The Guardian
It's been a while, but I felt the need to continue and finish this story before continuing with the others.
Enjoy!
Chapter Four:
A Promise Made
Everything was disorientating.
Derick couldn't form a coherent thought. Nor could he recognize where he was, if he was facing up or down. Left or right. Nothing felt right. But it felt peaceful.
He saw light but it only blurred his vision, which wasn't much. He wondered where he was. Nothing felt familiar, especially with how unfocused everything was. It should have scared him, but he felt nothing else except for confusion.
Then, a name came forth through all the confusion.
'Brandon.'
It took a moment to recognize it. But once he pictured a face to the name, memories came flowing back like a river down a stream. It helped in regaining his focus as he began to make out his surroundings. The light became less blurry as shapes became clearer. His hearing and smell also came back, speeding up the process.
A part of him wanted to move, but he felt a desire to remain still. A desire to fall back to sleep and let the numbness he had felt once again take hold. But he needed to know if his brother was alright. He couldn't remember anything, except the need to know.
With the strength he had within him, Derick forced his body to turn from one side to the other, letting gravity do the rest as he rocked back and forth once turning enough. He forced his eyes to open as he saw a figure on another bed across from him. It took him a moment to recognize the sleeping figure.
His heart relaxed, allowing him to let out a sigh of relief.
But then, he saw something else from the corner of his eye. And his heart stopped.
Like a rushing wave, his body was back to full attention mode. Every sense was on high alert and fully functional. The sleep melted away, as did the blur. But the fear only grew.
He dared not to move again, hoping that the figure would still believe that he was asleep.
Seconds passed by, leaving him with a growing anxiety.
A voice spoke, echoing through the darkness of the room.
"Your heart gives you away."
His eyes widened and his heart danced. The voice felt smoothing, yet so unsettling.
"There's no need to fear, child. You are safe here."
Forcing himself, he slowly got up and moved his feet to the floor, keeping his eyes down on his knees. He put his hands together before looking up in the direction of where the figure was. And his heart skipped a beat.
In front of the door of the small room, a cloaked figure stood. Its face hidden away within darkness, with only its eyes visible. And such beautiful eyes they were. Blue and purple, mixed together like as if they were able to coexist. One never outshining the other. Its cloak was black and was hugging against the body of the creature, like as if it was part of it. Mist moved along its body, disappearing and reappearing. The being was like as if it was literal darkness incarnate.
"You are not wrong to be cautious, child. But fear is not something you have to be around me. Despite my appearance, I am not your enemy."
Derick felt his breathing rising, threatening to make him break his composure. He struggled to control himself.
"Who-" he struggled to say the words, feeling like salt to his throat. "Who... are you...?"
The figure continued to stare at him, "I am Thrawn. And to answer your next question, I am a 'Forsaken'."
The word sounded so foreign, so mysterious and simple. Just hearing it sent a chill up his spine and across his skin.
"What do you want?" Derick managed to ask.
"I want nothing from you," Thrawn replied. "It was your father I was trying to find."
His eyes widened at the very mention of his father. Time itself seemed to have stopped, like as if he was the only one there. He forgot about the Forsaken and was hit by a wave of emotions and memories. His body began to tremble as he remembered the mysterious man who stabbed his father and then his mother. He remembered their bodies turning to ash in a matter of seconds. He remembered the shock and fear, before it turned to anger. And then hate.
He remembered it all.
He heard sobbing. Someone was crying. His attention turned towards his brother and saw that he was still sound asleep. Then it dawned on him as tears slid onto his lips, tasting the salt.
'He' was the one crying.
Unknown to him, the Forsaken's eyes lowered.
"I am... sorry for your loss."
His words barely reached him.
"Get some rest. Morning isn't for another few hours. We will talk then."
He heard the door open and close, but he never once looked up. Just the thought of knowing that he was alone, aside from his sleeping brother, brought a sense of relief. His sobbing grew, almost waking his brother. He couldn't control himself, despite himself. His heart felt as if it was being squeezed, his stomach breathing in and out. He searched for any way to avoid the pain. But he found none.
The very thought of home only made it worse. The thought of windmill only made it worse. Even the thought of the land of which those two buildings sat on did nothing to lessen the pain. It only brought him back to one crucial fact.
Their parents were dead.
Without realizing it, he had laid back down onto the bed and covered himself with the blanket, bringing his knees to his chest and burying his face into the pillow as he continued to cry, in search of warmth. He surrendered himself to the darkness, falling into a deep sleep, where only nightmares awaited him.
Derick awoke to the feeling of warmth on his face. He began to smile, waiting to hear the sound of his mother's voice calling for him to wake up for breakfast. Hoping to leave the nightmares behind. Until he remembered what was causing them to begin with. And just as fast it came, his smile disappeared as disappointment and sadness filled his heart. His energy to get up nearly evaporated and he struggled not to cry again.
He felt as if he could just stay there forever. Until he remembered...
'Brandon'.
He turned to his side and was relieved to see that his brother was still fast asleep, away from the window and the sun's reach. At the very least one of them got plenty of sleep, although a part of him knew that it was well into the morning by this point.
The thoughts of the mysterious being from the night before entered his mind and he was immediately on edge, turning his attention to the door. He sighed, happy to see that nothing was there, and that the door was closed. But he still feared what was beyond it.
Removing the blanket, he got up and began to change from his pajamas and into his clothes. Almost done, he paused. Wondering where the clothing he was putting on came from. They weren't his, as they were too new and different. He remembered that they weren't there from last night either.
Pushing such thoughts aside, he put on a pair of shoes and moved towards the door. Checking on his brother one last time, he turned the doorknob and exited the room, making sure not to make a sound. He found himself in a small, dark hallway, with white and gray walls as opposed to the wooden room and torches lighting the place up. He looked down both ways and saw no one. But he did see several other rooms with numbers.
Curious, he turned towards the door he had exited and saw that it was numbered '4'.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a figure and turned, coming face to face with a being similar to the one he had seen last night. But something about it felt different from the other, despite similarities. He remembered the name of which its race was called.
'Forsaken'.
The being stared at him, making him feel nervous as he couldn't get a read on what it was feeling. Its face was just darkness, like an abyss. Only its eyes were visible.
"Come along," it commanded. "My master wishes to speak with you."
The Forsaken turned and began to walk down the hallway. Acting fast, Derick decided to follow before it turned a corner. He didn't dare to speak, unsure of what even to say. Its very presence made him feel unwanted, like as if he was in a place that wasn't meant for him.
They soon arrived at a large double doorway and the figured entered. Derick followed as they came into a large room that was filled with relics that hung from the wall, with a fireplace behind a large desk, and candles that helped light up the room a bit.
"Thank you, Asura," the figure behind the desk spoke, turning in its seat to face them. "Keep an eye on the brother. If he awakes, bring him here."
Asura nodded before turning to leave, never once paying any attention to Derick, who watched until the doors closed.
Feeling its eyes on him, Derick turned and looked into the blue, purplish eyes of the Forsaken. He recognized the cloak of which it wore, realizing that this was Thrawn. The one called Asura only had a dark purple cloak. This one wore black.
Remembering his manners, Derick quickly bowed and said, "H- Hi."
The figure motioned towards one of the three seats in front of the desk.
"We have much to talk about. You have several questions, I'd imagine."
Although nervous, Derick nodded and got the middle chair to sit in.
Silence followed, as the Forsaken stared at him, undecided.
"It would be best if I started from the beginning."
Derick leaned forward.
"I am Thrawn, the second-in-command of the Forsaken. As to why we were at your family home last night, it was to speak with your father."
"Ab-" he stuttered, trying not to remember that night. "About... what?"
"About his life being in danger."
Unable to hold back the tears, he allowed the memories to come rushing back. He remembered the man who killed them. The man who took everything from them. The tears came, and he failed suppress them. And then, the sadness turned to anger.
"Who is he?!" his voice trembling.
The Forsaken's eyes narrowed, "His name is Lecter Warden. A high-ranking member of the Guardians."
Derick frowned, "Guardians?"
"The Guardians are our enemy. An organization created to prevent us from achieving our goals."
Derick stared at the table, letting the information sink in. But he couldn't make sense of any of it. Why would his father be targeted?
"We approached your father to help in helping us track down an 'artifact', which was in the hands of our enemy. In return, we promised to locate Gellert Grindelwald."
Derick's eyes widened. He remembered the argument that his parents had. The price that his father paid to locate the dark wizard.
"And in exchange, he gave you the location of a woman."
Thrawn nodded, "It was agreed upon and he fulfilled his promise, as did we. But sadly... it was in vain. For both of us."
"What?" Derick looked up at him.
Taking a newspaper, Thrawn tossed it to the edge of the table. Staring at it, Derick slowly picked it up and read the front-page news.
"DARK LORD GELLERT GRINDELWALD ESCAPES ONCE AGAIN!"
"No!" he whispered, feeling his heart sink deep inside him. Tears reformed as he remembered his father's regret in what he had done to accomplish such a thing. Now, it was all for nothing.
Thrawn sighed, "The woman that your father helped us find took her own life before sending the artifact away in an attempt to keep us from getting it. When it became clear that the Guardians were aware of his involvement, it only made sense that her fiancé would come for vengeance. So, we decided to go warn your father and use him as bait."
"Fiancé?" he asked, then it quickly dawned on him. "Warden."
Thrawn nodded, "The woman's name was Coraline. She was the keeper of the artifact that we wished to obtain for ourselves. In the end, she used the power of the artifact to send it away, at the cost of her own life."
"Were you going to kill her?" he asked, unintentionally.
The Forsaken paused, "She was our enemy. And knowing her dedication to the Guardians, she would have fought to the death. So, yes."
Silence followed, leaving the two to their thoughts.
Derick looked up towards the dark figure, "So, what happens now?"
Thrawn stared at him, deep in thought.
"Under normal circumstances, we would have left you there. The ministry would have taken you in until your time to go to Hogwarts."
His eyes widened, surprised that he knew so much.
"But I felt the need to offer you a choice."
Derick swallowed, "What choice?"
"A choice between returning to your life and continuing where it left off... or staying with us to avenge the deaths of your parents."
The words sunk in, making him gasp at the idea.
"Why?"
"Because we can use people like you. Maybe our interests don't align, but our targets would. We can train you, mold you into what it will take to capture or kill Warden. Of course, there will be a price."
"What price?"
"The artifact. We will help you get Warden, in exchange for the artifact."
So many questions rose in his head. He questioned why they would take such an interest in an eleven-year-old. Or what the artifact was or why they wanted it. But none of them mattered. All he could focus on was the opportunity in front of him.
"What happens if I saw no?"
"Then you will return to your world, and you will never see us again. You'll go on, attend Hogwarts, live simple lives. The choice is yours."
The room fell silent once more.
Derick felt conflicted and scared. He wanted to say yes so badly. He wanted to take up the offer and hunt down the man who took everything from them, whose face was painted in his mind. A face that made him grow angrier the more he saw it.
"There's no need to make a decision right now. Go back to your brother and talk it out with him."
Nodding, Derick rose from the seat and went to the door, feeling the eyes of the Forsaken on him as he exited the room. His mind was stuck on the offer he was presented with until he found himself in front of the door that read '4' on it. The other Forsaken known as Asura was not there, but he couldn't help to wonder if she was nearby. Watching from afar.
Opening the door, he walked inside and found his brother still asleep.
Not wishing to wake him, he walked to the bed and laid down on it, moving to the corner to stay out of the sun's reach. For about an hour, he laid there, looking up towards the ceiling as he processed the information and the deal he was offered.
To say it was tempting was an understatement. It was what he desired. To face the man who killed his mother and father. To kill him for what he had done.
But the words of his father also entered his mind. His warning about vengeance and the cost it'll have on a person. The price that his father paid, as did his mother. It was enough to give him pause. To wonder what they would want. Of course, they would want them both to move on and go to Hogwarts. To live their own lives. But he also thought about what they would have done, if the roles were reversed.
"Derick?"
He turned to his brother, who was staring at him with watery eyes.
"It... it was real... wasn't?"
Tears of his own filled his eyes as the emotions swarmed his heart. Unable to help himself as he got off his bed and crossed over to his brother, who immediately embraced him.
"They're... dead..." he broke into a sob, shaking. Derick began to sob as well.
The two held each other as they cried, letting out the emotions that they felt in an attempt to find some form of comfort. To push the pain away. But it all came flooding back all the same.
As the day slowly became night, Derick and Brandon sat on the bed together, staring at the wall. Their faces still wet and red from the tears.
"Can they really help us?" Brandon asked. "Can they help us get him?"
Derick slowly nodded, "They helped dad capture Grindelwald."
"But... he escaped."
"Not on their watch. The ministry failed to contain him."
The last few hours were spent between the two talking about what Derick had learned and the offer that they had been granted. Brandon had so many questions, a lot of which that Derick couldn't answer. But by the end of it, even Brandon was tempted by the idea that they could one day go after the man who killed their parents.
"What are we going to do?" he asked.
Derick shrugged, "I don't know. But... whatever happens. We can never go home. I know I can't."
"What do you mean?" the younger brother looked at him with wide eyes.
"I don't want to live in a place where our parents died, Bran. I can't. All I would see and think about is where they turned to..." he closed his eyes to keep the tears from coming. "Whatever happens, I am not going back there."
Brandon continued to stare at his brother, surprised and confused, "But... wouldn't dad be upset at us? For... going after revenge? You heard what he said."
"Well, I never promised him that I wouldn't!" his voice rose, anger flickering in his eyes. "Warden took everything from us, and I want to see him die by the very knife he used to kill our parents!"
He paused, thinking hard about the decision that was presented to him. The more the anger within grew, the more distant his father's warning became. He began to shake, his face turning red. But then he began to think about his brother and the possibility that this may not be what he wanted. He wondered what would happen if they were to split up and go their own ways. Would he be alright? Would he resent him for leaving?
Turning to Brandon, he saw the fear in his eyes and knew that he couldn't abandon him. Even if it was for the best of reasons in the world, he couldn't leave him behind.
Getting up, he began to pace around the room.
"Derick?"
Hearing his brother, he stopped and turned to him.
"Whatever we decide; whether if it's a lifetime of chasing down Warden or going to Hogwarts... we'll do it together."
Brandon stared at his brother, deep in thought before getting off the bed and approaching him, his eyes filled with newfound determination, "If we do this, it's only Warden. Kill or capture, once it's done... I'm done."
"Don't forget, we'll need to get this... artifact, or whatever it's called."
"Right, that too. But still, once Warden is captured, I'm coming back."
Derick nodded as the two embraced, just as the sun began to set in the distance. A promise made in the final seconds of the dying day.
That night, the two brothers made their way to Thrawn's office, while being escorted by Asura. Brandon had been frightened by the being's presence at first sight and stuck by his brother's side, holding his hand. Once at the entrance, they were allowed inside, where Thrawn was waiting for them.
The Forsaken stood in front of the fireplace, staring deep into the flames before turning around once they had reached the desk. He approached them, only being separated by the desk itself.
"What's your answer?" he asked, bluntly.
Brandon began to shake at the sound of his unnatural voice, but Derick reassured him with a squeeze on his hand.
"We accept!" Derick declared.
Thrawn's eyes widened a bit before narrowing them at the two.
"Then, you promise to help us with the artifact, as we will promise to help you find Warden."
"Yes!"
The Forsaken nodded, "It'll take years, but we will help you transform into the capable fighters to take on Warden and anyone who will stand in your way. But understand this, this path will not be an easy one."
"I know!"
The Forsaken shook his head, "No. Not yet."
Suddenly, an idea popped into Derick's head. One that only fueled his determination.
"I have one request."
Thrawn narrowed his eyes at him.
The smell of burning wood filled the air, with flames flickering and smoke rising higher and higher for those to see for miles. The sound of a foundation crumbling to the ground as the fire spread, only stopping just inches from the grass. Being kept at bay by an invisible force, including the ashes that threatened to spread far and wide.
The house that once belonged to the Gray family was now an inferno. Consumed by a fire that was burning everything to a crisp. Beds, chairs, tables, pictures, glasses, and furniture, all burning away well into the night. Leaving behind a scorched circle of destruction.
Just the day before, the house had been investigated by the Aurors of the British Ministry, declaring the Gray family missing, most likely kidnapped by members of Grindelwald's organization for the man who had helped lead the cause to capture their leader. The whole country had heard about it, leaving many scared.
Two children stood close to the fire, watching as the house was slowly crumbled away. One crying, while the other stared deep into the flames with only one emotion. An emotion that was lit aflame from within, giving him a drive that he would hold onto.
Next to them were two jars, filled with the remains of their parents that had been collected for them.
The heat of the fire touched their faces, almost as if it was licking their very flesh. Just begging for them to get closer.
For nearly an hour, they watched as their former home burned and collapsed, before it was nothing more than smoke and burnt wood. Then they took the jars and poured out the remains, allowing the wind to carry some off and become one with the ground.
When it was all said and done, the two turned towards the dark figure behind them and approached him, leaving their old life behind for a new one as the night continued on.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.