Housepets! Always Save the Day

Chapter 6: Voices of Lost Children

A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction

Based on the characters by Rick Griffin

By: Fenrir Black

A Message from The Great Kitsune

Hello everyone. Things have gotten much stranger and much harder after our recent trip to Heaven to speak with Henry Milton. We don't know where Rowan…Revenant is or how much power he has gained while we were gone. Time is slipping by and generally for a god that is nothing but with a threat such as the one we are faced with I'm starting to understand why you mortals fear the passage of time.

To make matters worse, it seemed that Lisa's father, Adrian Smith, somehow made his way from Lisa's world to the HPU. I believe I know the reason, but I cannot tell Lisa. She was upset when she learned the truth about her father. But that can wait. We learned that Henry Milton may have clues that can lead us to the remaining temples in his old journals and notes from his travels. Keene is working through them as we speak. In the meantime, Lisa and I are heading to her world to find Rowan's parents. Apparently while in Heaven Lisa talked to King's mother and she told her that to understand someone you first need to know where they came from. That is why we are here now. Hopefully, they can shed some light on the situation because no matter how I look at it there should have been no possible method for Rowan to absorb so much mana in his mortal vessel and keep it as he has. Not unless there was always more to him than any one of us realized.

Oksskolten, Norway

The bitter cold and swirling snow were making it much harder to traverse the mountain than Rowan anticipated. When he discovered that the temple of Dáinn was located here, Rowan believed it would be a simple matter of popping at the temple, making his way through, and reaching the mana that laid in wait. Unfortunately, he was still not powerful enough to break through the magical defenses left by the stag. The closest he could appear was at the base of the mountain. Now he had to climb the steep slopes, rocky passages, and sheer cliffs. A normal human would have died from hypothermia or fallen merely to their death. Rowan was not human. Every obstetrical that crossed his path was either bypass with a simple burst of flight or blast of magic. As he soon found out that would not always work. The closer he got the temple entrance, the less strength he had. Now he was forced to trudge to feet of snow in his tennis shoes. His power kept him from freezing to death, but it did little to warm him as he was pelted by razor-edged wind and ice crystals that seemed to form from nothing. He was starting to believe the mountain itself was trying to prevent him from reaching his destination. It would fail.

Rowan plowed through the snow bank as fast as he could. The cold was starting to make him tired. Clutching his robe, he tried to keep what little heat he had from being stolen by the wind. There were times it felt like he was surrounded by white nothingness. Rocks would appear in his vision on occasion only to be washed out by another flurry of snow. To keep him distracted, he focused on the ball of purple fire in his right hand.

The fire provided little warmth but did help keep the chill away. Rowan stared at it miserably. It was a mark of his curse. A reminder of what he did and how much he gave all those years ago. As he stared at the flame, it was like he could see it all over again.

Many Years Ago

New Bern, NC

Rowan opened his eyes and saw only the faint light of the clock beside his bed. He blinked as his eyes struggled to adjust to the bright glow. Slowly the numbers came into focus. 2:45 a.m.

Rowan rolled over and dug deeper into his mattress. He had school in the morning and only a few hours before the alarm would blare in his ear disrupting what precious little sleep he could get. His head sunk deeper into his pillow but no matter how hard he squeezed his eyes shut, any chance at sleep was gone.

Crash.

There it was again. Rowan sat up in his bed and looked around. His bedroom appeared out the darkness as his eyes began to adjust. In the corner was his collection of games and toys laying in a pile. His blue curtains were drawn shut so little moonlight could peer through the window. The bedroom door was left slightly ajar for easy access to the hall if he had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.

What could have made that sound, he wondered? Everyone was asleep. He focused on the source of the noise and tried to decipher where it came from. Dakota was the most likely culprit. Rowan sighed and rolled his eyes before throwing the covers off of him. One leg at a time, he swung himself off the bed and landed on the soft carpeted floor.

The hallway was eerily quiet that night. He spotted Dakota's room instantly. The light from Dakota's nightlight could be seen through the crack under the door. Slowly, Rowan stepped down the hall and towards Dakota's room. A shadow moved across the room temporarily blocking the light. It was so fast that Rowan wondered if he only imagined it. But no, he knew he didn't. Dakota was moving around when he was supposed to be asleep.

His younger brother was so strange sometimes and would do the oddest things. Once he took all the silverware out of the draw and tried to line them up like dominos. When Dakota realized that there was no way they were going to stand on their own, he stuck them into the dining room table then got upset when they wouldn't fall over.

Rowan stood outside his brother's door. Part of him thought of waking his parents and let them deal with their youngest son. It was not his job to take care of Dakota. He would never take a situation like that. But his parents were sound asleep and if woke them up to tattle on Dakota would only make them upset with him. Not to mention what they would do to Dakota. After the silverware incident, Dakota was locked in his room for two weeks. Not much else you could do with a five-year-old.

Begrudgingly, Rowan turned the doorknob and slowly cracked open the door. The room was quiet as Rowan stuck his head in. Carefully, he quickly slipped past the door and shut it behind him. There was no telling what he was going to do to Dakota for waking him up and the last thing he wanted was his parents to hear Dakota scream for them.

"Dakota," Rowan whispered. His voice seemed distant as he looked around the semi-lit room. Dakota's collection of stuffed animals was in plain view as usual scattered on the floor. His parents thought his room was messy. He stepped over a large hippo and made his way to Dakota's bed.

As he stepped closer, Rowan immediately realized something was wrong. Half the sheets and blankets were torn from the bed and falling to the floor. One pillow was missing altogether. A cold breeze blew past him, and Rowan turned to see the window was wide open. From where he was standing, Rowan could see the moonlit yard and a strange vehicle parked in front of the house.

In the corner of his eye, Rowan watched the closet door slowly creep open. Out of the darkness, a tall figure appeared. At first, Rowan thought it was some kind of monster like the ones he used to tease Dakota about. "Beware the monster that lives in your closet. At night, when your asleep, it will come out and sneak up on you." Rowan wondered if it was because of that Dakota would wander around in the middle of the night. As the figure stepped closer to the light, Rowan realized two things. One that it was no monster but a large man. Two that the man's arms were wrapped around Dakota. Even in that dim light, Rowan could see the terror in Dakota's eyes as he stared at him.

Rowan opened his mouth to scream for his parents or simply out of fear. But before even a sound could emerge from his lips, a thickly gloved hand clasped over his mouth silencing him. Rowan did not even notice that there was someone else hiding in the corner when he walked in the room. The man's other arm wrapped tightly around Rowan's torso. Even as the fingers dug into his face, Rowan screamed. A scream that was never heard even as he was slammed against the doorframe and he lost consciousness.

New Bern, NC

Present Day

Lisa stared at the familiar house, tapping her foot on the browning grass. The autumn air smelled sweet that day. She could see the various Halloween decoration the Gain's had put out. Ceramic jack-o-lanterns guarded the front door while a flatten witch hung on the wood paneling. She bit her lip as her mind raced with thousands of different scenarios of how she was going to talk to Rowan's parents.

"Oh, hello Mr. and Mrs. Gains. Your son is possessed but dark magic and is currently plotting to destroy an alternate universe, but I love those pumpkins you have outside."

So far that was her best option.

"Lisa." There was a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her brainstorming. "Are you with me."

She turned to Kitsune who watched her with notable concern written on his face. He was currently in his human form. A young blonde man with the usual purple t-shirt and jeans. It was always strange to see him like that. For so long she had only seen him as a drawing in a comic than as an actual living kitsune. Now he was a real human. Someone she could realistically see spending the rest of her life together with. She would never tell him that of course. Just like she would never admit that she was more attracted to his kitsune form than his human form.

Lisa smiled and gently removed his hand from her shoulder. She was glad he was with her for this. Not that he had much choice since she needed him to travel between worlds. Rowan had the bracelet they got from Drasil which was what they used before. Even though it was only a few months ago, it felt like a lifetime had passed since she and Rowan first came to Babylon Gardens.

"I don't know if I'm here or a million miles away," she said turning back to the house. She prayed that neither of Rowan's parents was looking out the window wondering why she was standing there with someone who clearly was not their son. "How are we going to do this? I mean I know we can't tell them the truth, but Rowan's gone. How are we supposed to explain the fact that he's not here, but we are?"

Kitsune stared at her. His red eyes always had a way of calming the butterflies in her stomach while his touch seemed only to create new ones. "I thought you would have figured that out before we came here."

"Thanks for your help," Lisa said. He had a point, and she knew it. It was only yesterday that they returned from their month-long trip to Heaven to speak with Henry Milton. It was her idea to come here. All because despite knowing Rowan for the better part of four years, she knew nothing about him.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa marched to the front door sensing Kitsune a few steps behind her. She shook her body trying to get rid of any nervousness that was still there. She could do this, she told herself. She could totally lie to her best friend's parents faces while secretly extracting information from them.

Oh God, she couldn't do this. Before she could turn around and make a break for it, Kitsune reached past her and knocked on the door three times as hard as he could. Lisa sucked air into her lungs while simultaneously tried to keep from vomiting.

"Have you been here before?" Kitsune asked retreating from the door.

"Yeah, a few times. I've spent the last four Thanksgivings here."

He shot her a quizzical look. "You didn't spend them with your mother?"

"Ha!" Lisa laughed louder than she intended. "Yeah right. As soon as my mother found out that I had alternate plans, she booked herself a cruise to the Bahama's for a week. That's her tradition now." She closed her eyes and tried to push the thought of her mother out of her head. There was a small voice deep in the back of her mind that told her that maybe she should check up on her mother. After all, Lisa had not spoken with her since June. She was alright with that. "I spent the entire week off school with Rowan here. He would drive us down, and then I would drive us back. It became our thing."

Kitsune looked thoughtful for a second then leaned in closer. "Maybe we should have a thing," he told her.

Lisa could not suppress the smile that was gradually spreading across her face. "I figured this was our thing. Traveling to other worlds. Stopping maniacal villains from conquering said worlds." She blushed as he kissed her cheek. It was strange feeling human lips and knowing that it was Kitsune doing the deed. Dating a demigod would take a lot more getting used to.

Before it got anymore potentially awkward, Lisa scooted away from Kitsune and rang the doorbell. "They have this button for a reason."

"Did you hear that Miles invited Gale to Thanksgiving at his place this year?" Kitsune asked.

Lisa nodded. She had not met the cougar or her son, Pueblo. From what she heard, they had been living in the neighborhood for months' even after she and Rowan showed up but their paths never crossed. It was only after she got back from the void that she heard the story of Miles's camping trip from King.

"I am curious about how that is going to work. From what I heard the wolves and Gale are still not on the best of terms."

Kitsune grinned and said, "You know it's not good to gossip."

"You were the one who started it," Lisa told him. "Honestly, I've never seen this side of you before. Public displays of affection. Gossip. You sure aren't the same Kitsune was all like "I can't help you. It's beyond my pay grade. Go be an awesome were-tiger and fight that giant hell monster yourself." Lisa tried to sound like him but ended up sounding more like a drowning Muppet.

Kitsune shrugged. "What can I say you bring out the worse in me." He faced the door again and scowled at it. "Maybe they aren't home."

Lisa had not thought about what they would do if the Gains were not there. They could be visiting Dakota at the hospital for all they knew. They could always come back the next day, but by then she doubted she would still have the courage to face them.

Luckily, they did not have to worry about that because a second later the door opened and Mrs. Gains stood at the threshold. She scanned Kitsune quickly before turning to Lisa. As soon as she saw her, Mrs. Gain's eyes lit up.

"Lisa!" She let the door go and stepped closer to them. "What are you doing here? It's so good to see you."

Before she could stop her, Lisa was enveloped in a hug. "It's good to see you too, Mrs. Gains."

"Please, I told you at graduation to call me Laura." Her face changed from excitement to confusion as she began to realize that Lisa was there but not Rowan.

"There is something we need to tell you," Lisa said before Laura could ask. "It's about Rowan. Something's happened."

The look of anguish that spread over Laura's face broke Lisa's heart. She already lost one son, and now here she was about to tell this woman that her other one was gone. Lisa opened her mouth to try to say something reassuring but closed it again. There was nothing to say.

"Come in," Laura said gesturing them inside.

A few minutes later they were all sitting in the living room. Lisa and Rowan on the couch with Laura and her husband Mitch sitting in different chairs on either side of the room. Lisa found it hard to look at either of them. They both seemed just to be staring into space as they waited for the pin to drop.

"Oh, I haven't introduced you to my friend," Lisa said quickly trying to put off telling them what happened. "This is…uh." Lisa had not bothered to think of a human name for Kitsune.

"Pete," Kitsune said smoothly. "Pete Griffin."

"Oh, like from "Family Guy?" Mitch asked.

"Yeah, just like that," Kitsune said with a smile.

He turned to Lisa who mouthed the words "Pete. Griffin." Kitsune only shrugged.

Laura looked at them, and Lisa could see that she was about to burst out of her skin if she did not get the answers to why they were there and what happened to Rowan.

Lisa's throat felt dry. "Rowan's missing."

Those were the only words she could let herself say. It technically wasn't a lie. Rowan was still missing only he was out in the world looking for sources of power so he could destroy it. Not exactly something that was easy to say.

"How long has he been missing?" Laura asked. Her voice was ice cold, but Lisa was impressed by how calm she sounded. "Has the police been notified? Where was the last place you saw him? Why weren't we told earlier?" With each question, her voice rose a decimal.

"Honey," Mitch said leaning forward. He patted the air like he was trying to reach her across the room. "Let Lisa explain what's going on before you get hysterical."

Lisa opened her mouth to try to answer any of the questions that she was bombarded with, but her mind was utterly blank. Any train of thought or possible answer deserted her. She searched her mind for any possible explanation that would not either sound completely crazy or send Rowan's parents to the police.

"We don't know exactly where he is. All we know was that he sent us all an e-mail and told us that he needed some time off work. That was a month ago," Kitsune said.

Lisa stared at him. Did he just come up with that right then? He turned slightly and winked.

"So you work for the company that produces the documentary?" Mitch asked. It wasn't an accusation, but Lisa had the feeling that neither one trusted Kitsune just yet.

"Yes, I am one of the supervisors for the show," Kitsune informed them.

"And you have no idea where he went or why he left?" Laura asked leaning forward. She seemed slightly calmer, or that could just be wishful thinking on Lisa.

"We wrapped up filming, and the show just got renewed for another season when he left. You have to understand that we all love Rowan as the studio," Kitsune said as sincerely as possible. He was such a good actor that even Lisa wanted to believe that Kitsune did work Milton Studios. "But we have to start filming again, but we don't want to do it without Rowan."

"I never learned what this documentary was about," Mitch said. "All Rowan told us was that he would be out of the country for a few months and would not be able to contact us. That was four months ago."

Lisa knew that was the lie that they each told their parents. Technically it wasn't a lie since they were out of the country in a way. The less information that got around, the better.

"That's not important," Lisa quickly said before the lie grew any bigger or worse, got out of hand. "He was acting strangely before he left though." Lisa thought back to the fourth of July and the following days. Rowan confessed that he loved her, kidnapped his brother from the mental facility, then fought a fallen god bent on world conquest. It was strange, she had to admit. "Before he left, I noticed his arm."

It happened quickly. So quickly, in fact, Lisa wasn't sure it even happened, but both of Rowan's parents shot each other looks of absolute horror. They did know, Lisa realized. It was hard not to notice especially with the way he would rub it whenever he got nervous. Of course, she never noticed that until a few months ago.

"How long has he been doing that?" Lisa asked.

Laura closed her eyes like she was trying to hold back tears. Mitch rested his elbow on the armrest then placed his forehead in his palm. "Since Dakota got taken to the hospital." He sighed then continued, "We didn't notice at first. They were small and thin. When we did notice we brushed it off as simply scratches. Then it got worse. After a point, there was no denying what he was doing to himself."

"It was all fault," Laura said, her voice was filled with sadness. "We didn't' notice what was wrong with Dakota until it was too late. Then Rowan. Now, look what's happened. He's runway to God know where and it's all our fault."

"It's not our fault," Mitch said calmly.

"Oh, isn't it." Lisa had never seen Rowan's mother look so sad. "We ignored the signs for years. I knew we should have taken him to the doctor after what happened with Dakota. He was ten. He should never have had to do that! What he saw in that barn. What he did to protect him. He was ten." Laura was practically shouting by the end of her sentence.

Lisa knew what they were talking about because Rowan told her himself three months earlier. He told her how he found Dakota covered in blood after he killed their pet dog, claiming the voices told him to do it. Rowan tried to keep it from his parents until Dakota kept hurting more animals then he had no choice. It broke something inside of him.

Laura shook her head. "No, we should have taken him after what happened to them. I knew followed up with that psychiatrist. The counselor told us this would happen. After what they went through. After what happened to them."

Lisa felt dizzy all of a sudden. What was she talking about? Them? Did she mean Rowan and Dakota? What happened before the barn?

Rowan's parents must have noticed the confusion on her face because Mitch instantly shut down while Laura rocked back and forth in her chair. Lisa glanced sideways at Kitsune and could tell he was thinking the same thing. They were hiding something.

"You need to tell us what happened," Lisa said. "What are you talking about? If it has something to do with why Rowan left, then we need to know."

"It's not important," Mitch said avoiding both Lisa's and Laura's gaze.

Lisa's eyes flickered between both Rowan's parents. Laura looked like she was silently pleading with her husband while he was ignoring her. Feeling a new conviction stir inside her, Lisa knew that she had to get them to talk. Her eyes bored into Laura like she was trying to mental shuffle through the woman's thoughts for the answer.

"It's time someone knew, Mitch." Laura's voice was barely a whisper. Louder she said, "If anyone should know it's Lisa. She of all people should know the truth. And if it helps to find Rowan, then I think we should do it."

Without looking at any of them, Mitch nodded his head.

Laura turned to Lisa and Kitsune and asked, "Have either of you heard of the Hillside Kidnappings?"

Many Years Ago

New Bern, NC

Rowan was not sure what terrified him the most about where he was. There was the metal collar digging into his neck and the heavy metal chain attached to it that connected to the wall behind him. It was so dark where he was. The only light came from the cracks under the door that led into the long hallway. When he first woke up and realized he had been kidnapped he laid on the floor and tried to peer under the door. He could see the hall outside his room, but there was so little there. Only cold cement, like the floor of the room he was trapped in.

There were also the smells. The was acidic with the odor of fear and human waste. Rowan soon realized that there was no bathroom in the room. Even if there was a toilet or someplace for him to relieve himself, he doubted he could reach it. The chain only allowed him to walk three feet from the wall before holding him back. He could not even reach the door to touch it. Whoever had them was not taking any chances of them escaping or seemed to care about their health.

The worse part was the sounds. Rowan could hear them. The cries of children echoing around the hallway. Screaming, shouting, crying, or merely whispering, Rowan could hear them at all times of the day and night. Only there was no way to tell when it was day or night where he was. The room was like his closet. No windows, small, dark, and the only exit was that door just out of his reach.

How much time had passed, he wondered? He tried to stay strong but how could he? There were several times he too broke down and cried to himself. He had to hide his emotions from Dakota who was trapped in the room with him. Rowan to stay strong for his sake.

Dakota was the worst part, Rowan thought. Since the moment he woke up, he would scream and cry for their parents. No matter how many times he told Dakota to stay quiet or calm down, it only made it worse. His whiny voice stabbed Rowan's ears as he begged for him to save them. That was why Rowan had to stay strong. He was the older brother. It was his job. His parents told him to take care of Dakota. As much as he hated it, that was what he had to do for both their sakes.

"Rowan, are you there?" Dakota asked. His voice was so low and barely audible.

It was one of those rare moments when silence descended the hall. The other children were either asleep or had given up. Rowan was thankful for the moment of quiet, but somehow it felt worse. Like he was alone now.

"I'm here, what do you want?" Rowan asked. He tucked his knees against his chest to try to stay warm. Why was it so cold, Rowan asked himself? His pajamas provided little warmth or comfort. He wondered that if there was more light then maybe he could see his breath.

"I'm cold," Dakota said.

Helplessly, Rowan turned to where his brother sat. Dakota was crouched on the floor with his arms and legs clutched together. He was barely visible in the faint light, but Rowan could make out his small features.

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Rowan asked. He was so tired. Part of him screamed for sleep, but another part warned that if he sleeps, then he would not wake up.

"Can I stay next to you?"

"Fine," Rowan said.

There was a slight shuffling as Dakota picked himself up from the floor. Rowan could see the faint silhouette of his brother move closer to him from the corner of his eye. Within seconds there was a small body holding onto him like he would drift away if he let go. Dakota rested his head on Rowan's arm, but he did not resist. Rowan allowed his brother to grip his hand and lay beside him.

"I want to go home," Dakota told him. As if on cue, the crying began. At first, Rowan thought it was Dakota crying, but it was coming from one of the other rooms. That triggered more crying and screamed from the other children. Rowan had no idea how many there were or how old or young they all were. "I don't like this place. I want to go home. I want Mommy and Daddy."

Dakota's body started to shake, a precursor to what Rowan assumed was going to be Dakota beginning to cry. He could not let that happen. Gently Rowan wrapped his arm around his brother's body and pushed him closer into his chest. A small part of him wanted to hurt Dakota if he started crying. Just squeeze his arm or fingers until he stopped. Of course, that would only make things worse.

"It will be alright," Rowan said softly. What would his mom say in a situation like this, he wondered? "I'm here, and everything is going to be fine. I'll keep you safe."

Dakota lifted his head and looked at Rowan directly in the eyes. "You promise?"

"I promise."

The door opened. Light flooded the small room, blinding Rowan. He let go of Dakota to cover his eyes. He could see a shadow approach them through his fingers. His eyes hurt but he tried to focus on the shadow. Soon it became clearer, and the figure of a large man appeared in his vision. Following him was another man. This one was smaller than the first. Were these the two who kidnapped them, Rowan thought?

Rowan looked over at Dakota and gasped. For the first time, he could see how bad his brother looked. His clothes were torn and dirty as was the rest of his body. Dakota's hair was standing up in every possible direction. But it was the eyes that truly frightened him. His eyes were so dark and red from crying. He almost looked sick. Rowan remembered when Dakota had a fever the year before. This was worse.

"It's your turn," one of the men said. He walked over to where Dakota was and pulled out a small key from his pocket. Rowan watched as the man stuck the key into Dakota's collar and with a slight click it opened up. He removed the collar, and the other man stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" Rowan asked. Dakota's grip tightened around his arm. It felt like he was trying to snap it off. The men reached down and grabbed Dakota's arms, pulling him away from Rowan. "No, stop. Don't take him!"

Rowan screamed and tried to pull Dakota back,, but the men were much stronger than him. Before he knew it, the larger man kicked Rowan in the chest slamming against the wall. Blackness filled his vision as Dakota's cries for help filled his ears.

There was a sharp pain in his stomach as Rowan stood up. He could see the men forcibly dragging Dakota out of the room. Rowan ran to him, but he only made it three steps before the chain held him back with a powerful jerk. He reached out for Dakota. For a moment, Rowan thought he could reach him.

"Rowan, don't let them take me!" Dakota screamed.

One of the men let him go and gripped the side of the door. Rowan watched in horror as the door shut and the darkness surrounded him. He clawed at the collar around his neck, trying to break it with his bare hands. His eyes were wild with fury and fear. They couldn't take him, he thought.

"Dakota!" Rowan cried as he still tried to reach to his brother. His fingers were grasping empty air. "Dakota!"

"Rowan." He could still hear his brother's cries for another few minutes. Slowly they faded away until he couldn't hear them anymore.

New Bern, NC

Present Day

"The Hillside Kidnappings?" Lisa repeated. "I never heard of that."

She tried to think back to when she was younger. The name sounded familiar, but she could not place it. It was like a hazy memory that seemed to drift farther away from the more she tried to reach for it.

"It's not surprising. It happened a long time ago. You were much too young to know what was going on," Laura said shaking her head.

"It started off with a single kidnapping," Mitch said. Everyone turned to him. "It was a simple thing that upset a lot of people, but nobody thought much of it. Then there was another and another. Suddenly people were scared. They were all the same. It happened at night in rural areas. No witnesses. No traces."

"You never think it will happen to you," Laura said. She started sitting up in her chair. She placed her hands in her lap and stared guiltily at Lisa and Kitsune. "You hear about it on the news, you think about how sad the situation is, but you never think that you could be a target. You tell yourself you'll be safe." She squeezed her eyes shut before continuing, "But you aren't safe."

Lisa knew what was about to happen but couldn't say anything. Her voice was trapped in her throat.

"It happened one night," Laura said. Her voice sounded weak and cold. "We all went to bed like we normally did. But the next day…the next day they were both gone." The memory must have been heartbreaking because Laura burst into tears. She quickly stood up and ran out of the room.

"We went to their rooms, but they were not in them. Rowan's bed was cold, and it looked like he got up in the middle of the night. His door was wide open." He shook his head. " It was Dakota's room that was a real sight. It was completely trashed. The sheets were torn off his bed and toys were scattered all over the floor. Then we saw the window was wide open and we knew. We just knew at that moment what had happened. They were gone."

"There was blood." Laura suddenly appeared from around the corner. "There was blood on the wall. Our kid's blood." She set back down and blew her nose in a tissue she had retrieved from the other room.

"After that, we called the police. Dakota and Rowan were officially the twelfth and thirteenth children taken in as many days around the county," Mitch told him.

Lisa stared at him in shock. That many? How was that possible.

Mitch continued talking, but his voice sounded miles away. "There was nothing we could do. That was the worst part, the helplessness. The feeling of being able to do nothing when your kids could be dying somewhere or already dead. The first twenty-four hours are the most important they told us. In most child kidnappings, the child is killed after those twenty-four hours. Can you imagine how that felt to be told that and then watch the clock tick by while you could do nothing but sit and watch?"

Lisa shook her head. She couldn't imagine how that felt. She glanced at Kitsune who set stoic beside her.

"Days passed, then it was a week, then it was close to a month," Laura spoke up this time. "It was almost a month when we got the phone call. They found them. All the missing children were alive." She gave a half-hearted smile. "The culprits were part of some cult that worships demons. It was a miracle they were safe, we thought. Our children were home, and they were alright. But they weren't though. We were the lucky ones, we thought. Some of the children were so dehydrated and weak that they were more like walking skeletons than kids. Rowan and Dakota were not much better when we found them at the hospital."

"How were they otherwise?" Lisa asked. "I mean how were they emotionally?"

"You know that already," Laura said. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They weren't the same. How could they be? After that things were different. They were different. Dakota was always a shy boy, but he just shut down after that. Withdrew into himself. Rowan never left his side. For weeks they would sleep in the same bed together. They were practically inseparable. Then there were the nightmares that followed. We woke up so many nights to hear them screaming in their sleep."

"It was a long time before we had any sense of normalcy in this house," Mitch said. He leaned closer to them. "It took so long before we thought it was over. Rowan was the first to recover. Before too long he was back to his old self. He was still more protective of Dakota and rarely got mad at him, but he seemed so…normal."

"Dakota wasn't," Lisa added.

"No, he wasn't." Mitch took a deep breath and gradually released it. "He was never the same. You know what happened later. We had no choice. We told ourselves it was for his own good." He suddenly laughed manically and leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head up and stared up at the ceiling. "That was a lie we told ourselves for years. It was never for his own good. It was for us. We sent him away to protect Rowan."

"Rowan?" Lisa asked.

"We wanted to protect him from Dakota." He smiled at them, but there was no joy in it. "We wanted things to go back to normal. We wanted to forget about what had happened to them. We lied to ourselves for years."

"Mitch!" Laura cried and stood up. She stared at her husband with a look of poison. "How can you say that?"

"It's true. Dakota was gone. We fooled ourselves for years thinking Rowan wasn't gone too. He was never the same after that. Even before the barn. Ever since he came back home from that forsaken place, he was different. You knew it, and I knew it."

"What are you both talking about?" Lisa turned to see that it was Kitsune who asked. His eyes glanced back from Laura to Mitch and back again. "What happened to him?"

"As we said, he was much more protective of Dakota, but there was more." Mitch walked over to the far wall and placed his arm on it before leaning forward. "It was like darkness had descended around him. It was one thing to lose that childhood innocence, of course, that was gone, but this was different. He just wasn't the same."

"He was depressed a lot," Laura said. She stood up and walked to a framed picture sitting on one of the shelves of a wooden cabinet. "There were other moments when he would lose control and fly into a fit of anger. This was after Dakota was gone. As he got older, it felt like it only got worse. We told ourselves it was just him becoming a teenager. There were times when we could feel this…malice coming from him."

Kitsune's eyes lit up. Lisa did not like that. His expression was one of grave concern. "How could you tell?"

"We don't know really. All we know is that we had to protect him no matter what."

Lisa knew what they were really saying. The entire story told her everything she needed to know. Her stomach was twisted in knots. Rowan had been through so much, but his parents didn't help him. They were like her mother in that way. They put themselves first over the well-being of their child. Their guilty expressions told her she was right.

"You knew he needed help," Lisa said standing up as well. Kitsune grabbed her arm, but she quickly pulled it away. "He was hurting himself, but you let it go. You lied to him and to yourselves." She suddenly realized something about the situation. Something in her mind clicked. "You kept him away from Dakota on purpose, didn't you?"

Mitch turned to her and opened his mouth like he was about to argue with her, but no words came. Laura stared at the floor. When she looked up again, tears were flowing down her face. "We did what we thought was best. Keeping Dakota away from Rowan was too help them both. Whenever Rowan was around Dakota, he would change. It was like nothing, or anyone could even be near him. He acted like if he left Dakota alone for even a second, he would disappear."

"We had to protect them both. That's what a parents' job is. Protecting their children is their number one concern," Mitch said.

"So, you ignored Rowan when he clearly needed your help," Lisa's voice kept rising as she spoke. "You ignored Dakota when he was dying inside, and even after he was gone, it was easier to forget about him. Rowan was hurting, and he couldn't find anyone to help him." Lisa blood went cold as the words left her lips. She was just as guilty, wasn't she? She ignored him just as much as his parents because it was easier than facing the truth.

"We already lost one child," Laura said defensively. "We couldn't lose another."

Lisa heard enough. She brushed past Laura and headed to the door. Behind her, she could hear Kitsune catching up to her, but she did not turn around. She had to get out of that house. Everything she learned made her sick. Not only the tragedy that Rowan spent his life dealing with but the fact that he couldn't even tell her about it because deep down he knew she wouldn't listen.

Hollow and dry, Lisa flew open the door and hopped down the small set of stairs. The autumn air seemed much colder than when they first arrived. Her body was shaking, but it wasn't because of the cold.

"Lisa, are you alright?" Kitsune asked. He placed his hand on her shoulder and Lisa instantly relaxed. She could feel his gaze on the back of her head, but she refused to look at him. "I know that was a lot to take in, but it does explain a great deal about Rowan's behavior."

"What did we learn?" Lisa asked turning on him. "We learned that he was kidnapped as a child and held prisoner for a month." Her throat felt tight like a pair of icy hands just grabbed her. The thought of everything he had been through. There was no way she could understand how much pain he felt, but still, he stood with her through all her drama. She felt like she somehow betrayed him.

"I don't know exactly what happened to Rowan during that month, but I have a theory," Kitsune said. "The more I think about it, the more I realize that Rowan could not have absorbed Drasil's power as he did. The way he's been able to absorb the mana stored in the temples is also unnatural."

"What are you talking about? Res absorbed the power to become that giant tiger thing," Lisa pointed out.

Kitsune nodded, "You saw what it did to him. That explosion of power affected him differently than Rowan. Res's body changed to adapt to the influx of power. Rowan though, he not only was the same physically but he wielded power like a professional. It was like it was made for him."

"What are you saying, Kitsune?" Lisa asked.

He was silent for a moment. "I'm saying that Rowan is not who you think he is. The Rowan you and I know…" his voice trailed off like he was trying to find the right words to say. "He's not the real Rowan. The real Rowan died all those years ago."

Lisa didn't say anything. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. Her mind flooded with memories of Rowan and her together. Laughing, watching shows online, her crying into his shoulder after a disastrous phone call with her mother, the late nights when they helped each other study. How could that Rowan, the Rowan who shared all those moments with her not be the real one?

She stepped away from him. "You're wrong. You're wrong," she shouted, her voice was tinged with anger. "I don't care what you say. Rowan is real. My Rowan is real. I will save him from whatever darkness is processing him."

"Lisa, please listen to me," Kitsune said holding his palms up to try to get her to calm down. "What those men did to him. They changed him, I'm sure of it. I've been around since the beginning, and I've seen what humans are capable of. I am more certain they performed some kind of ritual on Rowan so that he was able to absorb massive quantities of magic. That kind of transformation, it alters a human's mind and psyche," he paused. "Whoever you think Rowan is or was. That's not the real one."

Lisa exhaled slowly before looking at Kitsune directly in the eyes. "Take me home."

"Lisa."

"Take me home, Kitsune." Lisa's eyes burned with a black hatred. "Back to the manor. Then I don't want to see or hear from you for a while."

Kitsune opened his mouth but immediately closed it. He looked at her with pity before snapping his fingers. Then they were gone.

Many Years Ago

New Bern, NC

"Dakota," Rowan whispered. "Look at me. You have to look at me."

Dakota was not responding to him. No matter what Rowan did, his brother seemed to be asleep. He did not know how much time had passed since the door opened and the two men dumped Dakota's limp body into the room. Rowan rushed to his brother's side and lifted his head up. Dakota's eyes were glazed and distant. His breath was weak and shallow. If there was more light, then Rowan would see the burn and scratch marks around his brother's wrists and ankles.

"Please, you have to stay with me." Rowan rocked back and forth with Dakota resting in his lap. Every once in a while, Dakota would mumble something inaudible. That meant he was still in there somewhere. "Everything will be okay. I will protect you. I promise I will protect you."

After what felt like days later, Dakota's condition had not improved much. He was more observant but still did not speak. Finally, he was able to sit up on his own, but it looked like he was unconscious still. The men did not bother to re-chain him to the wall. Why should they, Rowan thought. Dakota was not going to escape or help him escape.

The quiet was worse after Dakota came back. Rowan could hear doors opening and closing up and down the hallway. Children screamed as they were dragged away, but after a while, they stopped screaming and stopping fighting the inevitable. Rowan would whisper to Dakota and tell him stories just to have something to break the crushing silence. He would tell stories that he made up or things he saw on TV. He wanted to believe it was helping his brother but there was no way to tell.

The footsteps came down the hallway again. Rowan held his breath as a shadow stopped in front of the door. "No," he whispered as he held Dakota's limp body against his own. "Please, don't."

The door was unlocked, and slowly it opened as the light flooded the room once again. The two men entered the room. Rowan got a good look at them. One was a large man that looked like he Rowan's father's age with a scruffy black beard and a long tattoo across the left side of his face. The other was a thin man with long hair pulled back in a pony-tail. There was nothing remarkable about him other than he had a long-pointed nose. The large man stepped closer and leaned down. Rowan knew what was about to happen.

"I won't let you take him." Rowan's voice broke. "Can't you see he's hurt. Whatever you did to him, it hurt him. He can't go through that again."

"I don't think you have much to say about that kid," the man said. It was the first time Rowan heard his voice. It was deep and rough like someone rub sandpaper against a rock. "Now you either can let him go, or we can force you too. It's your choice. Honestly, I'm hoping you fight. I do enjoy hearing the sound of bones break in little boy's arms."

Rowan felt sick. This man was not just evil, he was plain sick. "What will it be?" the man asked again.

Rowan looked at his brother. For the first time since he returned could Rowan truly see what Dakota looked like? Deep down Rowan knew that if Dakota left again, he would not be coming back. The promise he made replayed in his mind. Rowan knew what he had to do.

Carefully Rowan laid Dakota down on the hard floor. He stood up and faced the men. He looked at the big one directly in the eye and said, "Take me instead."

"What," the man asked. Clearly, he was not expecting that. "Why would we want to do that?"

"I won't fight you. I won't try to run. I won't resist. I'm yours." Rowan tried to stay calm, but his brain was screaming that this was a mistake. He could die, but he was willing to sacrifice himself for his brother. The same brother who annoyed and harassed him all his life.

"I don't know about this," the other man said. "This one is older than the others. Lazarus said that they had to be young for the ritual to work. The only reason he's even here is that he stumbled on us before."

The large man looked down at Rowan. "You think you are strong, huh." He smiled a wicked smile revealing yellow teeth. He leaned closer to Rowan. He was so close that Rowan could smell his rancid breath. "You think you are stronger than the others who came before you. Strong enough to give yourself to protect your brother. That is so adorable that you think that you can save him." He stood back up. "Alright, then. We already tried the others. Maybe older is better."

Before Rowan could react, the man gripped his arm and reached for his collar. There was a small click, and the collar fell way. Rowan felt the space of his neck where it held him for the last several weeks. The man pulled him toward the door. Rowan glanced at the other one who eyed Rowan skeptically. He shook his head and began to shut the door. Rowan looked back one last time to see Dakota lying on the floor. His eyes were wide open as he watched Rowan leave him behind.

"There's no going back you know," the man said as he pulled Rowan down the hallway. "You've seen what happened to the others."

Rowan walked beside him, and true to his word did not try to fight or escape the man's iron grip. "I don't care. I made a promise, and I will keep it."

Oksskolten, Norway

Rowan held up his right hand and let the purple flame illuminate the room he found himself in. The ceiling was covered in deadly looking icicles. One wrong move and they would come crashing down on him, he thought. He turned to examine the rest of the room. The far wall had a similar bust of a large deer. Its eyes glowed with a faint blue light. The floor was covered with ice. Rowan knelt down and stared at it. The surface was so smooth it resembled a mirror.

Rowan's reflection stared back at him. His left eye glowed with a golden light, but his right glowed with the same purple as the fire in his hand. It made him sick to see that. He stood up and walked to the center of the room. The magic was strong there. It permeated through the air.

His next actions were careful, precise, and powerful. He knelt down on the ice and placed his right hand on the surface. With a surge of energy, purple flames erupted around him. They formed a large circle almost the size of the entire chamber. The flames rose higher and higher until they reached the ceiling. The temperature changed in an instant. It went from below freezing to an inferno.

Seconds later, the ice was all but gone. The floor was exposed, and Rowan could see the staircase leading to the pool of bright shining mana. There was no hesitation. He walked down the steps and waded into the magic pool. The magic power flowed through him instantly. The purple flames died as light filled the room and the entire temple. Slowly, Rowan sank before the surface, letting the magic wash away the memories of his past.