Chapter 3

Darkness and Loss

It's been only a few hours since sgt Liam and his men had abducted Aria and Zodie from Cedar town the three men were making their way up to the mountains where they would dispose of them. As Sgt Liam made his way high up in the mountains along with Smith right behind him and Ox pulling the cart with his bare strength, Aria and Zodie were starting to wake up after being put to sleep inside the barrel though Aria was Zodie was starting to wake up from being knocked out by the sleep spell smith had put on him, Zodie looked up and he saw that Aria already awake and alert he had woken before Zodie did. Zodie continued to look around and tried to stand but he hit his head on the roof of the barrel.

"Ahhh crap" Zodie said while he held his head in pain

"You alright" Aria said to Zodie with his back and face turned away but still had worry in his voice

"Yeah i'm fine but what's going on where are we and what happened" Zodie was asking in anticipation.

Then it finally clicked in Zodies head he fully remembered what happened he Aria were bated into a trap put to sleep by a spell and they were on their way to death's door. Zodie looked through the hole of the barrel and noticed they were being moved through the rocky mountains outside of town high up from ground level. He was thinking that they'd dispose of their bodies once they were dead. Zodie a ton of thoughts of fear running through his head thinking there was no escape this was it, and nobody would come to save them he just couldn't believe that three men who were guards of their town were that cruel and corrupt they'd go as far to eliminate two children who are orphans from off the street struggling to survive. Just how dark and cruel can this world be, his thoughts were soon interrupted when the carriage they were in hit a pothole causing the rear wheel to fall off.

"What in the hell happened" screamed Sgt Liam in an angry tone

"The wheel fell off " Replied Ox in a sarcastic tone

"Yes I can see that Ox what I mean is how did it happen" Liam replied

Smith went over to inspect the wheel and noticed that the screw came loose they must've forgotten to tighten it when they left.

"It doesn't matter how it happened my comrades all that does matter is that we get it fixed and we finish what we came here to do and be on with our lives" Smith said with a smile. Liam scoffed at this but knew he was right

"To hell with it fine you two fix the wagon i'll be right back" said Liam slightly mad with a tick mark on his head

"Where you going" Ox asked

"I'm going to your mom's house" Liam replied with a sarcastic tone

"But my moms dead are you gonna kill yourself to meet her in the afterlife" Ox asked dumbly

" No are you dead from the neck up you bloody berk i'm going to take a piss" said Liam annoyed with Ox's stupidity

"Just have the damn wheel fixed when I get back Smith please make sure he doesn't mess up" Liam said still annoyed while walking cursing under his breath like a sailor.

While Liam was walking away Ox and Smith began working on the repairs to the wagon after unloading the barrel Aria and Zodie were in with smith sitting on top of the lid while he was making repairs to the wagon while Ox held it up. Zodie and Aria were taking turns peeking through the hole of the barrel they can see that Liam was gone and it only left the other two behind, they needed a way out and the clock was ticking what were they going to do. Suddenly Aria grabbed Zodie firmly with a serious look on his face looking at him straight in the eye wanting to say something to him.

"Zodie listen I have an Idea to get out of this okay, i'm going to take out these ass clowns and while i'm holding them off you run" Aria said in a serious tone

Zodie was about to reply but was cut off by Aria

"Hey don't argue okay we don't have any other choice right now and we definitely have a lot of time, listen when im done ill catch up with you okay" Aria said with a bit of authority in his voice.

Zodie didn't like this plan but he knew Aria was right he just looked up with tears in his eyes nodding his head. On the outside Ox and smith finally finished repairing the wagon and was about to load it back up.

"Hmmm Liam still isn't back and he's been gone for ten minutes" Ox said

"Well you saw the way he demolished that entire keg of alcohol earlier that much liquid in somebody can have them pissing like a racehorse" Smith said and started laughing.

Suddenly his laughter was interrupted when he felt the barrel shake he looked under and figured that the boys were awake not that it matter anyway they couldn't get out or so he thought without warning Aria took the dagger and shoved it up through the top of the barrel sticking liam in his derriere causing the man too jump off the barrel screaming in pain while he held both his hands on his buttocks.

"AHHHHHHHHHH damn it all there's freaking blood spilling out my ass" Smith cursed jumping around with his hands still on his buttocks"

Ox on the other hand was just laughing hysterically but all this was interrupted when Aria came bursting out of the barrel with the dagger in his mouth standing in a fighting position while Zodie ran somewhere to hide. Ox saw the six year old running and immediately tried to grab him but Aria moved with incredible speed and did an acrobatic knee kick to Ox's face knocking the man unconscious. He then somersaulted over to Smith and kicked him in the jaw also knocking him unconscious. Zodie could only watch on with amazement in his eyes after his older brother performed some amazing skills

"Wow my big brother is a big time bad ass" Zodie said

When suddenly Zodie he saw Aria get blasted in the arm making him fall over in pain then Zodie felt a strong hand grab his head he looked up and to his horror it was Liam he was pissed.

"That's it you little crotch spons have been a pain in my ass for the last time" he spoke with venom in his voice

He then threw Zodie down to the ground

"You'll be the first one to go on my list to die"

Liam covered his hand with magic in the shape of a green neon colored blade and made his way over to zodie. Aria looked on with horror in his eye, he gathered all his strength and ran over to save his brother

"Zodie no" Aria screamed running to save his brother

Zodie only looked away waiting to feel the the sharp blade impel him til heard a flesh ripping sound he looked up saw his older brother Aria slashed in the back. He looked down at Zodie with a smile on his face before he collapsed to the ground dropping the dagger towards Zodie feet. The six year old could only look on with horror seeing his brother lying in front of him with no breath coming from him.

"Aria….ARIAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Zodie shouted crying clutching his brothers body

Liam watched this and just smiled

"Hmph, well that's one of them down with you being a little kid and all I don't have to kill you but instead I can leave you out here to die in these mountains"

Zodie looked up at liam with anger he screamed and lunged at him ready to attack screaming at him

"You bastard" WHAM

Liam simply sent Zodie flying into a rock knocking him out, after that was done he went over picked up his injured comrades loaded them up into the van and rode off leaving a one lifeless boy and a much younger boy unconscious.

After an hour Zodie was finally awaken by the pouring rain he looked around and he noticed he was in the same place recalling the events of before. He was looking all over for his brother yelling

"ARIIAAAA…..ARIAAAAA till he remembered what had happened his brother was killed trying to save him and his body was gone only thing left was his dagger he picked it and looked at it and he remembered what his brother told him that night

"No matter what happens to me that dagger will have your families spirit in it, and we'll always be there to guide you"

But Zodie didn't feel like his family was guiding all he could feel was pain, sadness and misery he was a defenseless little boy in the middle of nowhere with no place to go and he didn't know what to do till he thought of the unthinkable. He tucked the dagger in his pocket and walked over to the nearby ledge, he was attempting to kill himself, he was alone in the mountain and he couldn't survive out there by himself there was nothing else in the world for him.

"Mama Papa Aria, here I come

He leaned forward with his eyes shut falling to his death the began to make him feel unconscious not that it mattered at least this way he wouldn't feel it. But as he was falling while he was half awake he saw in the corner of his eyes something black with wings was coming towards him. Suddenly the winged object grabbed him saving him from death, Zodie looked up at his savior and saw that the creature that saved him was a bird only this wasn't an ordinary bird it had raven black feathers, five tail feathers blood red eyes with a dark head feather crest. Zodie pondered on for a second till he realized that the creature that saved him was a Phoenix

He was about to say something till he fell asleep all he could think in his head was the only reason I was saved is because the Phoenix was looking for a snack not that it mattered to him he was trying to kill himself a second go, and if not what was lying ahead for him.

(WAPAH i'm done with chapter 3 hope you all liked it sorry it took long I had school to deal with you all know how it is. I'll get the next chapter up soon if i'm not busy as always please comment and review what i can do in this story until next time EXCELSIOR)