I have something to say first, I have to credit my good friend, Shen's General, for writing this first scene, really. It was really amazing when I first read it, so now, I am sharing with you guys with a few tweaks added to it, but I kept pretty much all of the original dialogue. It was originally 500 words or so, but when I got to it, it became 1,300+, so… yeah.
It has been somewhat hard for me at the moment to write. Because of, first off, that bitch called Writer's Block we as fan fiction writers tend to get, second the decision weeks for what I'll do in the future in Year 11 and 12 of school and after that… and finally, these damn assignments they keep piling on me by the busload.
Anyway, thanks to Shen for this first scene and I hope everyone enjoys it.
-Lydea
Chapter 11: Blood Roses in Rosewood
One in the afternoon, hours since the sun rose… It has been four hours since Soren had come home… Four hours since the fight began and ended with Noctus leaving the household and Marella plunged into tears that she has been bottling in since months ago when they first found out that their son was alive, donned a mask and became this alter ego called Metalbeak. The only one who has gone to sleep is Eglantine, as she has school this evening. She tried to ask what was going on, but they told her to go to bed. It has been three hours since an announcement has been made…
Marella and Soren sit in silence by the door, still sitting where his mother had fallen to her knees and cried, they stare worried and eyes affixed at the front door. They have been sitting there since after Noctus left, as he was literally going to a zone of no return and Marella has not moved from her spot. As Soren knows Kludd has hate in his heart toward their father, he knows what could possibly occur. He prays that it is not so that Kludd would have done such a horrid deed…
Sparing their worries, the door opens and much to their relief, Noctus then enters, unharmed and only supporting a grim and peevish expression.
"Da!" Soren says jumping up from the floor
"Noctus! Are you alright? I was so worried." Marella asks, as she also gets up off the ground
They hear no answer.
"Da, what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed." Soren asks, stressing the point of his father just leaving to go to the Pure-One-infested Rosewood.
"There are worse things." Noctus briefly says
"What are you talking about? Did you...did you see Kl-" Soren asks
"Don't you dare say his name!" Noctus snaps, upon hearing the first syllable
"Dear… What happened?" Marella asks, with a lot of worry making her voice shaky
Noctus sighs, "He… He made his choice..."
"What? What do you mean?" Soren asks
They again hear no answer, as if he was trying not have to relive the events of the confrontation repeatedly. Noctus then just walks away down the hall, following behind with concern his wife and youngest son, questions looming on their mind about the events that had thrown down. Upon entering the master bedroom, the one thing that does stand out the most is the dressing table that Marella has these portraits displayed on. What stands out the most is the last portrait before… the incidents happened. Especially before half his face burned to have permanently charred feathers as its aftermath, before he first placed on Metalbeak's helm. The original Kludd…
As Soren and Marella stand at the doorway, Noctus has the portrait in his claw and within a few seconds, it is thrown against the wall on the other side of the room, breaking the top and one of the sides of the frame upon impact. Marella covers her beak with her wing.
"Da, what are you doing?!" Soren asks, eyeing the damage he has done to one of the remaining portraits of his brother before the damage was done
"I meant what I said about disowning him! If he rather spend his time being a traitor and running off with that whore of his...he is not my son." Noctus snaps viciously as he approaches the broken framed portrait, about to finish it off
"No!" Soren exclaims
Soren then tackles his father, and the portrait is sent out of his claw and halfway across the room.
"Soren!" His mother yells in reaction
"Get off me!" Noctus orders, before pushing his son off
Soren stumbles for a bit, before getting his balance together and adapts a battle stance like his father immediately had done after getting up.
"Boys, please!" Marella begs, as she tries to mediate
"Why are you so willing to protect him, Soren? He made his choice! He is not a part of our family...not anymore!" Noctus asks his son
"Simple...because he is MY FAMILY! Because I am the only one that gives a damn about him!" Soren retorts
"WHAT?! Are you insinuating that I didn't love him?!" Noctus exclaims, outraged
"YES! You never loved Kludd. Not you, not ma…" Soren says, before a pause and his mother gasps with shock, "Not even Mrs P...and Eglantine...she's too young to understand this..."
"That is all lies! I did love him! We all did!" Noctus yells, disagreeing with what his son is saying
"Really?" Soren says, putting emphasis upon his words, "Then name one good memory you had with him! One of only you and him!"
The room falls silent suddenly as Soren finished his sentence. Noctus then tries to prove that he has a memory, but upon remembering the 18 years that Kludd has been alive, nothing can be recalled. No memories, none. Hell, if anything, I would not think the day that Kludd was born would suffice in this situation.
"Soren...please…" Marella softly begs, barely breaking the silence
"No...Because da may had given up on Kludd...but I hadn't!" Soren says, building to a crescendo in the last few words
"You're… You're wrong…" Noctus manages to get out of his beak
"Am I da?" Soren asks, blinking rapidly as tears form in his eyes, "Kludd only wanted you to be proud of him...and if you couldn't give it to him...then maybe he is better off with the Pure Ones."
Noctus snaps out of his speechless stupor and then glares at his son, "Kludd...is dead to me. You will not write him again...you will not speak of him...again...do I make myself clear?"
"Fine..." Soren says quietly, as then his words get louder every few seconds and gulping down tears, "You can be a bastard and give up on him all you want...but I will NEVER give up on him...because he is still my brother...and like it or not...he is still your son. If you disown Kludd as a son...then I disown you as a father!"
Noctus and Marella gasped, as Soren then runs out of the room tear stricken and then an audible slam of the front door is heard. Noctus falls to his knees in shock, as he never… Never would have expected his, pretty much now, only son to say those last few words. Marella stands there at the door of the room, with a sharp glare on her face.
"Nicely done, Noctus." Marella sarcastically applauds, glaring straight at him, "You had not only pushed away our eldest son forever...but you pushed away our other son."
She then leaves the room before turning back.
"And for your information...I hadn't given up on him either." Marella simply states
She then leaves, going out to the lounge room, leaving her husband alone in the bedroom, which has pieces of the wood of the broken picture frame around. He then looks at the picture of Kludd; his very likeness depicted so well as if he was seeing this former image of him right in front of him. He is about to lay waste on the image, taking it out of its shattered frame to shred it… but he stops. Tears well in his eyes, while he just stares upon the image of what was his son, before he was corrupted, before he had gotten the battle scars…
"If you disown Kludd as a son...then I disown you as a father!" Soren's voice echoes in his head…
"Kludd…" Noctus utters, tears falling, "I am so sorry…"
Soren sits outside the hollow for an hour, his tears just seem to keep falling as the relations are going to hagsmire and back… Without having to walk through the feud-torn house, as it just seems to be like a warzone now, Soren heads to his window and then opens it and then crawls into his room, collapsing on his bed. It is only a few hours before dusk, when the Guardians are gathering in City Centre to leave to uphold an oath they all made… It was made official last night, as sometime after Princess Autumn of Ambala wrote to their sister organisation, the United Kingdoms of Owl, who control the Owl World Elite Resistance, announcing their alliance, the reply came within four hours and the announcement was made. They shall call up arms and leave before the moon rises upon the sea.
Soren cannot sleep… As he does not want to go to war with his own brother, there has to be another way, but the path just does not seem that clear. It is three when he finally drifts off to sleep, blacking out so suddenly without even knowing it, into a world where his dreams did show him a harrowing dream. He tosses and turns having another one of these strange dreams… showing him a battle on the Guardian's doorstep, his brother standing before him and he then wakes up when he feels sudden pain in his chest.
Soren wakes up, caked in sweat and breathing heavily, he then looks out the window… Dusk
It is very quiet when Soren exits his room. The door to his parents room shut, and Eglantine's door slightly open. Either way, for the early evening, it is silent. And as Soren moves through the hallway, the only noise breaking this silence is the metallic clinks of the battle claws. On his way out, in the corner of his eye, he sees the family portrait that hangs on the wall.
"He is too far gone…" Soren says before a sigh, "But, I will never give up on him."
"Where are you going?" a small voice asks
Soren turns to see his little sister, Eglantine standing nearby her door.
"I'm flying into a battle, Eg." Soren replies simply
"Will Lyze of Kiel go too?" She asks (Eglantine often calls Ezylryb that, obviously because of the story that was always told)
Soren pats his little sister on her head, "Of course, Eg. He will, he will. All Guardians take an oath…"
"What's an oath?" Eglantine interrupts
"An oath, Eglantine, is a special promise. Most Guardians take a special oath upon the graduation from the GTA. They graduate higher schooling as well have years of Guardian training mastered." Someone says
Soren looks behind him and his girlfriend, Otulissa, enters the hollow. Soren welcomes her here with a hug and a kiss on her cheek, but he, like his little sister, did not expect her to be up at this ungodly hour of the evening. However, she is a GTA student in the highest class of the Middle Years; so really, she would be up by this time and at training. However, it is cancelled for tonight as well as GTA classes, which has been turned into homework/study, and this probably will continue for the following nights, as most of all the rybs will be absent from Ga'Hoole.
"Hi." Eglantine chirps
"You're up rather early, Eglantine." Otulissa says, "Mind if I talk with your brother now?"
"Ok." The owlet replies
Eglantine then decides to leave them alone as she then goes to her room to start getting ready for school herself. Soren then opens the front door and Otulissa, getting the picture, steps outside with him. They are sitting outside the hollow, watching the sunset and the winds have picked up dramatically, leaves, which have fallen off the tree blow about effortlessly. It is tranquil, as all they can hear are the waves crashing against the rocks at the lower regions of the Isle of Hoole, that and…
"Soren, I want you to be careful." Otulissa says, "I did some reading about the Rosewood Community and I had asked their Madame Commander and she had told me of their skills. They are almost stronger than the Pure Ones, The Pure Ones."
"Otulissa, I'll be fine. You do not need to worry. I'm pretty sure that we won't be near any water whatsoever being inland." Soren assures her, "It's unlikely that I'll drown…"
"But, still." She complains
"Don't tell me that you are staying up studying again." He says
"I have a major test in two weeks, Soren." She says, defending her choices
"Well, since you don't have GTA do me a favour and get some sleep, alright. I can tell you are sleepy because you have this real whiny tone when you complain." Soren says
"I do not!" Otulissa replies, proving his point that she is quite whiny
"Yes, you do." Soren says before a sigh, "I could go on all night, but I have to go and you need a sleep-in."
"Well, I'll see you when I see you." Otulissa says
She then kisses his cheek and he then picks up his helm and flies away. Otulissa sighs, as yet again, her boyfriend goes into battle and she is stuck reading over her notes as a pupil of the Guardian Training Academy. She knows her graduation is in due time, as she is almost nearing the end of Middle Year 2 and after that is Senior.
Down in City Centre, everyone is pretty much starting to gather, and in this ungodly hour of the evening, you would expect sleepyheads. One of them had trouble with her outfit this evening. Autumn is standing in City Centre with her fiancé, Ezylryb and unlike him, she is not going to battle. There are some times where things are too dangerous, especially this time when the Rosewood Owls are generally a strong bunch of toughies and they are on the opposing side.
"It's a very early evening, hmm?" Ezylryb says while fixing Autumn's crown, kissing her head before flipping her hood over her head, "I know you are disappointed, but… It's too dangerous to follow."
Autumn yawns delicately, "I understand… And for that I will be praying for your safety."
"You're a sweetheart, you know." Ezylryb says, taking her wings into his own, "You are going to be tutoring students while we fight a battle. Usually when students are set homework study most of the rybs rather would take a breather."
She smiles, "I help in every way I can, my dear Lyze of Kiel. While you're out defending the kingdoms from the Pure Ones, supporting your battle regalia, I will be here teaching the next generation of Guardians."
"You always see the bright side of things, even when faced with the worst of times." He says while taking her in gentle embrace
"It was the only thing keeping me going during that time of lies and deception told by a traitor… Besides you." She whispers
A tender kiss is exchanged between the two, as this is a meaningful goodbye for now. Although it disappoints her to, she will stay behind, as it is for the best that she stays out of harm's way. After their beaks part, Autumn hugs her husband to be, resting her head on his chest.
"Not even a minute… and I…" Autumn mutters
"You mayn't be my wife yet, but you worry like one." Ezylryb says, knowing what she was saying
From the opposite end of the courtyard, Barran watches on with a smile. She finds it sweet their relationship, as she is a Princess who was not treated like she was one, by an owl of her own blood and by the traitor who used her for her kingdom. The only one who could possibly care about her being this warrior legend who never knew that three years after they initially met, he would fall for her. Barran finds it as romantic as how she and Boron ended up together, two aristocrat teenagers not even allowed to be near each other because of a long-standing feud… and they were right to do so as they now know the true colours of Boron's father, Alexander Nyctea. Wearing a medal of the Pure One insignia on his badge with lies pinned to it.
Barran walks over, "Ezylryb, I hate to interrupt, but Boron wants to see you."
"I don't know why, but I knew I would have to see him." Ezylryb says
"It's predictable, my love." Autumn says
Ezylryb kisses Autumn's cheek and then heads off, as per usual, it wrecks the moment. Not that Boron would do it on purpose, but it is just a matter of bad timing. Worse, the last few nights, they have had to drop what they are doing, well… anything except the breakable china that Autumn was balancing on her head when they were goofing off, and deal with the developing crisis, night by night that it has been unfolding.
Autumn gets out her fan and giggles as she flutters it with swift actions of her claw.
"Now why are you so amused, sister?" Barran asks
"Because, ta sœur, I may be dreadfully tired myself, but he put my crown on lopsided." Autumn says before a fit of giggles, "I will not know if he would manage wearing one himself if he puts mine on lopsided."
"Huh? I thought she would not give him the title of…" Barran stutters
"Prince of Ambala. She is, she wrote to me last night and said so. The senate protested, but Merissa is the Queen Dowager, so she has supreme rule." Autumn answers, looking upon Ezylryb in the distance, who is speaking with Boron, and she beams a sweet smile underneath her fan, "And a mighty fine Prince he is already, without the crown…"
Soren is standing in City Centre nearby the rest of The Band. Since hearing the announcement, they are reluctant to fight their friend's brother, sharing the same reluctance as Soren, as war cannot be the answer and he wants Kludd to turn a corner and come home before it is too late to do so. If anything, this second excursion to Rosewood shall be one in which he wishes he could stop the monster his brother has become.
Soren feels a tap on his shoulder, his parents are standing behind him.
"I thought you both were asleep." Soren says, in a monotone, expressing no emotion whatsoever
"Your girlfriend woke us up. She was worried about you and I didn't know about this." Noctus says, referring to the call of arms
"Soren… Will you… you hurt Kludd?" Marella asks
"No, ma. Unlike what they may do, I will not hurt Kludd. I want to reason with him." Soren replies, to his worried mother, "I know you won't like it Da, after your little speech last night, but I am going to make Kludd come home. One way or another, I will talk with him and… However he may be now, he is not dark-hearted…"
Noctus says nothing while Marella has a sad stare on her face.
"Blood is thicker than water." Soren merely says
Noctus hugs Soren suddenly, holding him close. Since that fight… It was a long night for the parents, not just Soren. Marella sat in the lounge room for hours, doing the one thing that keeps her mind off things… knitting. On the other hand, in the bedroom, Noctus spent the night with regret and sorrow. They both did not get to bed until late, like Soren did.
"I'm sorry…" Noctus says, "I shouldn't have gone to Rosewood... I have just made things worse and he… he is too far-gone now. I don't want to lose you too, Soren."
"I'll do what I can, Da. I won't resort to violence." Soren says, "I won't give up on my brother… I will never give up on him."
In moment's time, the Guardians take to the air. Soren looks over his shoulder to see his parents down below on the platform gazing up at him, and he knows they are as worried as he is about Kludd, especially if he is in a mood since last evening's little fiasco.
"Oh Soren…" Marella thinks to herself, while she has a tear down her face, "Rescue your brother..."
In the background of City Centre, Autumn clutches her necklace with one of her claws and worry and dread have already come to mind as she watches the Guardian battalion head off into this battle. She then opens her fan and keeps it in front of her face as tears fall from her eyes…
"I worry already… And it hasn't been a minute." Autumn says in her thoughts "May you return safely, and may the gods watch over you for me until you return and I bloody as hagsmire give you the biggest of hugs…"
Sienne comes beside Autumn and then holds her friend in a hug, she knows how worried she is since the Pure Ones have strong allies and she knows those who have changed to Ramaxon's side, and they are traitors to the Tyto Resistance. And they are a strong bunch of bastards capable of things that give the Pure Ones a fighting chance.
Over in Rosewood, as the owls prepare to engage in battle, Kludd is walking Nyra to the courtyard, with his wing around her. Her luggage is already waiting with the escort, she is being sent back to St. Aegolius, as Kludd wants for his Nyra to not be in the firing line, like she was verbally last night during his little row with his father. He hasn't told her about it, as she needs no need to be worried about anything to do with his family, which are a bunch of "Guardians" as he referred to them as.
"Honey, you have to go. I don't want to have you in the firing line, ok." Kludd says to his girlfriend
"Kludd, I can fight. I am not some… some… owlet who cannot defend herself." Nyra protests
"Honey, the Guardians are coming and I don't want you in the firing line." He sharply retorts, "Unlike Metalbeak I don't want to have my wife in the firing line where she could get killed. I am only sending you back because I love you, Nyra."
"I don't know how to answer to that…" She inadvertently says
"Nyra…" Kludd says as he takes her wings, as he pleas "Please go back to St. Aegolius."
Nyra sighs, "Like a good wife, well fiancée, I will stand behind my mate's decisions."
"Check up on the flowers, hmm? See how long they are until blooming on the day which will be our wedding." He says before holding Nyra in a hug and kissing her head, "You know I am doing this for the best."
"Yes… You love me." Nyra murmurs
They then break, Nyra and the security escort leave and Kludd watches on with a saddened smile, but he reminds himself that the Guardians shall not ever lay a talon on her, as he promised he would love, cherish and take care of her, and that means making sure Her Pureness stays unharmed. Until the wedding, she remains widow of her husband, Metalbeak, and until then, Kludd has to be sure that she doesn't get hurt, or a scroom would haunt the living hagsmire out of him. Well, it is uncertain, but if the Lord of all Darkness is able to come back from Hagsmire, a scroom could come from anywhere.
Elanore comes up beside Kludd.
"Go and join the rest over the boarder." Kludd briefly orders
Elanore nods then takes off the platform, initially going in the different direction as Nyra. Kludd stands there with a smirk on his face.
"My plan is coming together…" Kludd says to himself
"It is only a matter of time before the Guardians and your pest of a brother Soren arrive…" Mordecai whispers inside his head
Ramaxon then comes out of the Resistance base into the courtyard with his Pure One battle armour. He had hid them after the Pure Ones' attempts to take over Rosewood; during the siege that was named after it, that is which happened eight years ago. Kludd was nary an owlet of age 10 when it happened, and the southward Tyto Owls were wary of the conflict, thus why they lived in the southern areas.
"I hated being in that resistance. Bryony was a right bitch and Sienne… I sprinking hate her." Ramaxon mentions
"Humph, sounds like my brother…" Kludd says
Sure enough, even if the demonic god foretold it, the Guardians arrive by the dozen and sure enough, a battalion of Pure Ones and traitors to the good name of Rosewood are awaiting their arrival. Soren and his friends are in attack formation before Soren splits from the group to attack a Pure One soldier. Soren grabs it and then violently throws it, and unbeknownst to him, it hits Kludd, who is flying past. Thrown about like rag dolls, they both crash. Kludd slams hard into the tree and falls down some tree branches before stopping on one that breaks his fall.
Meanwhile, Ramaxon is taking out Guardians before passing in mid-air and hears something before dodging sneaks attacks made by the warrior legend who is doing Sienne and her niece a favour, getting rid of this jerk OR, turning him over to the UKO or Bryony. Ezylryb and Ramaxon lock swords.
"I do wonder what got into you, coward to fight and almost kill the Madame Commander." Ezylryb says
"I remembered who I was, Ramaxon Pettit, Captain of the Rosewood Tyto Pure One faction." Ramaxon announces
"You don't know what creating a diversion is, now do you?" Ezylryb says with a cocky smirk
"Wha-" Ramaxon utters before a loud bang noise
Ramaxon suddenly falls out of the sky, and Barran is standing behind him with a frypan in his claw and a smirk on her face.
"Well done, Little Lady Lynai." Ezylryb says (See Legend of the Amulet of Power: Part II –Chapter 3)
"Why thank you, Lord Cress." Barran smiles, amused as she had not heard that name since she was an owlet, before dropping the frypan, which has a dint in it, showing how she had hit him, on Ramaxon's head before flying off back into the battle.
Kludd gets up, wipes blood from his nose and then notices a slight gash on his leg, stinging like the fires of Hagsmire. He then eyes his brother, Soren, flying about in attack formation, following the Queen of Ga'Hoole, who moments earlier just knocked unconscious the Traitor of Rosewood. With searing anger of the sight of his brother and some adrenaline, he then pulls a tree branch off the tree and then lies straight toward Soren.
In a sudden second, Kludd swings the tree branch and it hits Soren hard, knocking him out of the sky and into a tree on the other side of the battlefield.
"You ingrate!" Kludd growls, while still holding his tree branch, "Why do you dare come here?!"
"It doesn't…" Soren says while getting up, "It doesn't have to be this way, Kludd."
"It will always be this way, Soren." Kludd sneers, before throwing aside his branch, and then disappearing from his brother's sight by flying away "Never the way was it was for the Pure Ones and for me."
"It wasn't my fault, Kludd." Soren says, as he knows what two things Kludd is talking about
"Yes, It was…" Kludd snaps, "You fault for being born!"
Soren turns around as Kludd knocks him off the tree branch and sends him falling to the ground. Kludd then rapidly flies down and pins his younger brother to the ground, his battle claws slightly digging into his brother and otherwise his prey.
"There is kindness still in your heart, Kludd!" Soren shouts, while fraught with worry, and pleading look on his face "Remember who you were before we were kidnapped! Remember our childhood, Kludd… Remember how things before all of this started were! Before the legends and the before Battle of the Ice Claws was read to us."
Kludd raises his claw, ready to kill his brother with one swipe of his talon. He tries to muster the strength he needs to do this task, before tears start welling in his eyes as the memories return in flashes. He is about to lower it, but he can't, he can't. The tears start to fall before Kludd stops and gets off his brother.
"Kludd?" Soren utters
"Get lost…" Kludd quietly mutters, while tears flow from his eyes
"What?" Soren says
"I SAID GET LOST!" Kludd shouts at the top of his lungs
It echoes and everyone stops in their tracks suddenly upon hearing it. Guardians and Pure Ones all hovering where they are, looking down on the scene of the Pure One High Tyto and Soren, known to the Pure Ones as a traitor to the Tyto race, as well as the bastard who slain Metalbeak, their mighty king and husband of the Widow Queen. Boron looks to Ezylryb, his adviser, and nods, agreeing, as to what he is thinking.
"Guardians, fall back!" Boron orders simply, breaking the silence of the otherwise awkward moment
The Guardians then leave, Soren just looking at his brother before sighing and then leaving along with his comrades. Kludd then suddenly runs off into the forest, and when he feels he is far enough away, he bursts into tears, falling weak to his knees and throwing his helm aside as he looks at the image in the reflection of a puddle.
"Oh Glaux, Oh Glaux…" Kludd utters simply
Mordecai then appears in front of the now crying wreck that was earlier a determined, brave owl who wants to kill the Guardians as well as rid the world of the life of his brother.
"Oi, lad." Mordecai says, trying to gain his attention "What the sprink happened?"
"I couldn't do it, Lord Mordecai…" Kludd utters
"He used the mind trick, lad. He wanted you to remember, so the retched goodness in your heart would end up taking over, making you remember who you were and then you would have to ditch the Pure Ones and your beloved Nyra and come home to a family who don't even love you." Mordecai says, with mocking in the last few words, "Blech, wretched racdrops."
"You're right…" Kludd says, before gaining volume, "You're right!"
"He wants you to ditch Nyra, Kludd. He wants you to return to what was, weakness and being in his shadow." Mordecai then mentions, "He wants to bring back the pain which tormented you…"
"No, no… I will never go back to that weakling!" Kludd yells with determination, "And sure AS HAGSMIRE I am not going to leave Nyra! She is going to be my wife in a month and fourteen days!"
"Then fight, Kludd. You are an adult now, not an owlet. You are the King of my Pure Ones." Mordecai says, encouraging him more
"I am not that owlet anymore…" Kludd merely utters while placing his helm over his face
He then storms back to the battlefield, and Ramaxon has picked himself up, after awaking from being knocked unconscious by the Queen of Ga'Hoole wielding a fry pan, when he was distracted dealing with the Lyze of Kiel and his logic. He rubs his head, and is sort of regretting not wearing a helm now.
"Everyone, Pure Ones and resistance traitors, to the rendezvous point! Now!" Kludd promptly orders, now back to the mind frame he was before the fight began