Autumn Court
Autumn Court
Eris and his forth brother held the Palace's entrances the best they could, but the number of enemies was too big, so the older son decided it was time to take his mother to the headquarter’s tower, where it would be easier to defend, since the place had too small windows, two entrances and a secret passage that would end up in the woods’ grove of the closest village.
“Why father would order mother's presence here?” the forth asked panting as they entered in the tower, he had just locked the two entrances.
“Ask him yourself.” Eris snarled to his brother, he walked to the weapons' wardrobe, his mother followed him, as he opened it, he took a heavy red cloak and whirled to her, she had a confused look on her face, “It is cold.” He said, they where in the Northest Palace of their territory, where the weather was colder thanks to the proximity to the Winter Court, he could even see her breathe. The short red haired placed the cloak around her shoulders, paying attention to her facial expression, he asked: “Are you hurt, mother?” she only shook her head, “Good”, Eris nodded at her, his eyes surveyed the place, while he concentrate in the outside's sounds, which were lower if compared to the Palace's, meaning that his father's army was being slightly successful to push away the enemies.
His brother was catching his breath back, leaning a hand in the wall before his gaze found his mother's figure, she had took a dagger which could be easily hidden on her cloak, “It makes no sense.” He said dragging a hand through his shoulder length red hair, “The –” he got interrupted by the sound of tries to broke the front entrance, “Fuck.” He said taking his sword front the belt.
Eris opened the secret passage, signing to his mother to enter on it, as she did, he said to his brother before closing the entrance: “I will take her to a safe place.” He held is mother's hand, they had to run through the passage as the last of magic he had would be needed later, his mother’s as well.
They made a few pauses, as the Lady had to catch her breath back, in the last one, the longer pause, Eris thought for a moment that she would faint in exhaustion, as her too bony body wasn’t used to run, especially during a entire day.
“Mother?” he placed a arm around her waist helping her to stay walking, slowly, it wouldn’t take a very long time to get in the exit as they were already close to it.
oOo
Eris slowly opened the hatch, being careful to not make any sound as the dry leaves fell, he looked around before getting out of the passage, helping his mother to move up the ladder, he had one hand in the sword, and the other holding his mother’s.
“Where are we going?” she whispered, placing her cold free hand on her son's arm.
“Somewhere safe.” He whispered back, winking at her as they careful walked through the grove with threes of the leaves in read and orange shades, the wind brushing his face, he paid attention at the sounds around, the leaves falling and moving in the ground, which got interrupted by the sound of steps, followed by a groan of pain, a metallic object cutting the air, passing through flesh and bone in a clean cut, and a thudded in the ground.
The Lady held her son's arm tightly, he leaded her towards the steps direction, slowly, placing her behind him, his sword ready. Her face was unimpressive until an air current came from those steps' direction, she knew that scent, who had this scent, she walked beside her son now.
The female had no words as Helion crossed their path, his breath was heavy, brows frowned by the headache from winnowing, his golden amber eyes surveyed her, then her son, he putted his bloody sword back on his belt, his golden armor had a few blood speckled drops.
“What– Why?” it came out as a breath, she couldn’t take her eyes out of Helion.
“I called him.” Eris putted his sword in the belt as well, Helion's gaze meet his, but his face didn’t changed.
“Why?” her voice trembled.
“I had to. Go with him, mom.” He said touching her shoulder, his voice soft, she released his arm.
“I can’t –” her voice broke, her entire body was shaking, her eldest son hugged her, kissing her cheek as he used to do when he was a little kid.
“Yes, you can.” He had both hands on her shoulders.
“You –” Eris didn’t let her finish the sentence.
“Mom, please. If we go back there he will find out.” His eyes glanced at Helion.
She cupped her son's face with both hands,
“Your father will kill you.” Tears fell from her eyes.
“He won’t.” he cupped her face as well, kissing her forehead before saying, “Please, mom. Go, I can take care of myself.”
She kissed her son's cheek, caressing his red hair before releasing him, Helion took a step closer to her, holding up a hand on her direction.
“Please, Laurel.” His voice was low, he almost flinched as her russet eyes found his.
“Be careful.” She said to her son, kissing him once more, “Don’t get hurt, and kill this bastard.” Her voice break in some words, then she turned her face to Helion, “I will winnow us.” She said before taking his hand, looked at her son, rubbed her fingers on his cheek as he smiled at her.
“Go.” Eris said caressing the back of her hand that touched his cheek, he received a nod from her before she winnowed. He putted his hand back on his sword, then whirled to the direction he had come from, coming face to face with his forth brother.
“Father will be pleased to hear it.” Was all he said, he had a hand on his sword as well.
“He will kill her.” He said through teeth, his brother snorted a low laugh.
“She deserves, you as well.” He was still, watching for any moments from his older brother.
“Why would you think she deserves it?” Eris lifted a brow, eyes fixed on his brother.
“She left the Court so easily in a moment of need, she is a traitor, she should have done it earlier as she had almost no hesitation to do it now.” He stared at the oldest, chin lifted.
“She had several opportunities to leave, but didn’t. Do you know why? Well, she had 7 reasons, then five…” Eris tighten the grip on his sword, his mother didn’t leave the court even after Beron discovered about her affair because of her sons, Eris would never forget when her mother brought him to the Day Court when he was little, the only of her sons who his father allowed her to bring, how she truly smiled and laughed while she was there, how Helion was good to her.
His brother snorted before taking his sword out of the belt, Eris repeated the gesture, then they fought, but Eris couldn’t keep it for a long time, he needed to get on his father while the battle against the enemies happened, then he let his brother get closer to him, let the younger think he would win him.
Eris waited for his chance, when his brother was well close, distracted at his imminent victory, when the forth had a forming smile on his face, that was the moment. Eris tucked his left hand on his own wrist direction, using the finger to press a button under his long sleeve, setting out the hidden retractable knife, which he used to open a vertical cut on the side of his brother's neck, followed by a second cut, a horizontal one, right on his throat.
The younger dropped his sword in the ground, more in surprise than surrender, he fell on his knees, both hands on his bloody spouting neck, Eris's eyes surveyed him, his natural healing wouldn’t be enough to save his life, the cut was too deep, and he was loosing too much blood, he would have a chance of survival if his healing powers were working, which wasn’t the case.
The older's gaze ran to his bloody knife, a weapon he got in the Dawn Court, the same kind of weapon Lucien had used to kill their sixth brother as the type of cut on his corpse suggested, the weapon Eris had advised his youngest brother to always carry with him on his first day of training, when Lucien was still a child, the weapon that end up for saving his youngest brother's life.
Eris stepped towards the enemy's body and beheaded head, dragged it closer his brother, he didn’t bother to hide his tracks as the wind and the ground covered by leaves would do it by themselves. He took a handkerchief from his pocket, cleaned his knife, and hands, as he putted the handkerchief back on its place he hid the knife back on his sleeve, took his brother's sword, soiled with the enemies blood, then took the soldier's knife, soiling with his brother’s blood.
A strong wind came, leaves slightly covered both bodies, Eris looked at his brother’s russet lifeless eyes one last time, “Forgive me, mom.” He said before turning away, his mother would mourn his death since he was still her son.
The oldest had to assemble this scene, knew that his father’s most loyal soldiers and advisors would look for his forth brother, look for any excuse to rebel against him when he become the High Lord, and kill his mother if she had stayed. Doing it would give him time, calling Helion to take his mother would keep her safe, they would certain rebel agaisnt him anyway later, but it would give him time to be able to decide what to do with his third brother, and to properly get rid of his father's loyals.
oOo
The Autumn army was still struggling to push the Continental enemies away, both front lines hadn’t moved too much in the battlefield since Eris came back from the woods. He prepared his sword, easily crossing through the Autumn soldiers, killing a few enemies on the way.
It didn’t take a long time to get in the front lines where Beron was, the oldest son had a Continental knife on his belt with easy access, the one which he had took from a random death Continental soldier he had found while passing by the Palace.
He got closer to his father, the High Lord was in fight with who seemed to be the enemies' general, he was two steps behind Beron, the Continental knife on his left hand, the male ahead him didn’t noticed his approach, nor the general or the soldiers around.
One step closer, that was what Eris need, before stabbing his father's spine in the lower part, in the same height as the belly bottom, in less than a heartbeat he quickly turned to the Continental soldier at Beron's right side, he fought the soldier while the High Lord's legs instantly lose their movements, which leaded the General to transfer a fatal blow in the brown haired male.
Eris finished the soldier in a second, turning to the General as the High Lord's power passed to him, his father was death, finally death, the new High Lord let escape a scream, he released the bestial form, that could be easily described as a extremely large fox, which the fur movements in the wind were similar to a fire flame.
The Continental general winnowed before Eris had the chance to attack him, several soldiers winnowed as well, then he went to the soldiers who have stayed, they were untrained, and easily killed by him.