Brotherhood of the Bladers- Chapter One- Brethren Gone

Kai sighed as he looked down at the graves of Travis and Kailyn Hiwatari, his parents. Though he had never known them, he still missed them. But the reason he was here wasn't because he was visiting the parents he never knew. Up at the top of the hill, his teammate and best friend was the reason he'd come. Up on the hill stood a lonely grave, and standing in front of it was a silently crying Taylia Calov. She had been like his guardian angel for all those years at the Abbey, though they were the same age she was like his older sister, always protecting him no matter what consequences she faced. And now, she too had lost the only person in her life she looked to hold on for just a little longer. The grave she stood in front of was that of her little brother, Alexander Calov. He had only been 6 when he fell asleep and never woke up. Kai's other teammate, Tala Ivanov, came up the hill as well. The two looked at one another, silently conversing with only looks. Tala was one of the others Taylia looked after like she did Kai, and they were all she had left. The three and one other had made a pact that no matter what, they would stick together and look out for one another, but none had done so much for the four as Taylia, and she had been the one hit the hardest. They were the Brotherhood.

Still silently weeping, Taylia felt two arms around her, then two more. Her two Brothers surrounded her in an embrace. They were all they had, and together they were inseparable. The three silver pendants they had, each one with a figure that was identical to their bit beasts, each with a short engraving with a few hopeful words on them, were now short one. Alexander's pendant with the horse called Ryuunani now hung from the cross over Alexander's grave. Taylia's dragon Dralyx, Tala's wolf Wolborg, and Kai's phoenix Dranzer were the link they had, and they had held them together despite all they'd been through. When the rest of the team went their separate ways, they too brought their pendants, Ian's serpent Wyborg, Spencer's whale Seaborg, and Bryan's falcon Falborg. Now that the three remaining bladers of the Russian Team were with only each other, the only place they had to go was back to the Bladebreakers. One last figure walked up the hill. It was Saiyana Talynivik, the last Sister, and her silver pendant, Selievyce the Eagle. She too joined the embrace. A moment passed and the honk of a car horn makes the four break apart. As they headed down the hill, Taylia remained a moment longer, getting one last look at her brother's grave, the grave of the family she used to have. Tala stayed with her. "Come on. He's in a better place now." He crooned softly to his Sister. He pulled her into a tight embrace, letting her cry.

Staring listlessly outside the plane window, Taylia sighed again and closed her eyes. It still hadn't really sunk in that Alex was gone, the only biological family she had. Kai, Tala and Saiyana were like her family now, 2 Brothers and a Sister, all the same age. Beside her across the aisle, Kai had Saiyana asleep on his shoulder, and next to her Tala was staring blankly at the ceiling. Taylia turned back to the window and looked out at the ocean. Ever since she'd gotten out of the Abbey, she'd always thought the sea was the most beautiful thing she had ever beheld. Alexander would never get to see it. The thought made tears threaten to come down. Tala saw it and put his hand over hers. The ache eased a bit, but it didn't fade. She knew it would never go away, pain so deep never did, she learned that lesson through years of experience.

Flashback

8-year-old Tala lay on the ground, still crying from Boris' severe beating. Still in his clenched fist was his pendant, the one that looked like Wolborg. "Tala?" A girl's voice called out, her tone suggesting she'd been running around looking for him. She came into the room and gasped, running over to her Brother and stopping by his side, letting his head rest in her lap. Kai and Saiyana looked into the room as well, and then resume their posts as lookouts. If any of them was caught near Tala, they would all receive a punishment worse than his. Quickly and gently, Taylia bandaged up her friend as best she could. She motioned for Saiyana to come in and the two helped their friend to a safer area.

Footsteps belonging to someone followed the 4, making them quicken their pace. Slipping into one of the hundreds of hiding spots in the Abbey, the 4 breathed a sigh of relief when the pursuing guard passes by without noticing them.

"Tai, we're here." Tala said softly, nudging her shoulder. Taylia stirred at the mention of her nickname. Still weary, she grumbles as the 4 file off the plane without a word. Outside, one would see 4 teenagers, all 16 or 17 years old walking together, all silent, all solemn, they were the Brotherhood, still absent are 3 members. With only a backpack of possessions, a letter from Bryan and a bit of hope, the Russian team went in search of Mr. Dickenson.

It would be another hour or two until they would arrive at the Hiwatari Estate, and since it was already dark when they arrived, it was natural for the team to be drowsy. Tala yawned and slouched in his seat, folding his arms and staring at nothing in particular, probably his foot, while the others were sound asleep. Taylia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Tala's response was to wrap his arm around her waist. Taylia started to stroke the hair away from Tala's face, easing him into a half-sleep. It had become a habit of the group to always have one person awake on guard, even when it wasn't necessary. Out of old habit, Taylia looked at the engraving under the dragon's wing. May your untamable heart always soar, dragon. It always brought tears to her eyes, no matter how hard she fought them. The car pulled to a stop. Taylia gently nudged her sleeping friends, and the four walked inside.

The place was huge, just as Kai had said it was. Only moments later, two more people came running down the staircase. Taylia ran up to the first one and pulled him into an embrace. "I missed you Bryan..." The team made their hellos, then someone asked the tear-jerking question. "Where's Ian?" Saiyana asked quietly. Spencer's face fell, and Bryan bit his lip. "I don't know if you heard about it..." Spencer muttered before handing Tala a newspaper, all typed in Russian. On the front written in bold Russian lettering was BALKOV ABBEY GONE DOWN IN FLAMES, 394 CHILDREN DEAD. "Ian... didn't make it out in time..." Bryan murmured, forcing himself not to cry. Ian, though he was sometimes a pain, had been like the annoying little brother of their Brotherhood. "We managed to recover this..." Bryan opened his hand, and there lay Ian's pendant, still intact with the words 'Never give in' still engraved in the serpent's wing. Saiyana broke down into silent tears, for Ian was her only biological family left and now she had nobody. "Fly away eagle, let your heart go free..." Kai crooned to his Sister as she cried. That was what was written into her pendant. The night was a restless one, and Taylia stayed up all night, letting the silent tears finally fall.