Chapter 9
"What did you do to your sister?!" Seth'ius snarled.
"I didn't do anything!" Lian snapped defensively.
"Enough lying!" Seth'ius roared.
"I'm not lying!" Lian insisted, "I swear I didn't do anything!"
"You and your sister are soaked to the bone," Seth'ius stalked towards him, "What. Did. You. Do."
Lian glared a Seth'ius, a snarky comment on the tip of his tongue. The glare morphed into wide-eyed terror in an instant. Lian back away from his father as fast as he could without falling backwards. He kept his gaze low. "I didn't do anything," he mumbled.
"Stop lying, Arkos'mii'lian," Seth'ius's face was close enough to Lian's that he could feel his breath, hot and rapid in his face. Their noses were almost touching.
Lian pressed himself against the wall but didn't dare turn his face away.
Mayu closed her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line. She took three very long very deep breaths.
Seth'ius's hands rested on his sword, ready to pull it out of it's sheath, "If you got your youngest sister corrupted, Mii'lian, you will wish you were never born. Do you-"
A wall of tree branches and vines rose up between Seth'ius and Lian. They cocooned Lian to the wall.
Lian covered his face with his hands. He whole body shook. He leaned forward, curling up as much as standing would allow him to.
"That is enough, Seth'ius," Nissa commanded. She stood in the doorway. Her eyes glowed. Glowing green vines composed entirely of magical energy wrapped around her arms and shoulders. Her gaze was calm and icy.
Seth'ius growled and stepped away from Lian.
The cocoon retracted back into the ground.
"To your rooms." Seth'ius glared at Lian, "All of you."
Lian shot out of the room, up the stairs, and slammed his bedroom door closed.
Mayu and Daria walked down the hall more slowly. Mayu shook her head, "Father went too far."
"Father is just trying to protect Mii'lian. If our brother wasn't so stubborn-"
"No." Mayu's voice was hard. She fixed her only older sibling with a steely glare, "That's not protection. In that mindset, Seth'ius could've killed Lian. Would have, even. But you can tell yourself whatever you want if that makes you comfortable." She stalked away.
Daria stared after her. He shook his head, "The emotions of everybody must have really gotten to her today." He sighed, "I can't say I'm surprised. Today's been rough."
Lian leaned against his bedroom door. His legs felt weak. And his body felt oddly numb. He couldn't really tell if he was crying. But he didn't care to know. His ears rang. He jumped and stiffened when footsteps echoed outside of his door. His breath caught in his throat. His chest tightened. He hid in the closet, curled up in the corner farthest from the door. He was still shaking.
Mayu knocked on Lian's bedroom door. He didn't answer. "Sorry," she breathed as she opened the door. She looked around. He was in is room. She knew. She could feel all of his scattered, sickeningly intense emotions rolling off of him in waves. She closed her eyes and focused on him. Her own feelings, the worry, the sadness, all washed away. They were replaced with fear, confusion, anger, hopelessness, and a thousand other things.
Mayu turned towards Lian's closet. She opened the door carefully.
Lian jumped and lifted his head quickly. His eyes were wide and his breathing ragged.
"It's alright. It's me. You're safe," Mayu promised. She sat down next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, "You're alright."
Lian covered his face with his hands. He didn't fight Mayu when she pulled him into her. She petted him, "You're alright. Mother wouldn't let anything happen to you." She pressed her lips together, "I wish I was strong enough to protect you. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Lian mumbled. He scratched at his fingers and peeled off the skin that came up, "Not even Mother is strong enough to really stop him."
Mayu grabbed his hands and held them, "Maybe that'll change."
Lian was falling asleep. He mumbled something incomprehensible.
Mayu sighed, "Good night Lian."
Lian didn't respond.
Lian stuck to Mayu like glue for weeks. He avoided all of his other siblings, Kayla and Tasha especially. He said nothing, did nothing, and went nowhere unless it was required of him.
He still couldn't sit through his classes. He wandered the city, alone, and found himself in the Center. Smooth stone walkways wove in and around the grassy flower filled meadows. Sparse trees provided shade to the benches that sat under them. Deer, rabbits, mice, and birds of various sorts were the most common animals of the Center. It was meant to be a place of serenity and peace in the middle of the city. In reality it was just a place where people brought their whining screaming children and left trash in their wake.
Lian could clearly remember helping Loc clean the place up on multiple occasions. It was one of Loc's few responsibilities. They had fed the animals when they were done. Not that there wasn't plenty of food for them in the Center. Loc spoiled the rabbits and deer especially. Lin was a little more partial to the birds. They were cute. And one of them had actually landed on his hand.
Lian sat down on a bench and watched people walk by. It was a quiet day. Loc had likely recently been by to clean all the trash. He rested his elbows on his knees and sighed, "It's warm today. I wish Daria would make it cooler." He chewed his lip, "But obviously cold means darkness and corruption. So it's gotta be warm. All the time." He leaned back and stretched his arms across the top of the bench. He turned his head to the sky. He squinted against the sunlight filtering through the tree's leaves, "And it's not just warm. It's hot. Like what the hell? Can we please at the very least get some clouds? Oh wait. You can't cover the sun without Father's permission. Can't do anything without Father's permission. Why? Because otherwise you might as well throw yourself into the ocean so Father can lock you away with the Old God of the Sky and Sea." He rolled his eyes. At this point throwing himself into the ocean to be locked away didn't sound like a bad idea.
Lian looked down at the curious trio of rabbits that approached him. One was brown. One was white. The other one was white with grey splotches. Lian leaned forward again. He held down his hand.
The brown one approached him instantly and sniffed at his hand. It sat back and stared at him.
Lian chuckled, "I don't have any food, sorry, little guy."
The rabbited hopped back to the other two. It stared back at him for a moment. It hopped back up to him a second later. It laid down and rested it's head on his foot.
Lian sighed, "Alright. I can be your pillow, I guess."
"Mii'lian!"
Lian scowled, "Really? Classes haven't even ended yet." He lifted his head and glared at his older brother as he approached. His eyes narrowed, "What do you want, Daria? Here to fetch me for Father again?"
"Why are you never in class?" Daria demanded, "You know you're going to keep getting in trouble."
Lian rolled his eyes and sat back against the back of the bench. He studied Daria for a moment. "Well maybe I'd rather spend my days peacefully acting as a pillow for the rabbits in the Center."
Daria stared at him in confusion, "What?"
Lian motioned to the rabbit that was laying on his foot, "I am currently being used as a pillow by the Great Lord Hopster."
"Mii'lian," Daria was annoyed now.
"And I am perfectly content to remain a pillow for the Great Lord Hopster," Lian added, "Now if you don't mind, My Lord requires peace to sleep."
Daria rolled his eyes, "You aren't the servant to a rabbit, Mii'lian."
Lian smirked a little bit, "I never said I was. I simply said I was a pillow for the Great Lord Hopster."
"C'mon, Mii'lian." Daria moved to grab Lian's arm.
Lian snarled. His eyes narrowed angrily, "Don't. Grab. Me." He gently woke up the rabbit. It reluctantly hopped away from him. Lian rubbed it's cheek, "See ya later, Great Lord Hopster." He got to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. He glared at Daria, "I assume we're heading to the palace."
Daria shook his head, "I'm taking you back to class."
"Oh, so now you're the search dog for the instructors too?" Lian rolled his eyes and walked past his brother, "It must be such an honor." He decided he was going to go back to the palace.
Daria hurried after him, "Mii'lian!"
Lian continued on his chosen path. "I'd rather deal with Father than sit through another two hours of classes," he muttered to no one in particular.
"Father is going to be angry with you," Daria snapped.
"In case you hadn't noticed, Daria'lis, he's always angry with me," Lian shot back.
"He's just frustrated. He's trying to protect you and you're throwing it back in his face!" Daria insisted, "If you just listened and did as he said-"
"And blindly accepted everything at face value?" Lian shook his head, "You may be content with that existence but I'm not. I'd rather get in trouble a thousand times over than stop asking questions. It's just how I work. I have to know why. If Father doesn't like that then this is just how things are going to be for the rest of time." Lian's eyes narrowed, "I've tried, Daria. I just can't." He picked up his pace until he was running through the city. Maybe he'd be able to run from the guilt and anger that threatened to consume him.
Lian pulled to a stop in front of a canal. He stared at it blankly. His gaze hardened, "I don't want to go back to the palace. Not really." He scaled the wall and dropped into the canal. "Since Father will be angry with me anyway, I might as well wait until classes finish to head back."