This is a chapter from my latest project CHARRIOT (yes, like that, all capitals)

CHARRIOT

Brotherhood

By [alexdamien]


The sight of Illay, sitting in front of the fireplace, with his head hung in defeat did more to destroy the morale of the group than their whole situation ever could.
Not to say they weren't desperate. Because they were.
But Illay was their leader, the one who kept going when everyone had already given up on fighting. For Illay to acknowledge defeat, would make everyone else acknowledge their uselessness too.
Sherat took a cup of tea and walked to him while the other three men sat at the table, looking at their food. She sat next to Illay and said
"Here, drink up. If you don't, they won't eat either"
Illay looked up, his eyes dark from lack of sleep, lack of hope, and desperation. He sighed and took the cup from her hands. He then looked at the others and drank from the cup.
He knew he had to go on. He had to lift them all up and find a way, any way, to get Mahreth back. But it wasn't just that. He always thought that it was easy to build hope. That was why everyone looked at him for guidance, because he could always see an exit, he could always step up and make hope out of nothing; tell them that it was alright because they would make it alright.
But not now.
He had no more of whatever he used to make hope. Mahreth was gone, off to an unbreachable fortress surrounded by hundreds of the best trained soldiers emperor Imau had. And she was going to be executed in three days. All their hopes of ever returning peace to the empire would be vanished forever. Without Mahreth the only way to get peace would be through a long and tortuous civil war. Bloody revolution.
He wondered if there really was no hope, or if he just couldn't see it, sunk into his own self pity as he was. Then he wondered if he was just feeling lonely. Because without Mahreth there was no one who could understand what it felt like, to be so high you had to support the weight of the whole sky. Without Mahreth, who could understand what it was to be a leader? To have to perform for your people and know that the moment they started hating you, you might as well be dead.
And then he thought about his brother. Dark King Shedreyeth.
He felt his heart beat awkwardly and coughed the tea he was drinking when it almost went down the wrong tube. He still had that same reaction every time he remembered that Shedreyeth was his brother.
"Illay! Are you alright?" asked Sherat, pulling a rag from one of the pockets of her vest. Illay looked up to tell her that he was alright when he saw the others had also jumped out of their seats towards him. He laughed at that.
"Sorry, sorry!I just...I had an idea. But, it's so crazy, I think I unconsciously tried to drown myself to stop me from going through with it"
Everyone's faces lit up. Illay's craziest ideas were the ones that always worked.
Of course, those ideas rarely depended on the whim of the most cruel of kings.

"Legreth! Why here? Why he most inhospit of places?" moaned Vipath
Ineth just bit his lip. This was far crazier than anything Illay had ever thought of.
"Does this has to do with what happened last time you were...captured?" asked Rodan, in that deep voice Illay always imagined his own father had.
"Hmm, no, or...well, yes, yes, it's because of that. But not what anyone is thinking"
"You do have in mind we have little time as it is, right?"
Illay lowered his head. If Shedreyeth decided to be an asshole at him, they were lost.
"I do. Which is why I need to go alone. I won't risk you all"
"No way, and let you keep all the glory? I'm behind you" said Ineth, and galloped next to him "So, how do we enter the city? Disguises? Or did you found a secret entrance?"
Illay drew in a deep breath.
"We'll enter through the main gate, let the guards recognize us and bring us to Shedreyeth"
The silence that followed his words felt heavier than the sky to Illay.
"What? Are you serious?" asked Vipath "You haven't gone crazy have you? Shedreyeth wants to anihilate you and all of us!"
"Umm, well, he doesn't really wants to kill me anymore actually. I just never told you guys about it. That's why I told you all to not worry about him setting us any more ambushes"
"But! But from that to entering Legreth's capital and expecting to talk to Shedreyeth himself!...and, how is this supposed to help save Mahreth?" asked Rodan. Illay decided to not deal with any more explanations and galloped to the main gate. The others followed, but they had their hands firmly on the handles of their weapons.
The guards recognized him and drew their lances, but didn't made any attempt to attack, instead they just exchanged confused glances. They must have heard the rumors too.
"Ah, conflict of signals, right? No problem, lead us to the castle and call Detrahl. I'm here to speak with Shedreyeth" he said, putting as much authority as he could in his voice. The guards looked wary for a moment, and then turned around and opened the gate. Other three soldiers appeared behind the gate on horses, ready to escort them to the castle.
"What just happened?" asked Vipath "They didn't attacked, and they're listening to you!"
"I need you all to listen and obey everything I say. Do not try anything, anything at all. Or we're all dead. Alright? Then, don't say anything, don't unsheat your swords or take out any weapon, let me do all the talking, don't look at anyone at the face, if you must talk do so in very low whispers. Understood?"
The others nodded, and Illay focused on looking imposing to the guards.
They arrived quickly at the entrance of the black castle, it's red towers the same as Illay remembered from when he had been captured and dragged kicking and screaming to the dungeons.
Detrahl waited for them at the entrance. Illay dismounted and let the guards take his horse. The others were a bit more reluctant to let go, but did so when Illay shot them a glare.
"What are you doing here? Do you have a death wish?" asked Detrahl, exasperated.
"I have to talk to Shedreyeth"
"Now? Illay, it's been just a few months since he let you go, don't push his mercy"
"He let you go?" asked Ineth in a whisper, but Detrahl heard him clearly
"Our lord is great in his mercy and generosity" he said, as if Ineth had insulted his own mother
"Detrahl, this is urgent. I wouldn't be here if I had any other option, you know that"
Detrahl glared at them, gritting his teeth.
"Fine. But if he decides to have your head on his wall..."
"I know, I know"
Detrahl turned around and signaled them to follow him.
"Why is he being civil to you? Why does everyone listens to you like you're the boss?" asked Ineth, in an incriminatory tone
"I wish I was the boss. As it is, everyone's probably waiting to see if Shedreyeth decides to kill me or just maul me"
The lieutenant led them to the central part of the castle and then towards a huge staircase where High Sorceror Evirath was walking.
"What the-?! Detrahl, what is this?" the sorceror asked
"He says he has to talk with the king"
"And you're just going to let him?"
"Should I ban him from it?"
"Well, I...I- you know I don't mean that!"
"Then I have no choice, do I?"
Detrahl kept walking and the group left the sorceror behing fuming and growling. They were then led to a very big black door.
"I'll announce you, and you will kneel at the king" he turned to Illay "you don't have to, but it would be respectful if you just bowed a little. Show at least some respect, you don't live together"
"Yes, I haven't forgotten"
"Wait here, only come after I've opened the door for you" and Detrahl entered the room, closing the door behind him.
"So it was true. You did bought your freedom by being a spy for that bastard" said Ineth, and the look of dissappointment in the eyes of the others made his resolve weaken
"No! Gods, please, could you have some faith in me? You want me to solve all the problems of the empire, and yet not trust me!"
"You can't blame us for thinking this all seems very suspicious, kid" said Rolan. Illay lowered his head
"Yes. I'm sorry...In the end, it's my fault. For not telling you what happened. I'd still would have liked to keep it a secret forever, but...I haven't sold you! That is all you need to know. You may hate me for having kept everything else a secret, but I'm still loyal to Mahreth"
The door opened again and they all went silent. Illay walked in and the others followed. But when they were required to kneel, they merely bowed deeply. Illay felt like screaming, things were going bad from the start.
He looked at Shedreyeth, standing next to a table nearby. He arched an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at them.
"What are you doing here, Illay?"
"Shedreyeth..."
"I remember telling you I didn't want to see you for the next ten years" commented the king, taking a cup full of wine and sat down on a nearby couch, turning his back on them.
"Umm, you did, but..."
"What can possibly be important enough to blatantly disobey me by showing your face in my castle? And you even brought your pets now!"
"Shedreyeth, please. I have a very big problem. It's Mahreth, she's been captured." said Illay, walking towards Shedreyeth, who refused to even look at him. The others just shifted around uncomfortably.
"So? Why should I care? Isn't it your job to protect her?"
"Imau has her in his fortress, he will execute her the day after tomorrow"
"And you want me to save her somehow? You should be smarter than that. To think that I will ruin my relations with Imau, for the good of that little girl"
Illay sat on the same couch as Shedreyeth, and looket at him in the eyes.
"She's the rightful ruler of Innauth"
"So?"
"I need to save her. Her people need her" Shedreyeth snorted, and Illay decided to use his last resort "Imau is using the civilians as slaves! He crushes the people he is supposed to support. He does not rules, he torments! The Innautians need their empress!"
"Illay, you have pushed my mercy too far. I have already granted you life and freedom, and now you come here demanding more"
"I have no more options.If you do not help me, I'm lost"
Shedreyeth made a disgusted face and left the cup on the table, then he got up.
"Ah, I hate you so much" he said, but signaled Detrahl to approach "Bring me this Manet girl"
"Mahreth" said Illay
"Her. Bring her to me"
"Err...bring her?"
"Preferably alive" said Shedreyeth, with that final tone that said more than enough, and Detrahl's expression changed from the meek lieutenant, back to the one he wore in the battlefield.
"Yes, your highness!" he saluted and marched off without giving any of the warriors another look.
The king then turned to a pile of papers on the high table in the room. Evirath entered, carrying books and what looked to be buildings designs.
"Will you stay here the night?" asked Shedreyeth, and Illay looked like a captured deer. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Evirath bowed and left the papers on the table, then turned to Illay and shot him a glare.
"Yes, yes, I...I think I'll stay. But if you want the others out, they were just..."
"Making sure I didn't killed you, how surprising. Evirath, show them to their rooms. No, the bath first and then rooms far away enough so I their stench doesn't reaches me"
Illay was about to make a snarky come back, but Evirath held him by his arm and pulled him away with surprising strength. After they were outside the sorceror closed the doors with a final thumping sound, and Illay got a moment of claustrophobia, even though they were in a more open space than before.
"Follow me" said Evirath, pushing some of his auburn hair out of his face and walking in front of them. Illay was only surprised that his voice didn't felt like electricity, with all the power his hands could summon.
When they reached the next floor and were well out of hearing range of Shedreyeth, Evirath dropped all pretences of civility towards them.
"It must be fools luck, to act so recklessly and win. But you still shouldn't push your luck. Just because the king takes to heart his responsibilities towards you doesn't means anything"
"Do you have to remind me that all the time?"
"Only until you stop forgetting it"
They arrived at th third floor, after far too many stairs, and Evirath pulled back his sleeve showing at least ten golden bracelets with odd signs carved in them. He took out four.
"These will show the soldiers you are...guests, of the king. Never take them off. If one soldier sees you without them or without either Detrahl or me he will beat you and take you to the dungeons, no questions asked" he gave each one a bracelet. Ineth looked down from the stairs railing and saw Shedreyeth's soldiers coming out of the black paintings in the walls, carrying swords, lances, and sometimes heads. He put the bracelet on immediately.
"All the rooms in this level are empty, take whichever you want. The baths are at the end of the hallway and the lights turn on when you pass, then turn off when you leave, so don't worry about that or bother anyone to deal with the torches" he gave Illay a meaningful glare, and the warrior blushed a bit "If you need anything, don't call me. Ask any of the servants for whatever you want, don't talk to the soldiers, it confuses them. Dinner will be brought to you later. You may go anywhere in the castle if you so desire, though I would heavily recommend that you don't"
He said nothing more, and left.
"Illay, what is all of this?" asked Rolan "King Shedreyeth suddenly agrees to help us? Allow us to stay here? You sure this isn't a trap?"
Illay walked down the dark hallway, and the torches lit up as he passed. The others stayed as close to each other as they could
"It's not a trap as long as we don't anger him"
"So this can turn into a trap at any moment" said Vipath, hands on his pockets where he kept his explosives
"Yes, something like that"
"And what are those 'responsibilities' Evirath talked about?" asked Ineth
"Ah, well. That's what I didn't told you. I must apologize for that, because-"
steps came running towards them, and they all whirled around, hands on their swords. A man in armor ran towards them, a worried expression on his face.
"Illay?" he asked, and bowed when Illay nodded "sir Detrahl wants to talk with you. He needs a description of the girl. Right now, please come with me" and he turned around and ran. Illay ran after him and the others followed. They were led to the communications room, a room with nothing but a small table with a small water fountain and a sphere floating on it's center.
"Illay?" came Detrahl's voice from the sphere. Illay approached it and said
"I'm here"
"Is the woman small, fair skinned and has short auburn hair?"
"Yes!"
"...I'm still not sure. Listen to her and tell me if it really is her" there was a shuffling noise and then "Illay? Are you there?"
"Edera! Are you alright?"
"Yes. Gods, they have captured you too? We're lost. You have to escape Illay!"
"No! Edera, don't worry. You'll be alright, just follow Detrahl, he'll bring you here with me"
"But-!" there was more noise and Detrahl was back "We'll arrive tomorrow morning. Don't anger the king!"
The sphere stopped shining. Ineth came forward.
"The empress' alright? They'll bring her here?"
"Yes. It'll be alright now"
"Great! Now all we have to do is figure out how to get out of here" said Vipath
"You can try the main entrance" said a voice from the door, and they turned to see king Shedreyeth standing there with a bunch of papers in his hands "Like, now if you want to. Just give the bracelets back to Evirath" and he kept walking
"Gods" muttered Illay, and turned to his companions "If he gets angry Detrahl will kill me. You go back to the rooms, I'll go see he doesn't throws a fit, okay?" and he left them, going after Shedreyeth.

He found Shedreyeth on the door to his bedroom. Already the clocks all around the castle began singing the hour. Illay kind of liked that, how Shedreyeth's clocks sang instead of just making clattering sounds like all the clocks he'd seen before. He'd found them odd at first, and the shrilling voices from the clocks gave him goosebumps the first night he slept in an actuall room, after being allowed out of the dungeons.
"Shedreyeth" he called him. The king was giving a servant the bunch of papers he had in his hands
"-not to start construction yet. I need to go over the plans for the city fountains, I think there's something odd there. What do you want now? I already told you and your lap dogs that you can leave whenever you want, the sooner the better"
The servant slinked away as silently as he could, and Illay almost winced at the thought of how it must be to live under Shedreyeth, who could be angered by anything.
"I...I'm sorry, for what Vipath said"
"I don't care what they say, I only care about how fast you can all leave"
"Detrahl said he would arrive tomorrow morning. How did he arrived to the empire so fast?" asked Illay, wanting to steer the conversation towards things that wouldn't alter Shedreyeth. The king leaned against the door.
"There's a portal between here and Inmau's castle, but it has to be recharged after every use. Takes about half a day, so they must be able to get here soon tomorrow"
"Ah...that's...amazing. I didn't knew such things existed"
"I built it, some time ago"
"I can see you doing that"
"What?"
"Eh, no, I mean; you're very powerful so I can see you doing amazing things like that"
"Ah, I see"
They stood there, not quite knowing what to say, until a servant woman arrived with a bunch of plates cleverly equilibrated on her hands and head. Shedreyeth looked at her and lifted an eyebrow.
"Eh, my apologies, your highness. We had a small problem in the kitchen. The shelves collapsed and we haven't had opportunity to-"
Shedreyeth silenced her with a wave of his hand and opened the door.
"Leave them on the table"
The girl entered and left the plates carefully arranged, then she bowed as low as her back let her and scurried off. Shedreyeth turned to Illay.
"You already had dinner?"
"No. We...No, I haven't. I'll leave you so you can eat in peace now"
"I was just saying because I'm not hungry, and since the food's already here..."
"Uh, well. I could, accompany you, if you want me to"

Illay went to bed well past midnight, after having a silent dinner, where Shedreyeth told him that some people he allowed to like Evirath and Detrahl called him Shey when nobody else was around. It didn't seemed right, for him to call him Illay, and being called by his full name. So if he wanted to, he could call him Shey.
To Illay, it was like putting together pieces of a puzzle that should have been the image of his childhood. He went to be wondering what would have happened if their parents hadn't separated them. Would he have called Shedreyeth 'little brother'? Or just Shey?

Loud knocks on the door woke him up and he heard the voices of his friends saying
"He's not in this one either"
"You think the king got angry and sent him to the dungeons?"
"Most surely"
Illay got up and stumbled towards the door, all the while rubbing his eyes.
"Hey, I'm here" he told them, opening the door. None of them had taken a bath like Shedreyeth told them to, and he figured they wouldn't want to do it now. The day was already starting wrong.
"Damn, kid, we thought he'd done something to you when you didn't arrived" said Rolan, holding him by his shoulders.
"'m alright. What have you been doing? It's still..." he gazed out the window, were small patches of red barely colored the dark sky "too early"
"You actually slept?" asked Ineth, and the recrimination in his voice shook Illay out of his pre-breakfast state. He blinked, and wondered when he'd become so comfortable to be able to sleep in Shedreyeth's castle like nothing.
"Hmm, a little. Think I feel asleep a while after getting back" he walked back to the bed and put his shoes back on his feet, then looked around for his sword and other weapons "Shedreyeth told me he has some kind of portal from here to Inmau's castle. If Inmau does something stupid and angers him that could be an easy way to get in the castle. Though he didn't told me to what part of the castle it gets you. Doesn't really matters I guess" he kept talking and exited the room "Detrahl must be getting back already"
Vipath jogged next to him.
"You still haven't told us what's going on, and the empress won't be as trustful as us Illay"
"What deal did you struck with him Illay?" asked Ineth "You know how dangerous it's to make business with demons" Illay looked back to glare at Ineth, but saw Rolan next to him, a dark look on his face
"I didn't...struck a deal with him. It's not like he wants to help anyway. But...we're not really enemies anymore"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't attack him anymore. And he doesn't feels like attacking me either. Gods, this all feels like a dream"
Illay hurried down the stairs. He knew he was postponing telling everyone what the matter was, but didn't felt like getting it out in the open like that. And it would have been easier if Shedrehyeth had kept on being himself and trying to kill him after knowing they were brothers. Hell, Illay actually had expected him to do that after finding out what had happened. But he hadn't. Had instead been almost...nice to him. Shedreyeth would never apologize for what he'd done, the people he'd hurt and the destruction he'd caused. But he'd given Illay a room, fed him and very politely told him to get the hell away. That was damn near close to an apology. Not quite, but it showed Shedreyeth had hope, and that wasn't what the others wanted to hear.
Illay thought it would have been the easiest thing to go back home with the tales of how he'd escaped with the knowledge that his worst enemy was his own brother and how it was going to be difficult to fight him, but he was evil so they would have to do it.
But he couldn't lie so blatantly. And telling the others that well, Shedreyeth was bad, yes, but he could still be taken to the level of 'not quite too bad, but has a penchant for blood'. No one wanted to hear that, Illay least of all people.
He leaned out the stair railing, looking down at the entrance of the castle and saw Detrahl talking with Evirath, who looked like he'd just gotten out of bed. Edera stood behind Detrahl, chained and looking very bad. Seemed like help had arrived just in time.
"There she is!" he told the others, and they all rushed down the stairs
"Edera!" called Illay, and the empress looked at him, hopeful but confused.
Evirath stopped them on their tracks with one hand, a smirk on his face. If he didn't had bedhead he would have scared them.
"The lord expressly said to bring her to him. I'm afraid you will have to wait until he gets up"
"What? But-!"
"The king's orders are absolute, aren't they Detrahl?"
The lieutenant sighed.
"I'll leave her on the hearing's hall" he said and pulled at Edera's chains
"Don't hurt her!"
"I'd have to try very hard to be able to leave her worse than she already is"
"Then you'd better get started" said someone from the second floor, and they all looked up to see Shedreyeth putting his black gloves on. He didn't had bedhead, but he hadn't bothered to comb his hair that much, which made him look as if he hadn't slept well the night before.
And who knew, maybe he hadn't, Illay couldn't be sure of anything by then.
Evirath and Detrahl knelt, pulling Edera down, but she glared and refused to kneel properly. Illay felt like he shouldn't kneel should he lose most of his current privileges, but the others didn't even bowed either, and Illay was pretty sure that was just begging for trouble.
"Had a bad night?" the king asked Evirath, who got up and tried to comb his long hair into something presentable
"Uh, I, not really sir, but Detrahl arrived so suddenly and-"
"Because I had a very good night. Until a bunch of tugs started banging on all the doors directly under my room and shouting" he signaled at Edera and said "Unchain her and clean her. I won't have her at my table with all that dirt on her" and he disappeared through another door.
Detrahl got up and unchained Edera while Evirath called a couple of maids and told them to get a bath and a change of clothes ready.
"Illay, what is going on?" the empress asked and ran to him the moment she was unchained.
"It's alright, you're safe now" he turned to Detrahl "What did Inmau said?"
"He didn't wanted to give her over. Said the king had betrayed him"
"So he knows now"
"Apparently. I didn't bothered to tell him anything. If he wants to know something he should just up and ask the king"
"So you had to take her by force?"
"Almost. But he knows that attacking me or my troops would break the alliance witht he king, so it's not like we had a real battle. Almost got to that, though"
The maids took Edera by her arms and tried to pull her away, but she shook them off.
"Don't touch me, you harpies!" she shouted at them
"That was uncalled for" commented Detrahl, rubbing at his shoulders.
"Breakfast is almost ready, and the king will get angry if she's not presentable by then" said Evirath, through gritted teeth
"What is he planning? Why has he brought us all here?" asked Edera, nearly panicking.
Evirath rubbed at his temples, and Detrahl walked away muttering something about having a bath.
"This, is going to end up badly." said Evirath "Worse for you than for us. But if this goes on, someone will end up nailed to the wall. And I pray to the gods it's you Illay. This is all your fault"
"Didn't he said he was going to kick us out the moment she arrived?"
"Apparently after your talk last night he decided it wouldn't be approppiate"
"Gods, I just-"
"No. Don't tell me. Whatever you two talked about, it should stay between you. I'd probably have a heart attack anyway. Just, make sure the king doesn't dismembers anyone"
And he left, like that.
"What does he means?" asked Edera "What did you talked about with king Shedreyeth? Did you promised him something in exchange for my rescue. Oh, Illay, you must not trust him! He'll stab us in the back as soon as he can!"
"Maybe. But he could stab me on the front many times, and didn't. I don't think he'll do it now"
"What? Why?"
"Well, you see...Remember when he captured me a while ago?" Edera nodded "He wanted to use me as sacrifice in his energy generating spell, but it never worked. Because he and I had the same blood"
"...w-what?"
"We're brothers"
Edera fainted.

Shedreyeth huffed and started folding the plans he had looked over. The acueduct was fine, and it would help with the water scarcity, but if he couldn't complete a working weather spell and bring at least a few days of sunlight, his kingdom would fall to hunger. He would be forced to send his troops to conquer the small kingdoms around his, and steal their food, if they even had any. It didn't bothered him, but anything that made you look like a bad guy always attracted stubborn idiots who pretended to be heroes.
He looked outside the tall window at the other side of the room. When the black clouds moved he could see small rays of sunlight. He turned to his clock and saw it was already late, and he still had to go check on the last weather spells his sorcerers had finished, work on making his energy generator work with something other than blood, and have breakfast with his brother and his guests.
He cringed a little at the thought, if only out of lack of familiarity.
When had been the last time he'd had breakfast with someone? The only time he remembered was ten years ago, when he was twelve and had invited lord Auver to dinner to keep him out of the way while he murdered the rest of the council, then charged him with their deaths.
He got up from the couch and left the acueduct plans on the table. He hoped this would go a bit better than the last time.
A messenger bursted into the room.
"Your highness! Emperor Inmau has declared us war!"
Shedreyeth sat back down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It wasn't going well, and he had barely gotten out of bed. But luckily he had already prepared for this kind of thing.
"Tell Detrahl" he said, deliberately slow "that Inmau has become an annoyance for me, and to get rid of him. Then call my brother and his companions here"

Illay knew there was something wrong whe he saw a couple of messengers rushing past the open doors to the dinning room.
"What's going on now?" asked Rolan
"A trap, I knew it" said Vipath "This was all a trap to capture the empress"
A messenger entered the dining room
"The king has summoned you all to his hearings room. Please follow me quickly"
He led them to a the room in the second floor where Shedreyeth had dissappeared