Chapter 4: Wounded Heart
Vanyel walked into his room and looked for Tylendel. He must still be out, he thought, well I'll wait for him, this is important after all. He sat and waited for Tylendel. A candle mark had passed and the fire began to die down and it began to become cold. Vanyel shivered. He gave up and went to the fireplace and searched for the flint that should have been there. It was wet when he picked it up. No matter how hard he tried to strike it, he couldn't spark up a flame. He trembled and wondered how long Tylendel would take to get back.
Two candle marks passed when Tylendel finally came through the door. Vanyel was asleep in front of the fireplace. At this sight, Tylendel chuckled lightly until he touched him. Vanyel was like a block of ice. He cursed himself for quenching the flame with a wave of water earlier. He drew power and lit the wood. Vanyel was shivering. He took the blanket from the bed and put it around Vanyel's trembling body. I'm such a fool, he thought, it's freezing and I wet the wood and the flint.
Vanyel's eyes fluttered open. "'Lendel?" His eyes were bleary and the form before him seemed familiar but he wasn't sure. "'Lendel? Is that you?" Tylendel pulled Vanyel into his arms. "Yes, it's me. I'm so sorry, Vanyel. I didn't think that you would be waiting for me and I was mad when I wet the wood." Tylendel felt a tear drop onto his hand. "You were mad at me? I'm sorry. 'Lendel. There's something you should know." Vanyel turned so that he could see Tylendel's face and his reaction. "Someone's trying to kill me. Savil's going to teach me to build a shield and I'm going to learn how to kill if the person still wants to use me after they hit my shields. I need to learn to hold a line on them." Tylendel's eyes had become cold. "This is all just a hoax isn't it? You just don't want me to want revenge anymore right?" Vanyel was confused, why couldn't he just understand? "No. Tylendel. It isn't like that. Please, you have to understand." Tylendel pushed Vanyel away. "What is there to understand? You. Savil. You're all against me. All this is a lie." Vanyel started to cry. "It isn't 'Lendel. It isn't. Please you have to understand, you must. You might die if you don't. I… I might kill you." Tylendel turned on to Vanyel. "How? You have powers but you're too afraid to use them. How will you hurt me? Wait, I know you've already broken my heart by doing this." Tylendel got up and when he was halfway through the door he turned his head with a cold expression on his face. "I thought you loved me, Vanyel. But I guess I was wrong." The door slammed shut behind him.
Vanyel cried. He shivered but this time it wasn't because there was no fire in the hearth. It was coldness of the soul. The coldness of the soul was harsher than the coldness of the body. Vanyel knew that now, all too well.
It had been two weeks since the incident had happened. Vanyel walked through those days like a child. His mind was always somewhere else and his eyes were always glazed over. When Savil talked to him, he had just nodded absentmindedly. He got the exercises with the shields perfect and he could hold a line. All he needed to do now was learn how to draw enough power to kill, if someone repeatedly attacked him and tried to break his shields. He hadn't got the lesson thoroughly yet. He was able to draw power easily it just slipped through him in raw form and hit Savil's shields. Even if he could do that, he couldn't control the power properly. He would be able to protect himself against others, Savil thought, but he can't protect himself against his inner turmoil. Tylendel had been cold all week. Every time he saw Vanyel, it looked like he wanted to cry. Savil sighed. She didn't know what to do or if there was anything she could do. Vanyel and Tylendel no longer shared a room. In the night she could hear crying. She sent Vanyel off to wash and returned to her room.
Startled she dropped the mage focus she was carrying. "'Lendel! What are you doing in my room? Are those the gating books? Answer me!" Tylendel calmly put down the book he was carrying on the desk. "Hello, Savil. I'm looking for something. This is not the gating book you know I can't hold the book at all and I'm leaving now." He walked calmly past Savil. "You know 'Lendel… Vanyel's not lying. There is someone trying to kill him and if you try anything he might kill you." Tylendel just kept walking. "Remember that, 'Lendel. Remember that before you try anything."
Tylendel knew it was all a lie. Tonight was the night. He was going to kill his brother's murderers. They would pay for what they had done. A limb for a limb and an eye for an eye. They would pay. He looked for Vanyel's presence in mage form. There he was. Savil was right. He had learned to build a proper shield. He looked for a breaking point in the shield. Every mage had one except for the most powerful. You just had to find it. There was none. Tylendel looked closer. How could there be none? It had only been two weeks since he had started training. Vanyel was strong then. But he would find something to make him crack.
Sorry This chapter was so short. I really didn't know how to cut this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer okay? Please R&R
NightTreader