Codex Mortem

A brother's promise

Raiden

Walking through the foul smelling corridor, I stopped for a second to look at her. My eyes spit fire and my blood boiled with rage.
How could I've been so blind? How did she play me so well?
Still oblivious to the world, laid on the hard, damp floor of the cell, she looked like the most innocent creature in the world. My fists were clenched so hard that it hurt. I accepted the pain, I embraced it. That's all what is left now. Is all I deserve, for being so weak. That filthy dawner saw my weakness and explored it. Did she really thought that she can make out alive? What is the game she played, and for what?
Seeing my anger-twisted face, Rhys put a hand on my shoulder.
"I'll deal with her later, Raiden," he said, understanding the torment of her betrayal. "You don't need to be here."
I walked past her cell and towards the last one, where one of our own, the one we have thought lost forever, now hung in chains. Another traitor.
"I want to see it. I will hear her confession, and I will kill her with my own hands."
Rhys nodded. He unlocked the iron-bared door and stepped in after me.
"Jayce." I acknowledged. "Is sad we meet in such circumstances."
The wolf half opened one of his eyes, his face and torso holding the bloody evidence of the guard's welcoming treatment.
The sympathy that once existed faded away, like a lone, distant memory. He tried to kill his king in an open act of rebellion. No challenge, no warning. No honour. And all this for a dawner, nevertheless.
If not for him, she would've been dead already. I would've given her a quick death, even though she didn't deserve such mercy.
"My king, my prince," he replied. His voice was dry, his words came out in short, cracking breaths. "I would kneel, but..." he taunted, pulling with a ridiculous effort at the metal chains that held him hung from the ceiling hook. The peculiar noise of it only added to my bitterness, and I felt the rush of boiling anger slashing through my gut. As my vision narrowed, all I could see was him. Traitor.
Rhys felt the change in me as I was ready to burst. He knew me well. With a shove, he placed himself between me and Jayce, a smart move that one.
"Why, Jayce, why?" He asked, the sadness in his tone stirring through my core. "We were like brothers."
A tear escaped from the corner of his eye, falling down onto the earthen floor. His cheek glistered as he turned his back to us. In that moment, all my anger, all my hatred, was gone. Like someone snapped their fingers and made it disappear. Never in the many years we spent together, never saw him crying. But now, looking at the place where his tear fell, I realized he was not angry like me; he was hurt. And that was worse than everything. The betrayal of a mourned brother was the most painful feeling.
"I don't know..." Jayce's voice broke the painful silence. "All I know is that somehow, I am bound to her." He took a break, sighting. "Brother..."
In that moment, the prince's fist colided with the former First Aga's guts. A river of pain poured on his face, twisting it in such a way I've never seen before. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" He spat. I saw his fist tightening again, preparing to land another blow.
Like a cold bucket washing over me, I caught in my palm Rhys' battered knuckles mid-air.
"Go!" I ordered.
He shifted his gaze from the chained wolf to me, stunned for a moment. He bared his canines for a split second, letting his frustration to make the most of him. If he wouldn't be him, I would've taken that as a high offense.
But I knew better. Just by turning my head a few cells back, I understood perfectly. Between love and hate there is a fine, dangerous line. A line sharp as a polished blade, that can cut through the heart in only a blink.
Squaring his shoulders, Rhys struggled to put the mask of a cold face, the same mask I tried to wear. Without any words, he left the dungeon.
Jayce watched him silently. He tried to maintain a stoic face, but under layers  and layers, he reflected the same broken heart. And because of my own, I could see it clearly.
"Why did you betrayed me?" I asked. "Why did you betrayed us?" I asked again, noding towards the door that was shut moments ago.
Jayce shifted. He looked straight into my eyes: "I didn't."
I swallowed hard, pushing down the urge to punch him like Rhys did, waiting for him to continue.
"I have two things to ask, and I will tell you all."
"Two things to ask?" My patience was near the limit. "You say you are no traitor, and yet here you stand as one. And you have the audacity to ask for favours?"
"My king," he said, "For the bond between us, hear me out! I need to retrieve someone from the woods. A woman, by the name of Mira. A slave."
"I have no care about slaves now, Jayce!" I spat in anger. "If you have something to say, say it. Was it worth? Was it worth your brother's love?"
My words penetrated the shield. He hung his lead low, his eyes closed.
"Raiden," he cleared his throat, "get the woman. If you think I don't deserve it, do it for all we were before. For all I did for you."
All we were before... and what we've become... I chuckled.
"Alar!" I shouted. The door opened, with the guard descending the stairs in no time. Once he had the instructions, he was dismissed.
I peered at Jayce and waited. He looked relieved.
"We can't keep her as a slave. There are new rules." I announced him.
"Yes, we can." He replied. "I've made her a slave long before your new rules. And once you find out who her father is..."
"Enlight me." I dared. "What is the second favour?"
He took a long, deep breath. Searching for the right words. Deep inside, I had this feeling, that no matter how he say it, I don't want to hear.
"Let her live."
For a moment I was confused. "The slave? Mira?"
Jayce stiffened. His voice struggled.
"The blonde one. The dawner."
At the mention of her, my anger burst. I yanked the chains that held him, with all the rage inside, tossing him across the cell. Closings the distance in a flash, my hand pressed on his neck hard, ready to take his head off.
He jerked and struggled to suck in a choking  breath, clutching at my arm.
From the sudden motion, his fabric's sleeve fell backwards.
I stilled. My eyes widened, searching for it. Nothing. His skin was clear, like the day he was born.
Letting go of his neck, I seized his wrist in a bone- crushing grip.
"Where is it?" I bellowed, crazed.
"WHERE IS IT?"
He pushed hard at me, and I stumbled a few steps back. My eyes never left his arm. How is this possible?
From the corner of the cell, he rose on his feet and clenched his fists in front of him. A scowl of concentration draped his face. A moment. A loud metal cling, then a thud. The chains discarded at his feet, in dirt.
I was stunned. No one could ever break those chains, specially made for beasts. For our kind. For bloodsuckers.
I readied myself for the fight. For the first time in my life, I doubted my odds. This was not the Jayce that left. This was another wolf, one as powerful as me. Maybe more. Only the winner will live to tell.
He took a step, then another.
The hairs on my neck stood up. This wolf, more powerful than all the others, seasoned in battle for decades,  was ready. My eyes darkened, my beast side struggled out.
With the last step, he stopped in front of me and dropped to his knees.
My head inclined in awe. My beast, bemused, struggled to understand.
"My king," he addressed, "I am true to my vows, yours to command." He crossed a fisted arm over his chest and bowed his head, nearly touching the tip of my leather. "I never betrayed you!"
I stood there for a long time, at a loss of words. He waited patiently. Gradually recovering from the nearly shock, I ordered him to stand.
Deep down I felt his words sincere, but life has taught me different.
"You will tell me what happened since the day of your exile, and you will not leave this cell for now."
Dragging chairs from the long hallway for us to sit and talk, my eyes flicked to her cell. The sight of her, lying unconscious on the floor, made me bleed inside. Killing her fast was not a mercy for her, it was for me.
We took our seats, face to face.
"Explain this first." I grabbed his forearm and traced my hand across the smooth skin where I bit him with my venom four years ago, to make sure I'm not hallucinating.
"Promise me she'll leave this place alive. Promise me that no wolf will take her life." He pleaded.
"I can't!" I nearly shouted.
He studied my face; his eyes softened, and I knew he somehow understood my reasons.
"You love her, do you?"
I wanted to tell him I hate her. I kept telling myself that, wanting to believe it. Instead, I said nothing.
"The wolves want her dead. She is a dawner, and she took a life that wasn't her to take." I finally explained. "Do you know what I risk if I allow her to live, Jayce? They will side together, and I'll have an internal war at my door. Do you understand what that means?"
"The perfect moment for the bloodsuckers to break the truce and finish us all." He stated. "But I have something better, lord," he continued. "I have the truth. And I have the means to strengthen your crown."
"How?" I asked. It was hard to believe that after all these years, his plan succeeded.
"I know who was behind the massacre, and I, former First Aga Jayce of Dirae, stand witness to his confession. All those that opposed your treaty with the king of Nix, Caleb, all those will be proven wrong and bear the shame of standing against you," he said. "And I just delivered to you the murderer's daughter. But her father's life, that's mine to take. You swore this the same day you banished me."
It took me some time to take in all he just said.

Taking all my will, I promised. For all the wolves. For him. For he was still Jayce, the man nearly as close as Rhys. No matter how twisted we were on our own, we shared an odd connection. Me, him and Rhys. And I couldn't deny that. I promised that no wolf will claim her life. But I couldn't let her go. She will rot in that cell, forever.
Jayce start to pour. All that happened from the cursed day of his punishment, all he knew. All he remembered. Except one thing, all made sense. The dawners. The woman named Endrine, who would've lived now. But him and me alike, we couldn't understand how was he alive. How my bite disappeared of his arm. How he, standing now in front of me, lived to tell all this. And there was only one person that could provide the answers we needed. The leader of dawners.
I needed to find and display him as the unwavering proof of my former First Aga's confession, for all we had now was an exiled's empty words. Words I trusted. And yet, I couldn't release him now. Not without that filthy lower, the murderer of the she-wolves.

Suddenly, a horn's noise filled my ears. Jayce bolted up. I motioned him to remain in the cell, and he complied, understanding the situation.
"No need to post more guards for me, lord. I follow your command." He said.
"Do not leave this cell, not until we can prove everything you told me."
I locked his cell and rushed outside. Passing by her cell was torture. Right before I shut the entrance door, she stirred. When she called my name, I didn't looked back. For the agony of her betrayal tore my heart and shattered it into pieces. I was a broken man now.

I rushed to the line of warriors, already in a defensive formation. First Aga Liam came to my side.
"M'lord, the border patrol reported a breach." He informed.
"And the trackers?" I waited, wondering who would be the fool to breach the border of the king's seat. If they intended an attack, they would have chosen a southern pack, a weaker one. Like the one without leader, the pack of the alpha I killed no long ago.
"Only one reported." Liam replied. "He says they're fast. Vampires. Couldn't count them, but no more than five."
I lift one arm up and rotated my finger in the air. Part of the warriors dispersed at my silent comand. They rushed to the strategic spots, each well prepared and knowing their tasks. Repeating the gesture with the other arm, half of the remaining guards surrounded their prince, ready to fight to the death to protect him, while the rest of them formed a semicircle around me.
The wait was short. With an impressive speed, five cloacked figures emerged from the tree line passed the old barn. They reigned their peace and took the path towards the keep where we sat waiting, in front of the great hall's entrance.
The smell of them hit me hard. Grave. Cold. Putrid. My nose cringed.
When they were close enough, I halted their steps with a simple gesture.
"State your name and business!" Aga Liam, the commander of my warriors demanded, placing himself to my left.
From the five bloodsuckers, the one in the middle took a few more steps forward. He was as tall as me, and somehow familiar.
Liam bared his canines, warning. The guards prepared to defend.
The stranger's gloved hand went up and pulled the cloak's hood to reveal his face.

Everyone stiffened.

.....