Fan Fiction ❯ The Emergence Of A Legend ❯ Chapter 3

Nikki Kelly

Disclaimer: All of the characters portrayed in this story are completely

fictional and the sole creations of moi. Any resemblance to any

living person or other fictional character is purely coincidental.

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Chapter Three

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One night a few weeks later, Coress awoke with a start. Something had hit her window. Her breathing grew heavy, and she strained her ears to listen for the source of the noise.

Then it came again, a loud "ping" on the glass of her window. Coress hesitantly went to the source of the sound, a little bit frightened of what she might see. She couldn't help her hands from trembling as she unlatched the window and peered over the side, down into the black night.

She could make out two figures below, only slightly visible in the moonlight. One was smaller than the other, only a little taller than Coress. The other was taller than his companion, but still not by much. He seemed to shift his weight uneasily, foot to foot.

"Who's there?" Coress demanded in a half whisper. She was squinting her eyes with all her might, trying to see the people clearly.

"It's me, Coress," the littler one said so softly that Coress almost couldn't hear him. "And don't talk so loud, or ya'll get us caught."

"Caught by who?" Coress asked curiously, in the same volume that the person had spoken to her in. She knew who the people were now, but still not what they were doing there.

"Ohhhhhhhhh…there's no time ta explain. Just trust me," the man pleaded.

"When have I not?" Coress smiled with apparent joy. "What do you want me to do?" Her expression turned serious.

"Here, just catch this and tie it ta something stable. We'll be up in no time." His tone showed that he was obviously glad at her acceptance. He bent back his arm and flung a rope towards the window. Coress caught it with ease, and quickly tied it securely the nearest post of her bed.

She sat on the bed, trying to make it a little sturdier, and also to be clear of the window. The two visitors wasted no time coming up into Coress's room, and were soon both standing in front of her. She got up hastily, pulled the rope in, and closed the window. She was sure to be quiet, knowing how easily her brother could wake up in the next room.

She lit a lantern, and placed it on a table by her bed, so that she could get a good look at her two companions. Kiltees, the one who had spoken, looked like he didn't belong in this type of dark situation. He had a big grin on his face, which only more accentuated his jolly looking features. Flaming red hair and freckle-splotched skin does make one look happy all the time.

Tystan, who stood beside him, looked just the opposite. He had a truly troubled expression on his face, and was slumped over as if the weight of the world had finally become too much. Even the shining light could not brighten his dark looks, with his magnificently tanned skin and medium length black hair. He also wore a black robe that gave him an unmistakable aura of danger. The only things that made him seem even slightly humane were his gleaming aqua-colored eyes. He stood silently, staring at the floor.

Coress looked at the mismatched pair skeptically. She knew they were in some sort of trouble, (they always were) but she didn't know why. Seeing that neither the grinning joker nor the mysterious brooder was going to explain what had happened, she decided to speak first. "Okay, what'd you do now?"

Kiltees's expression quickly changed from overjoyed to somber. "Oh Coress, ya'd never believe it! You know old man Granger down the street?" He didn't wait for her reply, but just rambled on. "Well, we was down there, helping him move some knew stuff he got for the shop. Ya know what a bad back he has, and we was just bein good people. When we was done, he told us we could go on out back, that there was some stuff waitin for us. Some money and jewelry. Ya know, to pay us for helping him. So we went back and got the stuff and told him bye, then left. Next thing we know, we got some officers on our tail. They chased us down and throwed us on the ground. They told us that we done robbed Granger, and that we was gonna hafta go down ta the courthouse. We told em that we hadn't done nothing, and that he gave us the goods. I guess they thought Ty over there looked suspicious. Anyways, we didn't want no trouble, so we just gave the stuff and left." He inhaled deeply.

Coress turned to Tystan after looking at her peppy friend skeptically. "Is that really what happened?"

Tystan nodded and glanced over at Kiltees. "Yeah, that's what happened, basically" he said softly.

But Kiltees wasn't finished. "Oh, that's not all. They told us before we left that they was gonna hafta tell our parents. Now I didn't have no problem with that, seein as how me an my pa don't get along that well anyway. But you know Ty's dad, he don't put up with nothing. So we didn't know what ta do. We was headin ta his house, but we heard his dad throwin a fit. We couldn't think of nothing else ta do, so we took the back way here." His eyes grew sad and his voice just barely a whisper. "Ya know what he'd do, Coress. He'd hurt em, and I don't want that, neither does he, I'm sure. So…could he please stay ova here tonight? Just til things settle down over there? We'll get Granger tomorrow, and he'll explain everything. Then nothin will happen. I can just go now. Stayin ova Lorenna's anyway, ya know, helping out with all those brothers an sisters of hers. He really needs somewhere ta stay, Coress. You're the only one we can trust." He sighed sadly, and looked down at his feet.

Coress frowned. She had known that this would happen. Why else would they have come to her? She also know, however, that she had absolutely no choice in the matter. Sure, she could fight with Kiltees, but it would be of no use; he would talk her into it somehow. "Alright, you can stay, Ty. But only til tomorrow morning…early! If my brother catches you in here, you'll be in worse trouble than you would be with your father."

Tystan let out a short cynical laugh. "Somehow I doubt that."

Coress gave him a stern glance, turning back to address Kiltees, but her hyper friend had already unlatched the window again and climbed out. Coress laughed to herself. He's always one step ahead of me, she thought, grinning broadly. She untied the rope from the bedpost and hucked it out the window, aiming for Kiltees's head. She would have hit him too, had he not expertly ducked out of the way in time. He quickly picked it up, a smirk on his face. "Thanks, Coress. You're the best, ya know that?" He winked at her slyly, and bid his farewell: "Catch ya lata babe!"

Coress rolled her eyes, and shut the window once more, taking care not to make any unnecessary noise. She then turned back to Tystan. He had taken off his robe, throwing it over her nightstand, next to the lantern, and was now sitting on her bed in a white undershirt and pants. She watched as he took off his shirt, then his boots, and with an aching sigh lay down on the bed, hands stretched behind his head.

Coress's stare suddenly grew lustful as her eyes roamed over his well-defined chest and muscled arms. The skin was so soft, so smooth, so inviting…He's only a year older than me, she thought, smiling dreamily. But the sound of her object of affection coughing quickly awoke her from her trance. What am I thinking? She scolded herself. He's just a self-obsessed, chauvinistic pig. I don't need him, he needs me. She glared at an unsuspecting Tystan with a sudden anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

Tystan gave her a confused look. "What do you mean? I'm getting ready to go to sleep." His expression turned guileful. "I must get my beauty rest."

Coress snorted, "Ha! You can get your beauty rest on the floor! You're not sleeping in the same bed as me!"

Tystan sat straight up. "No way! What's wrong with you? We've slept in the same bed since we were five! Now you're all of a sudden feeling modest?"

"No, it's just I really don't need your body near mine tonight." Her voice had turned inexplicably soft, and she turned away from him.

Tystan came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She began to struggle, but he hushed her immediately, his finger to her lips. "Shhh…you'll wake him up." He let go of Coress, and turned her to face him. "Now let's just get some sleep, we need to get up early. Besides, it's cold out tonight…you'll need me to keep you warm."

Coress sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. She knew that just like with Kiltees, it was no use fighting with Tystan, he always got what he wanted. Too bad he doesn't want me…Then she caught herself and quickly released the idea.

Tystan was tucking himself under her sheets. He smiled at her comfortably and patted the space beside him invitingly. Coress simply ignored his joking gesture and blew out her light. She moved through the dark with great ease, and was soon under the linens with her long time friend.

They had known each other their entire lives. Tystan's had moved down the street from Coress when she was only four. They came from northwestern Rel Jicue. He and his little brother Tosorin were her oldest friends and she had met Kiltees only a few years afterwards. The four had told each other everything when they were younger, had shared their every adventure and thought freely.

But it was different now. They had somehow grown apart. They still hung out, of course, and still shared some adventures, such as had happened earlier that night. But they didn't still know each other. Everyone kept their thoughts hidden from the others, and it was like some endless game, constantly trying to find someone else's out.

Coress did have some idea as to what they were truly like, though: Kiltees was still a huge jokester and Tosorin was still strong and quiet. Tystan had changed the most. He and Coress had been like brother and sister; they had known everything about one another. Something had happened. Coress simply guessed that it was adolescence, but still wondered why he had changed so much, why he had turned into such a solitary person.

She lay there in the dark, his body slightly touching hers, wondering about him. She knew he was still awake, his breathing nervous and shallow. Coress couldn't stand the silence any longer. She had to get something off her mind, or she would never be able to sleep. "Ty?" she said softly, knowing he would respond.

He turned to face her, his blue-green eyes meeting her violet ones for an instant before she turned her gaze back to the comforting plainness of the ceiling. He spoke in such a whisper that he barely moved his lips, "Yeah?"

Coress hesitated slightly. She knew that once she had asked, she would regret that she had, but she took a chance. "Ty…I…I want you to tell me…I want you to tell me what he does to you." She said it quickly, actually afraid of what his reaction might be.

But he just gave her a slightly confused look. "What do you mean? What does who do to me?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

Coress took a deep breath; there was no turning back. "I wanna know what your father does to you!" she shouted in a forced whisper. She turned to face him, as he had done to her, than wished she hadn't. Tystan's face was grotesquely twisted with shock and anger. She spoke before he could. "What does he do to make you so afraid of him? I know you, Ty. You're not afraid of anything, yet you cower at the mention of his name. I wanna know why."

Tystan looked at Coress painfully. She sighed, wishing she had never spoken. "I'm sorry, Ty. I just don't know you anymore. You don't tell me anything. You don't have to answer, I understand."

Tystan's look became even more hurt. He spoke to her in a harsh tone. "No, you don't understand. You could never understand. You have someone that loves you and takes care of you. He doesn't do either. Just because I'm not like him. Just because I don't agree with his every word, he punishes me for it. And my coward of a brother does nothing…nothing!" His words had grown into a deep voice, and he sat up, looking down at Coress.

She could feel the waves of emotion steaming behind that stonewall of a face. He frowned at her, looked about, and then lay back down on the bed, his face pointed towards the ceiling. Tystan just remained silent for a moment, seeming to be heavily contemplating his subsequent words. They would send shivers down Coress's spine for the next few months. "He beats me," he said in a voice so filled with anguish and despair that Coress wanted to hold him until the end of time.

He turned his gaze to her, his eyes flooding with tears. "I mean he hurts me, real bad too. For anything…with anything. I can just look at him the wrong way and he'll attack me, Tosorin is forced to watch; I guess my father doesn't want him to turn out like me. He isn't allowed to do or say anything, or he gets beaten too. But the worst part…" Tystan broke off, trying to control his sobs. "The worst part is that he laughs while he does it. Like he doesn't care for me at all. I still love him, Coress, I mean, he's my father. But he just doesn't care for me at all. He gets pleasure out of my pain. Sometimes I think I should just give him the ultimate prize, and put myself out of my misery." He looked at her, his whole body trembling with unbridled emotion.

Although she was still very much taken aback by his sudden outburst of information, Coress knew that she had to get him off that suicidal thought. "Don't say that, Ty." Tears had no welled up in her eyes as well. "Don't ever even think about that again! I don't know what I'd ever do without you! I love you Ty! And if that's not enough, you got Tosorin and Kiltees too! Never say that ever again! Never!" She was bubbling over with anger, not towards Tystan, but towards his maniacal father. She didn't know anyone could be that cruel to his own flesh and blood.

But the young girl couldn't hold onto that anger much longer; she was too overwhelmed with pity for her broken friend. His eyes radiated sorrow. "I'm sorry, Coress…I…I didn't mean it. But sometimes I just…I just…" he broke off, unable to continue.

"I know, I know," she told him simply, taking his large body up in her arms. They lay there for a while. Her arms wrapped around his shuddering flesh, his head resting on her chest, her heart's steady beat seeming to comfort him. Soon his sobs became less frequent, and the air was instead filled the sound of calm breathing.

He finally fell asleep, Coress thought in bittersweet contentment. And although she was still fuming about what had been told to her, she was too tired to worry about it any further. All she could think about was the undying comfort sleep would bring. Maybe that's where she went wrong…

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End of Chapter Three

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~~Hehe…I hope you liked this chapter and the new characters I introduced. I tried to make them multi-dimensional, though I don't know if it really worked…oh well, tell me what you think…PLEASE!!!…and get ready for the next chapter soon….hmmm…I wonder what'll happen when they wake up….