DESTRUCTIVE MYTH

“So, you sticking with the most obvious cover huh?” Came Galaleiath's low voice at the crack of dawn. Neither of them had gotten much sleep again, their night had been spent at each other’s throats, raging over the lies, going in endless circles. Galaleiath had actually tried to grip his brother through the bars to snap his neck in his rage, but the cells they had been placed in were warded against each other. His hands had hit the force field threatening a cracked them before he pulled back.

Too many years of damage lay between them, too many stories from both sides that just didn’t make sense. Galaleiath had finally turned his back on Drathis saying “sleep well, your nights are numbered.”

It had only been seven hours ago but now as the sun began to rise Drathis rage rose with it.

“Obvious cover?” Drathis snapped still laying on the stone bed, his one arm over his face to block out the dawning of this new day.

“Where you plead innocence in all of this.”

“Would you rather me lie and admit I had left you, or whatever other ridiculous shit you said last night?”

“You are proof that it is true!” Galaleiath snapped raising his voice again.

“Don’t start, I told you last night that I was imprisoned!” Drathis sneered sitting up from the cold stone twisting to click his stiff back. It was pointless trying to rest, the arrogant dumb horse ass before him would not let it rest.

“Yet you just waltzed into this castle pretending to be me to attend a ball. How exactly does that work being a prisoner and all?” He said folding his arms rubbing his chin in a sarcastic manner, “Please do enlighten me, really, do prisoners get days off to go to balls and feasts? What about brothels and, taverns? Or are they too low class for my brother?”

“What the hell do you want from me!?” Drathis hissed nearing him.

“THE DAM TRUTH!”

“I TOLD YOU THE TRUTH! I escaped from the Black Maser prison.”

Galaleaith watched him in fascination, he looked so serious, so set on his cover. “You telling me that the queen who gave me the world took yours away for no reason?” He chuckled, “And, from what you tried to explain last eve, it was because you killed me?” He laughed again looking himself up and down spinning in a circle stating he could see himself very much alive, “Do you not hear the hole in your own story?!”

They stared at each other again, his brother's face was engraved for life in him the way they had looked at each other these past days. Drathis remained still, he had no other proof except his word, and everything his brother was throwing at him was indeed painting a grim picture he didn’t know how to crawl out of.

“Did you know, that I was in love?” He said softly watching Drathis still form. “I had met this girl in the village where we stayed, she was a cotton farmer's daughter, she,” He stopped clearing his throat changing direction, “We had known each other just over a year, and I loved her, I was going to marry her.” He said through gritted teeth.

Drathis heart begun to race he didn’t know what to say, what could he possibly say to that, he had only been a kid he hadn’t known what love was, he still didn’t.

“We were going to leave at the end of that week, just us three and start a new life in Avon, we had it all planned out.”

“Willow?” Drathis said recalling now a girl spending most afternoons with them.

“Yes.”

“But she was a mortal.”

“Yes.”

“She would of,”

“She knew what I was,” Galaleiath cut him off, “We had saved up enough money to see a witch that promised to make me mortal, I was willing to sacrifice my immortality to have a life with her.” He looked down breathing deeply, then slowly lifted his head back up to look Drathis dead in the eyes, “Till you killed her.”

“WHAT?!” Drathis shouted in shock “You blaming this on me too?” He raged starting to pace his cell, everything was starting to be his fault, he was amazed the new day hadn’t been his fault yet.

“If you hadn’t have betrayed me to the queen, Willow would have never come running to my rescue, she offered the queen everything she had to set me free, and the queen had killed her for it, all because you,”

“I was in the damn dungeon!”

“You are now, and when I get out, I will win this castle for my queen, then deal with you.”

“Who’s the traitorous piece of shit now.” Drathis seethed.

And then as if on cue footsteps came marching down towards them till two prison guards stood in front of Galaleiath’s cell to unlock it. Drathis watched the almost invisible wards around his cell disappear the moment the cell was unlocked and opened.

Whatever he and the king had discussed privately had to be related to his release, and it sucked, it sucked big time. He was to be left alone in an empty part of the prison while his brother would run off to the queen telling all.

If ever he needed to escape it would be now.

“See you soon.” He winked at Drathis before walking out.

“Can’t wait,” Drathis grumbled turning around to his dark cell in dismay.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but on the edge on his stone bed tucked away sat another letter, he almost thought it had been the same one, yet he recalled clearly ripping it into tiny pieces.

Reaching for it he spun around trying to determine where it would have come from, and how it would have gotten there without his detection.

“The time is now; do not fear Arun your escape will be easy if you but follow this letter to the last. Reach under the hey and you will find your uniform as my driver and grey cloak representing me, put it on now.”

Drathis whipped his head around looking for any signs of life, he paused listening, but there was nothing.

“In the lining of your cloak will be a small pouch of powder, blow it over the lock, wait for it to open the take a right.”

He stopped reading holding the letter between his teeth, he moved the hey around finding a small wrapped up bundle of clothing, he stripped about the put the new clothes on till he recalled how small Arun was. he really didn’t want to look like a man having stolen babies' clothing again. He pulled the letter back reading again then put it back in his mouth reaching for the pants, either way, his ass was now cold and Arun’s clothes looked warmer.

Amazingly it fitted, he wasn’t sure how but finding out how they knew his size would not be at the top of his list of bizarre questions. Securing the cloak on over his riding uniform her felt for a small pouch and pulled it out stepping to the cell door rubbernecking for anyone, still, he was alone.

Pouring the powder out into his free hand he aimed it at the lock and blew it.

The powder took flight drifting towards the cell lock landing and sticking to it, within moments the metal began to sizzle and bubble. The powder was eating through the lock till it released its hold with a small pop, sliding slowly open.

He stared at it longer than what was wise, where the hell had such a powder been all his life?

Stepping out the cell he pulled the letter out again to read the rest.

“Take a right down the hall past twenty-three more cells, at the twenty-third turn right again, pass one cell and you will see a small door, in it will be a black sack, take it and keep it over your shoulder, do not look inside. Carry on forward till you see the main gate, say you are done and need to return, give them the sack.”

As he approached the main gate two guards stood up from their chairs looking slightly drunk, Drathis pulled the cloak closer around his face slowing in front of them.

“I’m done and need to return.” He pulled the sack off placing it on the floor in front of him. One of the guards sighed stepping forward to open the sack, Drathis leaned slightly forward to see wrapped up bundles of bread and cheese inside, he stood back up straight leaving the guard to inspected then he shook his head with a small smile tying it back up.

“You know that lady does this every week, I swear if she could give the food off her own plate to these low-life rats she would.” The one guard said turning back to his companion.

“And every week you say the same thing, let the boy pass, she will do her rounds in what's left of the city next.” The slurred guard said fiddling with his keys to open up. He nodded in thanks stepping through then carried on forward listening to their chatter till he was alone again. Passing a few more cells he noticed a few outstretched hands and thought there would be no harm in handing out a few food parcels. He paused looking around again pleased the prison was so empty, most of the manpower was to guard the walls against the Black Maser army.

Holding the sack in one arm he walked the path out handing the food parcels out to outstretched starving hands till he stepped outside into the cold day, swinging the sack back over his shoulder he pulled the letter out again for further instruction.

“Do not stop for anything now, walk straight around the back to where the carriages are, turn left to the sables and you will find my carriage being packed, pack the sack in with the rest.”

True to the letter's word he found himself standing before the carriage he had ridden in being packed.

“Arun?” The squire asked looking back at Drathis.

“Yeah,” he wasn’t sure what else to say, the letter hadn’t said much more.

“You are a little early the lady won’t be ready for another two hours.”

Drathis sighed with relief, he had been scared the letter had gotten to him too late.

“Go wait in the kitchen I’m sure the ladies will have something nice and warm to eat before you have to leave again.”

“Oh no.” Drathis snapped waving his hands, those women were a little rough, they had popped his buttons.

The squire threw his head back and laughed, “Ah, I see you have been a victim too.”

“Those women do not take a no lightly,” Drathis said pulling a left cheeked smile, “I had one of them popping my buttons while I was trying to get through the door.”

“Yes, we know, was nearly bottomless myself one night just bending to tie my shoe.” He laughed again bringing a chuckle out of Drathis.

“I’ll just wait here till she is ready.” He said watching the bags being piled onto the carriage roof and back. All his struggle was for naught, here before him was all the supplies he needed about to head out the gates on four polished wheels.

His eyes drifted back up to the castle recalling his brother, could he really just leave him? He knew he wasn’t wanted but was leaving not just sealing the final nail in his coffin that he had indeed left the first time in his brother’s eyes? Would leaving not prove his brothers’ story rather than his innocence. Would he be hunted down like a prized fox?

What was he to do, he couldn’t go back to his cell, he had a feeling that would be the same as laying his head on the chopping block and handing his brother the ax.

He couldn’t walk right back into the castle either, he highly doubted the king would just lock him up again.

Perhaps he could just talk to him try to reason, he stopped that thought, they had tried for days in the prison.

Damned if he left, damned if he stayed.

He signed raking a hand through his hair, it seemed he would have to be the bad guy for now and leave, sealing his brother's lie of him running.

Drathis leaned back against the barn resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The panic that washed through him nearly had him losing his footing, his sword!

His dam sword! Through everything, he had forgotten all about it. He jerked back to the castle looking up at its mass, clenching his jaw in frustration.

The last time he had had it on him was when he had been stripped and bathed in his brother's chambers. Drathis closed his eyes, another muscle working in his jaw. He recalled leaving the sword on the table amongst the letters on the desk.

It seemed that he didn’t just have to avoid the hungry ladies in the kitchen, he would have to avoid his brother too, going into the heart of the lion’s den to retrieve his sword, and get back out without a drawback in just under two hours.

“Well, shit.” He sighed running a stressed hand through his hair again.