Chapter Six: The Evil Brother

"What the hell is that?!" Virginie cried.

Shane only had to take one look and he knew. "Iker's dragon! Its Fayth!"

"What's it doing here on this island?" Virginie frowned. She turned to granny. "And where exactly are we?"

"We're on Forest Isle."

That name sounded oddly familiar. Shane searched his memory. He didn't have to search long. The elders were here only not long ago. They had been summoned back to him from this island. He had commanded Anna to ride his best horse, Erich, to bring back the elders. From this damn place!

So they knew it all along! They knew that Raul and Rindy were being held up here. And of course they would know. They were the ones who conjure that evil spell!

"The elders had just recently been here. Doing some strange tricks, no doubt!' Shane cursed. "And I bet they were trying to conceal Raul and Rindy from us!"

"Shane! Do not be rude to the elders!" Granny scolded lightly. "They have nothing but the best of interest for you. That's why they wanted to sealed your brother away. They feared for your life."

Shane only rolled his eyes. He find it hard to believe the elders cared for him. They probably were scared out of their pointy hats what his brother would do to them when he awakens. And truth be told, Shane did not care what Raul did with them. Toyed with them if he so wanted to.

"But what is Fayth doing back here all the same? He should be with Iker, shouldn't he?" Virginie snickered. "Bad boy!"

"Fayth is a girl, Virginie. It'll do you good to remember that. She doesn't take too kindly to that sort of mistakes." Shane said simply. "And she's here because she is searching for him."

"Raul?" Virginie asked.

Shane nodded. "Iker told me Fayth originally belongs to Raul, who afterwards, gave Fayth to Iker as a gift." He turned to his granny. "I do not recall the council ever telling me about Raul taming dragons before. I would have thought that would have been a hot topic for discussion indeed. But it never came up. Did you know about his habits?"

Granny shook her head. She definitely looked shocked on learning this. Even the elders, Shane saw, had their mouths gaping wide open.

"Dragon in Night World? Never!" The elders insisted.

"Stop your silly whining. Apparently, that was so the case. Seems like my brother did a good job concealing his little pet."

"But why would he ever breed a dragon? And gave to a dragoon too?" Granny pondered out loud.

"Maybe it was his hobby? Maybe he simply wanted to give Iker a gift? They were good friends, I heard. In any case, its not significant and we're wasting time here. Let's move on." Shane said hastily.

"No." Granny suddenly grabbed his hand tightly. He glanced at her quickly, reading the dread in her eyes.

"I fear we've been tricked." Granny muttered softly. Yet her voice carried loudly in the dark and in the silence of the forest.

"Tricked? By who?" Virginie asked. She glanced about her nervously.

The darkness about them is foreboding. Shane looked at his granny again. She had paled considerably under the weak moonlight. He was concerned for her health.

Virginie's question was answered by yet another loud roar. This time much louder than the previous one and it sounded nothing like Fayth.

"Now what the heck was that?" Virginie hissed.

Granny did to answer. Instead she spunned towards the elders, who were all looking up the sky, as if expecting Raul to appear above them any time.

"When you were here not long ago, did you witness this strange sounds?" Granny asked.

The elders shook their heads firmly. "Definitely no."

Shane was tempted to ask them just exactly what they were doing on this very island where Rindy and Raul were bounded but he held this tongue. Clearly something was disturbing his granny and he felt odd that he should not feel the least bit discomforted like the others. The sounds were strange, true. But hardly surprising. Shane had seen his fill of dragons and weird looking fire birds back at the Night World when they were fighting the humans at the Inner Circle, near the capital. He didn't tell anyone about it though. He wondered if he should tell them now. But it looks like it would only frighten them more.

Granny continued to glance around her frantically. When it appears that no more sudden loud roaring is going to take place any time soon, she gestured for them to enter the forest swiftly and stealthily, and they did.

The forest trails were damp. It looks as if it had been raining here recently. The trees above them were so tall and so big, they blocked out the dim moonlight. They were almost completely enshrouded in darkness. Shane could see well in the dark and he had a nose like any hound. And his hearing was as excellent as any vampire and therefore, he could follow Granny well. The only thing that could explains his granny's fast and rapid steps, despite the darkness which must surely have blinded her excessively, was her intense fear at whatever was out there, and her urgency to get them to unseal Rindy and Raul. Shane thought his granny was marvelous to have run so fast in the darkness when she was clearly handicapped by the night.

They reached a clearing in a short time. There were some mushrooms sitting on a large tree branch. Shane bend down to take a closer look. He thought at first glance, that the mushrooms look slightly oddly shaped.

He felt two hands grabbed his waist and pulled him back forcibly. He stumbled back from surprise.

"Do not go near those." Granny warned, her little hands still on Shane. "They are poisonous."

"I wasn't about to eat them. " Shane retorted, slightly embarrassed that everyone here might think him a fool to be hungry during this time.

"They do not require to be eaten in order to be poisonous. Just breathing the air surrounding it is potent enough. We have lingered far too long. Let us proceed." With that, granny was running ahead of them again. Shane did not stop to look at how far the elders had come along. Doubtless they must be panting and tired out. But then again, his granny was old and could run like a wild mare. Maybe the elders were sprinters as well.

At least there was no complaints or shouts from behind to ask them to slow down, Shane thought and so he assumed the elders, together with Anna, must be still with them.

They came to yet another clearing. This time, with no mushrooms, but purple and blue flowers rested beautifully on a large gray rock. They seemed most out of place in a dirty and dark forest such as this.

"They're gorgeous." Virginie said wistfully. She wasn't a big fan of flowers. But she knew how to appreciate beauty.

Granny nodded, her frown wrinkled her forehead. "Amber Flowers do not bloom in the dark. They require sunlight, love and warm."

"Well, apparently we have some strong fighters here." Virginie said, still staring at the flowers.

Shane looked intently at his granny. She was thinking. As if trying to recollect something.

Shane wanted to ask her why she seemed so worried and how long it is going to take for them to reach the place. Also, he wanted to tell her that Anna and the elders may have been lost along the way. For he cannot hear their footsteps nor see them in the distant.

But before he could get a word in, granny let out a loud cry.

"That's it! I remembered!"

"Remembered what?" Shane asked, slightly annoyed. His granny never likes to finish her sentences.

"The amber flowers! Rindy used to plant them in the garden. Said Raul loved their fragrance."

Shane nodded. "So these amber flowers may be planted by Rindy? Is that what you're saying?" He turned to look at the flowers again but to his horror, Virginie had plucked them up from the gray stones and is actually smelling them!

"Virginie! Put that away! You wretched wench!" His granny leaped onto Virginie's back. Never before in his life had he seen his granny acted so malicious before. He was so stunned, he did not move. Virginie let out a loud cry when granny pulled her thick dark hair, she angrily throws granny over to the ground.

Shane had to stop the cat fight. He jumped between them and knocked Virginie onto the grass. Then he repeatedly grabbed and pinned her hands down. His other two legs nailed Virginie's legs.

"Good god, Shane! Good job!" Granny panted. Then she walked hastily to Virginie, who was snarling like a dog with rabid, and she pulled the flowers away from her. Shane watched with curiosity as his granny utter some ancient language he did not understand, and the flowers burned suddenly with a bright red flame.

Virginie yelled again, angrily this time and almost throw Shane off. But he quickly regained his position and held her in place. Granny waited until the flowers were completely burnt, then she knelt down beside Virginie and muttered another set of weird voodoo languages, and Virginie's eyes suddenly shut and before Shane knew it, she was actually snoring softly.

"What exactly happen?" Shane asked wearily. He could hear footsteps behind them. The witches are finally approaching, he thought.

"She was possessed by the flowers." Granny said. She wiped off the sweat that were forming on her forehead. "She was possessed by Raul's dark powers."

"What?"

Granny nodded seriously. "Yes my boy. We have make a mistake coming here. Obviously Raul had long awaken and but not strong enough to make his full form. He therefore, will need a sacrifice. A blood that will run through the deep routes of his tomb to make him fully strong again." She looked tired. "And we're going to be his sacrifice. One of us."

Shane could not believe his ears. After all this time, he would have thought his brother be enlightened. And now, granny was talking about his brother wanting blood to make himself strong, to fully awaken himself. And this was the brother he's been whining about to save.

Gosh, he felt like such a fool. And he'd brought them all into danger.

"Granny, should we retreat?" Shane asked quickly. He could sense danger. And where are those damn witches?

Granny was still checking Virginie's pulse. "I fear retreat is no longer an option for us. We have to go through this forest. And if we reach the other bay. We could wait for morning. That's when Raul is least at work here, and then just maybe we could get ourselves a boat and sail back."

So its true then, Shane thought. He could not save his brother and Rindy. Because they wanted a sacrifice in exchange for their release. And it just sounded too babaric,too cruel. Shane could not accept it.

The footsteps behind them quickened and he was about to turn around and reprimanded the witches for being slow and inefficient, when a cold voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Hello, my dear brother."

Shane spunned around, horrified. The man that greeted them wore a black velvet cape, crimson red on the inside but black on the outside. He had two black gloves on both his hands and Shane knew that it is those hands that are deadly, for they can conjure any amount of dark spells in a second. He looks very real to Shane. Very solid that Shane could almost hear him breathe. Then Shane allow himself to look into his brother's face. He had eyes black as seen and his short dark hair would have given him a boyish look if his eyes weren't so cold. He was a handsome man, Shane would give him that. But he was dangerous. And that boyish handsomeness about his brother wasn't showing. Shane could hear his heartbeat fasten. What was he expecting? That Raul would embrace him and welcome him?

"Raul." Shane muttered, forcing himself to stand. To stand between his brother and his granny and a unconscious Virginie.

Raul did not look amused. Nor glad to see him. "I have waited for you. Only now you came to me."

"Where is Rindy?" Shane asked instantly. Raul's eyes immediately darkened.

"You will not utter her name again in my presence." He shook his head slowly. "You are not worthy enough!"

Shane paused. So his brother hated him still. No, he wasn't surprise, just greatly disappointed.

"Shane my boy! Do not speak with him!" Granny called out. She was still hunched over Virginie, who laid motionless on the floor.

Raul turned to his granny. "So the old hag still lives."

Shane moved to touch him. He simply wanted to touch his hand. Tell him to stop this evil nonsense. That the Night World needed him. But Raul did not appreciate men touching him, even if that man happens to be his brother. He was more loathed by that. With one very quick movement, he twisted Shane's hand and flanged him across the floor. Shane landed with a unpleasant thud near an oak tree.

Granny rushed to his side. "Oh my lord, my boy, are you alright?"

Shane could only groan in reply. His back was broken. That much he knew. He had to stay still and let his own bones mend themselves.

Raul walked slowly and deliberately to where Virginie had lain. "Ah.for I have not seen my mistress for a very long time. I trust she is well."

His granny snarled at him. "Raul, you do not belong here. Go back to whence you came!"

"Go back where?" Raul asked sarcastically as he advanced slowly towards granny. And still, Shane could not move. His bones are on the mend, he could feel it. But not quite completely yet. No, he cannot move to help his granny.

"You are a dream, Raul. You and Rindy. You are not real."Granny said firmly, her small voice not quivering.

"But I am right infront of you. How can I not be real?" Raul smirked. "Touch my hand." He held out them out infront of her.

But granny would not risk her arms by touching Raul. Instead, she withdrew slowly. "Leave now, my lord. You are an undead. You have ventured too far."

His dark eyes settled on Shane, who was still clutching his broken back. Shane had not recalled the strength his brother had possessed. Now he remembers. He should not be reckless when his brother is around.

"My dear brother, am I a dream to you too?"

Shane did not speak, for he did not know how to answer. "We came to release you." He finally said after a while. "I do not wish for us to fight any longer. The humans have attacked our homes. They are strong and great in numbers. We need your help."

Raul chuckled softly. In the deep silence of the forest, his chuckle send a chill down Shane's spine. If he had a spine.

"So you are summoning me now? As your aeon?"

"I do not understand." Shane whispered. Why had his damned back not healed?

Raul shrugged simply, as if he do not really care. "You can do whatever you want with the humans, with the Night World. You earn it." His eyes darkened. "After all, didn't you defeat me two years ago?"

Shane struggled to stand up, to move a little, but his back will not cooperate. Has his healing ability abandoned him? He was more than a little alarmed.

"Raul, I told you, I never wanted the throne in the first place. That was not the reason why I fought you."

"Then what is the reason?!" His brother suddenly bellowed. The trees above them started to sway as if an unseen and unfelt wind is blowing strongly at them. "What reason will drive brother to destroy brother?!"

Shane's eyes welled up. Yes, he had felt like sin these past two years when he had thought that all he lived, drink and eat had once been Raul's. Even the people he commands now, were once Raul's. No, he had not felt good, had not slept well. Why can't Raul see that?

"My intention was to help the Night World. They told me you meant to destroy it. I wanted merely to save it.I regretted immensely all that I had done." Shane muttered.

Raul paused, thoughtfully. He started to pace. Shane watched him walk back and forth and he even occasionally stepped on Virginie's hair. But he did not seem to notice it, nor did he seem to care.

Finally, he stopped his pacing and turned back to Shane. "How very odd to hear you apologizing. How very odd to see tears shed." He glanced at granny, who was still staring at him. "No matter. Even if you are truly sorry, which I very much doubt so, you are too late. You cannot save me. No one can."

Shane stared at his brother. Did he actually see Raul's eyes softened? Maybe there was hope for them after all!

"But you are alive and well. You are standing right in front of me, unspoiled." Shane protested."Won't you also come back with us to the Night World?"

It was then Raul turn his dark eyes upon Shane. And Shane thought he would be swept into that evil gaze of his brother. He tried to look away but couldn't. His brother had grown very powerful over the last two years. Even Shane feared him.

"I am alive and well." Raul said unfeelingly. His eyes dark and emotionless. "Will you summon me?"

Again, Shane stared blankly at him. "What.?"

"Will you summon me?"

He did not understand his brother's question. "I.do not understand."

Raul did not seem to care. His face was still blank when he speak gravely next. "Come to the peak of the mountain if you wishes me to be your ally. Come alone."

Shane turned to look at his granny. He wanted to ask her what was going on. When he turned back, Raul was gone.

He had disappeared.

"Granny! What the hell just happen?! Tell me!" He shook her. It was strange that the moment Raul had left, his spine healed swiftly and he was up and ready again.

Granny eyed him gravely. "My boy, we should head back to the Night World."

"No! I will go to the peak. I will release him!"

"You cannot release him, my boy!"

Shane eyed his granny. Why was she being so damn difficult? "What does he mean by summon? I cannot summon anything, granny. I do not have that power. Only Raul can. Why does he want me to summon?"

"My boy."

"Granny! Answer me, damnit! " Shane cried. He was near to bursting into angry tears. He was so mad at himself for not understanding. And so mad that even now, his granny is still hiding something from him.

"Shane.I do not have the heart to tell you."

"Tell me." Shane said firmly. He stopped his tongue in time before he actually threatens his granny to tell him the truth.

Granny looked at Virginie hastily. She was still asleep. God knows how long she will be knock out. And god knows what the hell happens to those stupid witches. But Shane didn't care. Granny was here and she knows something. And by hook or by crook, Shane will get the truth out from her today.

"Virginie will be alright." Granny muttered more to herself than to anyone else.

"I do not care if she even lives." Shane said lowly. "Now talk to me!"

His granny eyed her beloved boy, tears welling up her eyes. "I am so sorry, my boy. But your brother was right. You cannot save him." Her voice broke. "And you try so hard, my boy. I see you and your effort. You try so hard to save them but you cannot.no one can ever save them now."

"What do you mean?" Shane said slowly. His head hurts. He's been having that damned headache ever since the humans invaded.

"He is dead, my dear. Along with Rindy. They are both dead."

"Liar!" Shane stood up and glared angrily down at his granny. "They are not dead! They won't ever be dead! They are just trapped in a spell you and your goddamned witches conjured up! And now, I mean to release them and I will!" His voice broke short and he was panting. He was so angry and so confused. God, his head hurts.

"My boy, please listen to me." Granny was weeping. "Two years ago, when the elders trapped Rindy and Raul into their binding spell. I told you that they cannot be dead. That we could only bind them because Raul's powers were so strong. Do you still remember?"

Shane could not remember but he nodded anyway.

Granny continued. "So I told you that we sealed them up. But in truth, we sealed them into a magical stone. And this stone is called a summoning stone. We turned them into summons, my boy. They are no longer living. They have become summons. Do you know what I'm saying?"

Shane did not speak. His granny was lying. He was sure of it. He could almost smell that foul deceit in the air. He wanted to rip her insides out.

Granny, seeing that Shane was quiet, continued. "I am so sorry, my dear. We had but little choice."

"So there was actually no sealing spell at all. It was all a lie." Shane said quietly.

Granny could only nod and broke into more sobs.

Shane eyed her coldly. "In other words, they are no longer living. They are dead. They are just some magical summons. That is why they disappeared every time."

"The Raul and Rindy that appeared before you are not the summoning aeon itself. They are specters. I can only think of one reason why their specters will appear to you and it is probably because they wished to be summoned."

"What is a specter?" Shane asked quietly. His eyes imagining her throat ripped. He could almost taste the blood. It is so near, it is making him heady.

"A specter is the spirit of the dead. Usually because the dead is resting in peace."

Shane nodded. He didn't really understand. And he didn't really care.

"Shane, my boy. Are you alright? All this news must be breaking you apart."

He could only imagine breaking her apart. But he shook his head. "What happens after I summon the aeons?"

Granny looked mildly surprised at his question. "The aeons will come out to aid you. You will be their master. And after it had aided you, it will disappeared again, awaiting for the next summoning."

"Can the aeons ever be destroyed?"

Granny paused. She was weary of his question. "If the master of the aeons dies, so does the aeons."

Shane nodded briefly. He looked at her this time, for the first time since the start of this conversation. He had averted her gaze all the while when they were speaking. Now when he looks at her, Granny trembled slightly. For the look in Shane's eyes were cold. And cruel. He looked like he hated her. And that thought just broke her. She started to weep again. Shane did not comfort her. Instead, he continued to speak.

"Why did the witches lied time and time again?"

She simply shook her head.

He continued. "Was there a good reason?"

She sobbed further. "We wanted to save you."

"And kill Raul and Rindy in the process?"

"There can only be one king in the Night World, Shane. And the witches chose you."

"What about the vampires, the werewolves.Does their opinion not matter?"

Again, granny was silent.

Shane continued. "Does the witches want to gain control over all of the Night World?"

"No!" She quickly said. "They would never want to over throw you. They only want to support and serve you."

"But the events that had happen so far tell me otherwise. It tells me that the witches are moving on their own initiatives. They are powerful and therefore, they had abuse this power of theirs. They had turned their former king into an aeon. If I threaten them or their power, they will do the same to me."

"No, they will not, Shane! Please believe me and in them!"

"I have ceased to believe you, granny." He said quietly, almost sadly. "You have disappoint me to no ends. I do not ever want to see you or speak to you again." He did not let her replied nor hear more of her sick excuses. He simply grabbed her neck and broke it. His actions was swift. He knows she did not feel a thing.

A pity, he thought.

Then he noticed Virginie stirring. He could kill her, leave her alone or wake her up. He decided for a while and then walked towards the girl.

She was rubbing her temples as if she was suffering from a headache.

"Virginie, you alright? Are you well?"

She opened her eyes faintly. "Shane? Goodness, what in blazes just happen?"

"Nothing. You hit your head on a rock."

She looked unconvinced. "Really?"

He nodded coolly. "You can be a klutz sometimes too, you know."

She chuckled a little and with a little help from Shane, managed to stand up. That was when she noticed the broken rag lying on the floor.

"Oh my, that is not who I thought it is, right?"

Shane nodded. "She's dead."

She eyed him curiously. "What happened?"

"She hit her head on a rock."

She eyed the old woman. Noticed no head injury. She also see, through her vampire vision, that the old woman had a broken neck.

"How unlucky." She muttered.

Shane nodded. "Yes. We can do no more for her here. Let us move on."

"Where are we going?"

"To the peak of the mountain. I intend to see for myself."

"See what?"

Shane did not answer her. So Virginie asked no further. Obediently, she followed him.