Chapter Two:
The Two Who Lived On
A scream had woken Roark from his slumber. He jumped forward from his bed and ran to the bars, staring down the corridor. 'Merlin! Merlin!" he yelled and banged his fist against the bar.
Merlin and Roark had been brought to the Kings castle five years ago and were prisoners to this day. The King believed them to be monsters and would not release them till they either died or explained how they were able to turn into such a monster. Of course the boys had tried to explain that this was not the case, but none would listen.
They were in rooms across from one another, separated by rustic, iron bars. They had little in these rooms, a bed of straw, blanket, and a corner for their needs. The cells were cold and chilled of a night, which meant that they would suffer bouts of frost bite and flus. Roark had been shock when he didn't get sick like Merlin would. The coldness seemed completely incompetent at causing him ailments. Because of this, he had given Merlin his blanket and anything warm he could get.
Merlin on the other hand had spent nights shivering with mist coating each breath he let out. Many times he woken to frozen limbs that would make him sick and ice burns. He envied Roark's immunity to the cold, but could not bring himself to be angered. Roark was doing everything he could in order to save Merlin, what more could he ask for.
The brothers, spent the first year of their imprisonment trying to understand what might have happened to their other brother. The two had always needed Malchior as he was there barrier. He would always help them through a problem and force them to understand the other. That was always the job of a middle sibling, yet he hadn't come with them.
By the time the second year had come round they understood that he was likely no longer alive, that he would have burned inside their home, along with their mother Elizabeth. It had saddened them even ripped a piece of who they were from them. Roark took it the hardest. Elizabeth had told both Malchior and Roark that being born with a twin was like being born with half of a soul. The boys would be connected always because without the other they would not be complete.
He thought this might be true because he and Malchior had always had such a complicated relationship. When the two of them were around one another they always felt complete.
In the pasting days the King had become bored off Roark and Merlins silence. Instead of simply waiting for an answer on how they managed to become that beast, he was now having them tortured. Roark had been the first to suffer at the hands of these men, they thought he looked weaker then Merlin had. They had taken him into a room and drowned him repeatedly. He had told them, time and time again, he knew not were the beast had come from.
Today was Merlins turn. Roark was not sure at what time they had collected him or how many of his screams he had slept through. All he knew was that if they continued on like this, neither of them would last long. They needed to escape and fast. But how were they supposed to do that?
Roark knew how Merlin felt and if they had managed to escape he could imagen what his brother might do. Merlin had spoken of his dreams often while the two were alone. He had told Roark how he wished to murder the man responsible for their imprisonment. How he would stroll into the Kings chambers and slay him in the dead of night before he could even call for help.
Though Roark didn't want to kill a man under any circumstances, he certainly understood the appeal. He promised his brother Merlin that he would not rob him of his kill, though it was easy to promise when he had never considered it as an option. He wanted to escape and run, far, far away from here into another land.
When they are finally free, Roark had something he wanted to Merlin. It was an important secret that he'd held since he and Malchior where little boys however, since Malchior was no longer around he felt he should share it with Merlin, for both of their sakes.
It wasn't until nightfall that Merlin was returned to his cell. Two male guards dragged his limp body down the corridor and tossed him into his cell. He looked like he had suffered, there were burns along his back, yet his skin looked colder than ever. Roark could only assume what had been done to him.
"The King feels burdened by you both. He won't spend the people's money feeding you anymore, and it's rather clear, I think, that you aren't going to talk. There will be a bonfire tomorrow night, and you two will be the guest of honour, so sleep up," a knight said. He had seemed bored, like playing messenger was inferior to him.
By the time Merlin had woken, the first light of dawn had hit the sky turning it a crimson colour. Merlin groaned and limped to the bars, usually water and last night's meal would be there, but today there was nothing.
"They'll be burning us by night fall, no need to feed the dead," Roark said. He had spent the night listening to his brothers breathing and staring outside the window. He started to contemplate his life, and how he had gotten here. There was no point however in trying to explain his misfortune.
"So we're dead, just like that," Merlin said as he leaned against the barred cell. Roark knew that Merlin had wanted to try and escape someday, then locate the person responsible for this mess, however he also knew that it was impossible.
They waited in a still silent for the clinks of chained metal and brooding voices that belonged to head strong knights. When the doors where opened a strong breeze blow in and cooled the room. Roark was yanked to his feet by the first guard while the next guard sent a blow to his stomach which sent him doubling over in pain. He was forced to walk forward with the cram that irked his side and his head tilted down in shame. From the corner of his eye he could see his brother getting the same treatment.
They were paraded up flights of stairs and in front of nobles as a display and shoved to the ground at the Kings feet. He held his head high like the supercilious, self-egotistical man he was. How he wished that he could rip a sword from one of the knight's side guards and slay him on the ground he stood. Yet, of course he knew that it was not to be. His fate had been sealed on the day of the beast and would forever remain the same. Without realising it though, as Merlin and Roark were marched onwards towards the pyre on which their graves would be set in fire, Roark had realised that his feet had become frozen to the ground and would move not.
It was at that moment that Merlin and Roark took their stand and turned against the knights. They stood and launched themselves forward, hurried though the crowed of cowering and trembling woman and men and headed for iron gates which sealed the castle. The cuffs rubbed at their wrist and ankles, peeling skin and harshening the skin. They knew that if they would not escape soon, they would be forever lost in this world.
They'd barely reached mid court when suddenly guards had taken up hold. This was the worst thing which could have happened, their arms were bound and legs restricted which made frightening near impossible.
"I thought the children of the beast would act in such accord. Did you truly think preparations had not been made for the feeblest of escape plans?" The King said in his mighty tone. He felt praised and was awed by the people around him as he boosted over an accomplishment not quite finished.
Roark and Merlin where shoved down to their knees while the guards took turns sending shocking blows with an acquired whip. The men and women laughed and snickered at each crack, while Roark and Merlin tried in vain to show no pain. Soon they were moved to the pyre with bloodstained backs and muddy clothes. Hay had been laid out and was set at the base of built up wood and lit. Flames blasted into existence licking the skin of the males while they cried out in pain. Merlins sleeve had been snagged and the flames crawled their way up, layering his skin with a pinkish red. While Roark felt the skin on his leg cooked and roosted. His teeth had clung together trying to conceal the sounds of agony and his hands had fisted.
They struggled as the people all around them laughed and pointed with stares of complete enjoyment. The people of this world cared not for those who were children to the beast and had took great pleasure in their pain.
Merlin cursed as his arm cracked. The rope which had been fastened now vanished and his eyes showed something alive in them. The flames which had been consuming his body like an extravagances feast where now merging with his skin. He laughed, at the shocked expressions donned by the guest and staggered down the stairs of broken branches. He turned to Roark, his expression unreadable and his eyes clouded.
"Come Roark, if were really the child of the beast, then least we could do is show the guests a good time. Stagger down to the ground and bewilder them with power which you alone hold." Merlin's head flickered back to the people, his broken arm pop and was once again in place and burned healed themselves.
Roark felt the flame scurry up his back and into his neck. The heat had made sweat drop from his brow and his clothes had almost completely burned into nothing bar ash. He wanted to join his brother, to stop the intensify pain that ravaged and withered his bones, but knew not how to do so. Soon he hears snapping, and though the pain was agonising, it was awaking.
He felt his arms snap and his foot burned away, but it was his head that caused the power to unleash. His head cracked, his eyes opened wide and the flames around him where frozen in frost covered ice. He had been freed from the pain.
Like his brother, he jolted down steps of branches and twigs to the paved ground of the castle floor. He stared over the people who had laughed mere moments ago and chuckled at the sight of the prideful King. His feet twisted as he walked towards the man.
"You shall bow for me or burn like the pitiful man you are," he said in a voice unlike his own. The King didn't falter as he lowered to a knee and bent forward. Roark's foot slammed against the Kings crown, forcing his chin to touch ground. "Clothes, mine have been destroyed by those flames, you will hand me yours as compensation." Again his voice was new, and the smile that followed was nothing like his own.
Merlin had been sitting, watching and waiting for the moment to strike. He was tolerant, but even a tolerant man would break if given the right moment. "Clothes! This man set us ablaze with intent to kill us. Clothes are not enough. Throw him on the pyre, and set its beauty of pain off again. He will have rued the day of our imprisonment." Merlin jumped from the wagon and trudge forward. He took the now bare king and shoved him on the bed of branches. Then, everything was sent into flames again.
When Roark had awoken, he knew not what had happened. His memory was unobtainable with own a whisper of a fleeting recollection. Something had happened he knew, something that had woken a power within him.
Around him a circle of ice laid, spiked peered out from the ground, threatening to impale upon any who dared enter. Across from him was Merlin, whose clothes were stilled ripped and torn. As he walked the ice clear for him and frost followed each step. "Brother, it is I Roark." He muttered. Merlin however, remained unmoving.
"He'll hear you not, his mind is still calming from the high he was under. For a user's first though, you've recovered faster than most." Roark span on heels as the woman dropped from a high branch. "Elysium, that is the name which you may address me in moments of privet, otherwise its Majesty for you and that brute, clear?" she said.
"Majesty" Roark stared, bewildered by his luck or lack there off. He had just spent years under the crass rule of a prideful king, only to have a queen appear before him.
"Yes, that is what you will address me as for all publications but this is a matter of privet so I expected you to accustomed yourself and with great hast," she wondered pass him to a horse of white and stroked its snout.
"Am I right in assuming you are taking my brother and I as hostages?" Roark asked with great reluctance.
"Whatever for, there are plenty of captives in the dungeons, I acquired the two of you and paid for silence of that plundered town simply because magic is not found offend, but the rewards out weight the crime. Carry that loaf and lets move towards our home." With that Elysium snapped the rains and set off down a path. Roark turned to Merlin and lifted him over his back. From there he followed the Queen down trails, over hills and through wide gates into a large castle.
Elysium strolled through the halls of the castle with grace and showed him to the room in which he would stay. There had been no spoken words between the two since he had woken. Merlin still slumbered though he stirred with each step. As she left them, Merlin woke with fright bolting straightforward with worry in those eyes. He looked around the room and slowly grew calmer.
"Where not… I remember burning," he mumbled. He looked at his arm, saw no damage from the flames and then it seemed to come back to him. "I, I stopped the flames, how was I able to do such a thing?" he asked aloud. Roark was sure that he was speaking generally.
"We both did, though I know not how. The Queen who brought us here, she might have answers," Roark said. Merlin seemed to be thinking as he kept his lips quite, Roark knew he was unsure of the Queen and considering their past endurance it was understandable.
"The King took life from us, he kept us locked in cells, tortured, you truly want to trust another royal?" he asked.
"I feel choice is not within out power at this moment. She paid for our freedom which insures our enslavement," Roark sat on the edge of the bed. He had known from the moment she said those words, he would be forced to comply. His 'so called' magic was even useless in this moment, as he knew not how to control such power.
"So we rid ourselves of such boundaries and leave for new land," Merlin said.
"What an obscured thought," Roark chuckled and leaned his head on Merlins shoulder. "If enslavement is the life I shall live, living it with you is not so bad." Roark said. He reminds leaning on his brother till a man appeared explaining they were summoned. He passed Merlin clothes and left to wait beyond the door.
The brothers followed this man through the castle of white to the Queen. Roark had thought Elysium would be on her throne but instead saw a new woman. This woman was unlike Elysium, she was old and frail yet seemed at the same time filled with power. Even the aurora she gave off worried Roark.
"I am the Queen, you've already been introduced to my successor Elysium," she waved her hand in the direction of Elysium but spoke immediately "You will become her knights, as is her wish, and protectors of this kingdom. I believe you will see this as a fit, considering your hatred of the King," with those words, Merlin become interested.
"Then you wish the death of that man, that is why we were brought here," guards moved towards Merlin and forced him to his knees.
"You must address the Queen with the title your majesty and speak only when told," he said in a fierce voice. The room had become tense, each of the knights seemed ready to strike both Roark and Merlin if either moved and the Queen was staring down at the two of them with such power. It was only when Elysium giggled that the room lost all of its tension.
"The King is dead, it seems he was lit on fire, though it matters not. Our kingdom protects humans from beings of power, not like you though. We keep those safe from monsters and with you two this will be easier accomplished, so swear loyalty to the name of the Queen and servitude to yours truly," Elysium said.
None, not the knights, nor Queen, nor Merlin, nor Roark, knew how to answer her. She was impossible and direct, as though time was more precious to her then anything else. The guards released Merlin and stepped away from him. Roark could not be sure about their reasoning for leaving him, though the look Elysium was giving made even him worry. She had seemed so calm, yet right now that calmness showed danger.
"If that is your wish milady, though I will not refer to you as majesty." Merlin said as he gave a slight bow. Roark followed suit, and bowed to Elysium.
With their lives signed over the Queen and Elysium, they returned to their room. It hadn't been long before Roark drifted into sleep.
With the Queens knowledge Roark was sure that they would one day they find the beast that destroyed his brother, and tore his family apart. And on the day when they meet, he swore he'd kill the beast where it laid.