily he began to eat the food. The meat was a sautéed pork with lemon and rosemary with a hint of parsley; there was a salad with a vinegar dressing on it and some steamed carrots with a thin coat of sugar on them; and a small portion of mixed fruit along side it.

Dren really knows how to find foods that won't go to waste. He thought. Normally, I wouldn't eat something that was brought to me, but Dren knows what food is safe. He is immune to most poisons and is gaining immunity to others.

Finishing the food Dren had brought him, Zesos, heard a soft knock at the door. The servant who brought the tray came back to take what was left. Zesos nodded and the servant took the tray and left again.

He let out a sigh and went to the closet to grab something to sleep in and paused. Something doesn't seem right. Zesos thought and turned around. I haven't seen that person before and I have met every servant that has come to the castle for work. That person didn't carry themselves as a person of servitude.

Zesos walked to his door and paused again. He started to sway slightly and placed his hand on the door for support. He started to loose balance and fell to his knees hitting the door with his fist. A null poison. He thought angrily. Of all of the cheap things to do. No wonder Dren was here, he either didn't fully know or he was planning on this. Zesos tried to stand, but couldn't find the strength in him. He got more and more angry as he failed to get up.

"Damn it!" he said hitting the door again.

"Looks like it worked," Zesos heard someone say behind him. "Normally a null poison doesn't work this well."

Zesos turned and saw the same person who brought him the food sitting on his windowsill. The person was slender with hazel eyes and short red hair; his clothes were black and Zesos could see the sheath belt that held two daggers at the man's waist. He angrily glared at him and was met with a cock smirked in return.

"What do you think of this?" The cocky man asked as Zesos heard his door open.

"Perfect," a familiar voice said.

Zesos looked up and saw Dren in his door way with the same smirk on his face that he always wore.

"Why am I not surprised?" Zesos sneered.

"Dunno," the person on the sill said. "Maybe you thought he'd try to do you in the whole time."

Zesos looked at the floor and sighed. He heard Dren move around him to the person on the sill. He heard Dren stop, but could faintly hear footsteps coming up the hall to his room. Who is coming here? He thought. Everyone is down in the Grand Hall eating, including the guards. Zesos saw a flash of white down the hall and smiled. Teliuer.

"What to do with you now?" Dren asked himself aloud. "Since you can't leave until the poison wears off, I guess you are stuck."
"Not really," Zesos said.

When he looked up, he saw Teliuer right behind the person who was on the sill and smiled. Teliuer hit the person on the sill with the side on his hand on the person's neck and grabbed Dren by the back of his neck.

"Now what to do with you and your little friend," Teliuer said holding him tightly as he tossed Zesos a vile with a purple substance in it. "That will remove the null poison from your body."

Zesos opened the vile and drank the purple substance. He grimaced at the taste, but drank all of it and then stood up, feeling dizzy. When Zesos was fully standing, he heard the clanking of armor stop at his door and saw the king and the royal guard standing there.

"What are you doing?" the king yelled, panic clear in his voice.

"Uh," Teliuer said looking a little worried at the situation he was in.

The king walked up to Dren and Teliuer and paused. He looked at Dren, the person on the floor and then at Teliuer. The king knelt down to check on the person on the floor and called one of the guards to him.

"Put this boy in the dungeon."

The guard nodded and removed the boy from the floor and carried him off, then the king stood and looked at Dren. Zesos could tell the king was angry, but couldn't see the full extent of his rage.

"You stupid boy," the king said as he slapped Dren across the face, making it so Teliuer lost his grip. "You are willing to take any chance you can to make her more miserable than she already is aren't you?"

Zesos looked at the king confused and watched as two guards grabbed Dren and escorted him out of the room.

"What is the meaning of that?" Zesos asked.

"Dren has been trying to make your mother feel more grief than she needs," he said turning to face Zesos. "She has been sad ever since she came here and he only happiness came from the thought that you would be able to return to your true father some day."

"Oh. So she would continue to be sad if I couldn't be with my father, but would have some joy since I would still be with her?"

"Correct. However, I will make sure that you can return to your father in due time, until then, I will keep Dren locked in a room where I know he can't get out easily."

"Thank you."

"You may sleep in peace on this night, Zesos. I will see you off at first light tomorrow."