Arc The Lad Fan Fiction ❯ Aftermath ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

Kharg stood with Paulette, but he was watching Darc more than her.

"Kharg? What's wrong?" Paulette asked. "Did you and Darc get into a fight again?"

"Not really, we argued a bit, but neither of us drew a weapon," Kharg said. "I doubt we're ever going to understand each other."

"You've been separated seventeen years and are complete strangers to each other. It will take time," Paulette said.

Kharg turned towards her and smiled. "I just hope we can come to some sort of understanding. Darc has a temper like a wildcat. He's made it quite clear that he hates the Human side of him and wants nothing to do with me," he said.

"You hate the Deimos side of you too though and you didn't really want anything to do with him either," Paulette pointed out. "You tried to kill him when you first met."

"Lilia told you, huh? I thought he killed mother. Did Lilia tell you the rest of it?" Kharg asked.

"No, I think she was sorry she told me anything at all. She said I should ask you. What really happened, Kharg?" Paulette asked.

Kharg sighed and took Paulette's hand. "Let's take a walk and I'll tell you," he said.

"Alright," Paulette agreed and let him lead the way, rather pleased he'd taken her hand. He'd never done that before.

It took a while and they'd walked a good distance before Kharg finished.

Paulette shook her head. "So Lady Nafia took a bullet that was intended for Darc and it killed her. She was very brave," Paulette said.

"Yeah, and the only family I have left hates me," Kharg sighed. "Isn't the irony sickening?"

"It often is, you know..." Paulette began.

"What?" Kharg asked. "Go ahead."

"You were luckier than Darc, at least you know you had all Nafia's love. Darc had only a few hours with her and then she died before his eyes. Ask yourself this... Did he witness his father's death too?" Paulette asked.

Kharg stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening. "I never even thought of that. It's bad enough to watch one parent die, but to watch it twice..." he said, shaking his head. His jaw tightened in determination. "Come on, let's go back."

Ganz waved to them when they got close enough to be seen. "Food's done and cool enough to eat, come on!" he called. They joined the others around the fire.

Dinner was rather quiet. Both groups were still a bit uncertain of each other, but the fact everyone was tired didn't help.

Darc rose the minute he was finished and walked down to the water's edge without saying a word.

Kharg finished and waited ten minutes then followed. He stopped beside his brother. "I think we still need to talk," he said.

"There's nothing more to say. Tomorrow we'll go back to the worlds we grew up in and never cross paths again," Darc said. "There's no place for me in your life or for you in mine. We both know it."

"Our parents evidently thought differently," Kharg said.

"Heh, heh, sure they did and look where that got them," Darc said bitterly.

"Look, I know you don't like the Human blood in you, well, I don't like the Deimos blood in me, but it doesn't matter if we like it or not it's still there. Tell me this, what are you afraid of ?" Kharg asked.

Darc whirled on his twin so violently that Kharg flinched. "I am not afraid of anything. We beat your pathetic little group in the tower, remember? We have nothing to fear from Humans," he said.

"I'm only talking about you, not your group. You're afraid that the Human in you will make you weak. That's it, isn't it? You can't be as ruthless as a full Deimos and that irks you, doesn't it?" Kharg challenged.

"I could kill you here and now, Kharg, now get the hell away from me before I lose my temper," Darc warned. He turned to walk away.

"You're a coward," Kharg said softly.

That single comment stopped Darc dead in his tracks. He turned to face Kharg again. "What?" he growled.

"You heard me," Kharg said calmly.

It was then that everything finally reached the boiling point in Darc’s mind. The fate of the Deimos rested directly on his shoulders and he couldn’t share the burden with anyone for fear he would appear weak which would lead to attack, confusion as his Deimos and Human sides pulled and tugged at him and fear that he might have doomed the Deimos to destruction. Without thinking, he lashed out.

Luckily Kharg saw the blow coming in time to leap back or he would have gotten slashed by Darc’s claws. The blow missed by inches and he almost fell, but managed to catch himself.

“Damn you! Damn you, Kharg, you have the gall to call me a coward, you who was pampered, spoiled and fawned over by your precious village! I was left beaten and dying on the road to Orcoth after father died before my eyes,” Darc hissed. “When someone found me, took me in, and tended my wounds I thought I was safe only to find I was nothing more than a slave to her, she forced me to obey with a cursed collar that strangled me until she spoke the magic phrase to stop it I spent eleven miserable years like that! Do you think anyone gave a damn about what happened to me? I was just a worthless Deimos wannabe! When I escorted Lilia and…mother…. into Yewbell they looked at me like I was vermin even though I had done nothing and you were more than eager to believe I was a murderer.”

Kharg sighed. “I know, mother told me not to let hatred be my guide when I fought. I know now why she didn’t want me to fight against the Deimos that came close to Yewbell. They were Drakyr and she didn’t want me to fight my father’s people,” he said. “I’m sorry, Darc. I had no right to judge you.”

Darc took a deep breath, trying to force down his temper. He realized he was trembling with the force of his outburst.

“I won’t say I know how you feel, because I’ll never be able too. I wish your life could have been easier. When I returned to Yewbell after you and Lilia had left the villagers that I had known all my life were afraid of me, angry and disgusted that my mother had actually had children with a Deimos. My Deimos blood was revealed in the worst possible way. A mob of angry villagers followed me when I went to see our mother’s grave. Some of them threw rocks and cursed me, cursed mother, and right in front of them bat wings came out of my back. I ran until I was alone and safe then in my anger and fear I ripped them off. I wish I hadn’t now,” Kharg said.

“I had wings once,” Darc said softly, clutching at his birthmark.

“What happened?” Kharg asked.

Darc shuddered. “I was attacked by a group of Drakyr. They wanted the wind stone, but I refused to tell them where it was. I’d hidden it because Geedo, she’s the one that enslaved me, would have taken it away from me….when I wouldn’t tell one of them ripped them off,” he said. “Damn! Why am I telling you this? I don’t want your pity! I don’t need it!”

“I’m not offering you pity, sympathy perhaps, but never pity,” Kharg said.

“And you’re sorry, I suppose you think that makes everything alright?” Darc said.

“No,” Kharg said, quietly, “I don’t and it doesn‘t.”

Darc frowned, studying Kharg.

I have a new reviewer, go me! Thanks firble! Hey Sponge, how’s this one? I’m having way to much fun with this! R/R please! Makes author happy!