Arc The Lad Fan Fiction ❯ Aftermath ❯ Chapter 25 ( Chapter 25 )

Chapter 25

After lunch, which Adrienne, Stalker and Farin had arrived in time to share, Darc still hadn't come downstairs.

Kharg was getting very worried. "I think I'll go up and check on him." He got up and left the room.

Darc was awoken by a nightmare. He couldn't remember what it had been about, but it had to have been a bad one. He was holding the mutilated remains of a feather pillow, now nothing but a rag. Growling, he dropped it to the floor. A cloud of feathers puffed up, making him sneeze.

Just then the door opened and Kharg walked in. He looked at the mess then at Darc. "Did the pillow offend you?"

Darc sneezed loudly a second time. "Shut up and find me a broom."

Kharg laughed. "I'll go see if they have one. " He went back downstairs.

Adrienne looked up when Kharg walked back into the kitchen. "Is he alright?"

Kharg couldn't keep from chuckling. "He's fine, but I'm afraid one of your pillows suffered a gruesome death. Do you have a broom and a dust pan?"

Alisha stood up. "I'll get them." She took them out of a closet and handed them to Kharg. "You know I like your brother. He has a strong will."

Kharg sighed. "You have that right, thanks for the broom." He took the items back upstairs. Walking back into the room, he offered them to Darc. He sprawled out on his bed to watch.

Darc took them and began cleaning up the mess. He turned out to be quick and efficient at it. Soon all the feathers were gone. He emptied out the dust pan in the trash.

Kharg got up. "Very nice, are you coming downstairs? You've slept through breakfast and lunch already."

"Yeah, I'm coming," Darc muttered, glancing around distractedly.

Kharg took the broom and dust pan. "I'll take these, see you downstairs." He left the room. Once downstairs, he went into the kitchen and put the broom and dust pan back where Alisha had gotten them from. "He'll be down in a little while."

Alisha nodded. "Let's go into the living room and join the others."

Kharg shrugged. "Sounds good, I'd like to know what happened in that gathering that Adrienne and Stalker called "

Alisha led the way into the other room. "I'm sure they plan to tell us all about it but they'll want to wait for Darc to join us."

When Darc came downstairs everyone was sitting in the living room laughing and talking. He made his way to an empty chair and plopped down into it.

Adrienne studied Darc for a minute then stood up. "I'll be right back." She left the room.

Miko smiled warmly at Darc. "I was worried, are you alright?"

Darc shrugged. "I'm fine, Miko."

Adrienne came back into the room carrying a plate with two thick sandwiches and a tankard. She set both on a small table next to Darc. "Eat every bit, you need it." She sat down next to Stalker.

Darc concentrated on his meal, letting the conversation wash over him. The sandwiches were absolutely delicious. He picked up the tankard to find it was full of milk. He frowned, brows furrowing in annoyance. How old does she think I am, three? Feeling eyes on him, Darc looked up.

Adrienne was scowling fiercely at him, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Darc didn't like the look in her eyes. He had a feeling if he didn't drink every drop of the milk he'd end up wearing it. He took a drink from the tankard.

Adrienne nodded approvingly and returned her attention to the conversation.

Darc glared at the tankard then set it down.

Kharg had caught the silent exchange and leaned close to Darc. "Drink all your milk like a good boy, so you'll grow up big and strong."

Miko giggled.

Darc gave Kharg a toothy and blatantly insincere smile. "Shut up and back off or you're getting this damned milk in your lap."

Miko giggled again before covering her mouth.

Kharg smirked, then laughed, and leaned back in his chair.

Adrienne abandoned the conversation with Stalker, Farin and Alisha and turned her attention to them. "You three want to share the joke?"

"No!" Kharg, Darc and Miko said simultaneously. They exchanged startled looks then Kharg and Miko burst out laughing. Darc just smirked.

Adrienne fixed them with a look that made it clear she thought all of them had lost their minds.

Somehow that made it seem even funnier, so Miko and Kharg laughed even harder.

Darc shook his head. "Idiots."

"Finish that up, Darc." Adrienne gestured towards the tankard. "Trust me, you need it."

Darc wasn't sure of that, but decided not to argue. He drained the tankard and set it aside.

Stalker nodded in satisfaction. "Now we can get down to business." He looked seriously at Darc. "We gathered up the strongest fighters we have and told them what you said. We want to strike at someone and we've picked our target."

Kharg leaned forward. "Who is it?"

A feral smile formed on Stalker’s face. "Our favorite Human, Devon "

Darc smiled at the thought too and his smile looked as feral as Stalker's. "Sounds good to me."

Kharg shivered a bit at the look in his twin's eyes. "Sometimes you scare the hell out of me, Darc. "

Darc smirked at his brother. "You should be scared."

Kharg just rolled his eyes then turned to Stalker. "When are we going after him?"

Stalker growled softly in anticipation. "A day after he returns, we have someone watching. We'll be informed."

Miko nodded slowly. "I'd like to see him dead too. What do we do until then?"

Adrienne shrugged. "We wait, Alisha, why don't you take Miko and Farin with you on your patrol. Maybe they'll be useful."

Alisha stood. "That's a good idea, come on." She led Miko and Farin from the house.

The minute they were alone Adrienne gave Darc and Kharg a stern look. "I think you two should work on familiarizing yourselves with the link you share."

Darc gave Kharg a scathing look. "Spirits, Kharg, why don't you just tell everyone?"

"I didn't actually tell them!" Kharg protested.

Stalker nodded. "He's telling the truth. We found out because he felt the pain when you were flogged."

Darc snorted then looked at Kharg. "Hurt, didn't it?"

Kharg nodded. "Yeah, it did."

Darc's lip curled. "Then you got a small taste of what I had to endure for eleven years. Enjoy it?"

Kharg winced at the thought. "Come on, Darc. You know I didn't."

Adrienne decided to try to distract them before an argument started. "So how do you open the bond?"

Darc and Kharg looked at each other. Neither of them answered.

Adrienne sighed in exasperation. "You mean that you don't even know that much?"

Kharg shrugged. "Actually it just seems to happen."

Adrienne nodded slowly, studying them. "Then try to let it happen now."

Neither Darc or Kharg had the slightest idea how to let it happen, but they tried. At first nothing happened and they both felt stupid, but suddenly something did.

Kharg gasped as an image filled his mind. Ruins, he could smell salt in the air and hear gulls as well as waves hitting rock. He had to be near an ocean. His attention was drawn to a pile of rocks. Sorrow filled him though he had no idea why. It was then he felt another presence. 'Darc?' He sensed more then saw Darc flinch.

Darc was getting the same smells, sounds and images. He heard Kharg's voice as clearly as he'd spoken aloud though he knew somehow Kharg hadn't. 'What's happening?'

'We can speak to each other mind to mind, we have telepathy.' Kharg's mental voice was filled with amazement. 'I think we're sharing memories.'

Darc growled. 'I don't like this.'

Kharg ignored him. 'What is this place?'

Darc scowled, he didn't answer.

Kharg wasn't phased a bit by Darc's silence. 'I feel what you feel..sorrow and loss. This place is on Aldrow, isn't it?'

Darc sighed. 'Yeah, it's near Orcoth. I used to hide out there when I needed to be alone or when Geedo was in a foul temper. Sometimes I slept there.'

Kharg was silent for a while. 'That rock pile makes you sad for some reason, why?'

Darc scowled. 'Get out of my private memories, Kharg.'

Kharg smirked. 'No, not until you answer me.' He was amazed at how strong this strange bond was, he could feel every emotion that Darc felt.

'Damn it, Kharg!' Darc still didn't like this at all.

Adrienne knew they'd managed to make the link. Both Darc and Kharg's eyes were distant and cloudy. She waved her hand in front of Kharg's face then Darc 's, but got no reaction from either of them. She and Stalker exchanged knowing looks.

Another image flashed through Kharg's mind, a much younger Darc piling stones over the body of an adult, male Drakyr. He suddenly understand. 'It's a grave, our father's grave. You buried him alone.'

Suddenly it was as if a dam burst, images shot through their minds. After it was over they stood staring at each other in stunned shock. They had just seen each other's lives with no warning or effort.

Suddenly the link seemed to shatter and Kharg cried out in physical pain. He thought he heard Darc cry out as well.

The twins stared at each other for a long instant then Darc whirled and retreated upstairs as if a demon was on his heels.

Stalker leaped to his feet just in time to support Kharg as he staggered dizzily. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Kharg took several deep breaths until he regained his composure. "We just got a bit more information about each other's lives then either of us wanted." He stepped away from Stalker. "I have to go talk to him." He went upstairs and went into the guest room.

Darc was sitting cross legged on the bed. He looked up when Kharg came in.

Kharg closed the door behind him then sat down on the edge of his brother's bed. "We need to talk."

Darc clutched at his birthmark nervously. "I don't think there's anything left to say. We've seen everything about each other that we need to see."

Kharg nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't know how it happened." Kharg hesitated. "I'm sorry. No one deserves that kind of misery."

Darc snorted. "I don't want your pity, Kharg."

Kharg regarded his twin seriously. "You don't need pity, you were strong to survive despite it all."

Darc frowned uncertainly. "You didn't even want anything to do with me. Hell, you were determined to kill me at first. Now you sound like you admire me."

Kharg looked Darc square in the eyes. "I do."

Darc smiled ruefully. "Even if I am an ass?"

Kharg grinned. "Considering all you went through you have a right to be an ass." He offered Darc his right hand. "Truce?"

Darc stared at Kharg's outstretched hand for a minute then took it with his left hand. "Truce." They shook hands.

Darc stood and began to pace. "I wonder if what just happened is what the Dragon spirit wanted."

"I doubt it, to easy." Kharg shook his head. "It doesn't make sense for him to send us all the way here for that."

Darc scowled. "Then what the hell does he want?"

Kharg smiled wickedly. "maybe he wants us to help free the Deimos here."

Darc groaned. "We already saved the world from a giant eyeball, I'd think we deserved a break."

Kharg's smile widened. "Maybe he doesn't think so."

Darc groaned. "Damn it!"

I think Darc is really getting sick of this savior of the world business….R/R please!