Greeting Readers
I thought it was time to hear back from the twins, just to give an idea of what is going on in their heads. Remember, they are from Brucel's timeline where he and his son were tyrants.
While their history will be explored more, for now, it's important to remember that their father had tried to hide them, but wasn't successful. More on this later.
Enjoy the update!
Aidan’s injuries bothered him, but he tried his best to lift his legs high enough to clear the thick snow all around him. The twins, Martin and Maxine, had given him the gear he needed to not freeze to death, and he wondered how they knew his size. He wanted to know more about them, but there was no time for that.
Bolx was all but comatose. While his injuries had finally stopped bleeding, the wounds were infected, and he was running a fever. The twins had given up trying to carry him between the two of them and instead had made a litter to drag him. They had taken turns pulling the large Saith, making sure that Aidan was able to lead.
He was nervous. The thought of what could be hunting them now terrified him. He had never feared the Vulpine people, but now every time he closed his eyes, even for a second, he saw flashing claws and teeth. He knew that Red-Eye was a Wolven, but it made no difference to him.
His eyes scanned the thick undergrowth around them. He jumped at every sound and movement. Even when one of the twins was by his side.
“Finally!” exclaimed Martin, who was dragging the litter now.
Aidan looked in the direction Martin was looking at and noted a wooden cabin surrounded by what he thought were pine trees.
“Wait, are we on Grandmother’s home world or Grandfather’s?”
“Nothing gets passed you.” Panted Maxine. “Less talk, more getting Father into the cabin.”
While Aidan was prepared to help, the twins were the ones who managed to drag Bolx into a room downstairs and get him settled. That was when Maxine took Aidan into another room. She closed the door, not allowing him to see what Martin was going to do to Bolx.
As if sensing his concern, the woman smiled at him and said, “It’ll be okay. My brother is a fantastic field surgeon.”
“Is Bolx going to be okay?”
Maxine refused to answer but instead made him strip his winter clothing so she could look over his injuries once more. She only shook her head and covered the wounds once more before pointing out a cupboard to Aidan.
“There is some spare clothing in there. Get changed, and I will get some food made for us. Or would you prefer to get some sleep?”
Aidan tried to get up from the bed he had been sitting on, but his legs were jelly, and his body shook. He knew he was in shock, but he could barely think. Instead of showing impatience, Maxine pulled the covers of the bed aside and rolled Aidan under them. She hadn’t even removed the shoes he had been wearing.
“Rest. I’ll come check on you soon.”
“Bolx…”
“There is nothing more you can do for him. Think about yourself now.”
Maxine didn’t need to sit with Aidan long, as soon, the day drained what was left of his energy reserves. Once Maxine was sure that Aidan was in fact asleep and not unconscious, she left him to rest. She partially closed the door and made her way to the kitchen.
She was starving and needed to put something into her body before she collapsed from hunger. They had been here for a while, and although there wasn’t a lot of fresh food, there was plenty of canned goods. Enough to sate her hunger until they could hunt.
She pulled a can from the cupboard and looked at it, trying to determine if her hunger was enough to consume the contents, which seemed to be meatballs and pasta in a sauce. She didn’t know how long she stood staring at it before a hand landed on her shoulder, snapping her from her musings.
“Mother was right. The infection cut deep. I had to remove more of his arm. The rest of his wounds are now cleaned and stitched better. He’s not going to wake for some time.”
Maxine put the can down and turned to look at her brother. He had always been the brains between the two of them. He excelled in his studies while she had beaten him out on all their physical attributes. It had confused their father to no end that the son hadn’t wanted to follow in his footsteps, but it was thanks to Maxine's insistence that he eventually conceded to his daughter being the more martial of the two.
“What are we going to do? She didn’t leave us with much more instruction than what we have right now.”
Maxine looked at the can and placed her fingertips over the top. With a swift movement, she popped the lid, which would normally have required a can opener to open. She opened a drawer close by and pulled out a fork. She then pulled the can closer, discarded the lid, and started devouring the food within.
She ate purely to fill the hole in her stomach. She didn’t taste anything, she didn’t need to, to get the nourishment that she needed.
“Maxine!”
She snapped out of her daze and just looked at her brother. She didn’t know what to say to him. Their world was gone, their family dead, and they were stuck in a world and time that wasn’t their own. All she knew was that she had been given an order, and she was going to complete it. She needed to occupy herself with that thought.
Martin took the fork and can from her and set them down on the counter. He then gently gripped her head and made her look at him.
“Feel, Maxine. It’s okay to feel. Mom always said that. It’s okay.”
“Mom is dead.” She finally said.
“I know.”
“And Aidan, and Dad, and…” she trailed off.
“I know.”
“Why are you taking this so well?” she demanded.
Martin shrugged, “Because I have to. I have to be the strong one.”
And there it was. The stupid line their father had used time and time again as they had grown up. He needed to be strong for their family. He had to be the one to put everything on himself to protect them. It had gotten worse when their mother had gone deaf, and Brucel found out about them.
Maxine chuckled, and eventually, she had her face covered as she sobbed for what was lost. No favour could fix and bring back what they had lost. They were alone, alone to deal with what the Saita who had found them had told them to do. She had saved them, but at what cost?
A broken warrior and her field surgeon brother.
“You couldn’t do anything. Brucel and Aidan filled your head with lies, Maxine. You are strong, but you’re not immortal, and you’re not all-powerful. They fed your ego in those dying days. That was why Dad tried to keep us hidden. He knew the kinds of monsters they were. You know what Brucel did to the Kai and Dekai, and Aidan was no better when he got the crown. They were going to turn you into them.”
“Shut up!” she screamed at him.
“Maxine, enough. You know it’s true. Mother tried to warn you when you were invited to the Academy, but you wouldn’t listen. The moment you stepped foot…”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this!” she exclaimed as she made her way to the door of the cabin.
Martin picked up a coat to hand it to his sister, but she had already slammed the door closed. There was no use chasing after her. She had been manipulated for too long, was separated from her family for too long, and said too many things she could never take back now.
“Mother.” He whispered softly, “Come back. Guide us. Please.”
More on this situation later!
For those of you who have never heard of Fell Dragon you can find Book 1 here, Book 2 here, Book 3 here, and Book 4 here, Book 5 here, Book 6 here, Book 7 here, and Book 8 here
If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I love discussing my books!
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
Royal Guard
Saasha’s Direct Family
Saith Characters Recap
Human Characters Recap
Alternate Timeline Brucel
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Haven't read the other parts yet? Follow these handy links:
Part 16>>You are Here>>Part 18
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