The Princes

The morning that rose after the night of revelry and joy, a night Torta hid behind booze and women to hide his deepest pain that he lost his own wife to his oath and love for his brother. He awoke to find the camp all in movement, to stow all rations and equipment upon the ships of the elven people, fashioned for their trips between worlds back when the Watcher allowed the Bifrost be open to all worlds freely. As the rising dawn glared into Torta’s eyes, he could do nothing but take a deep breath of relief as he began to realize this would be the final voyage to Midgard and he could be free of this duty. Torta quickly realized he was the first to awaken this fateful day and quickly jaunted over to the tower, a small tower built in a day of random material from the nearby trees which housed the horn of the tribe or otherwise known as the House Horn which was used to call forth the elven house’s forces to attack or gather for battle so Torta took a deep breath and blew upon the horn to awaken his people.

After a few moments, heads began to peer from the curtains as many bore terrible hangovers from the night of merriment but others arose with a gleam in their eye of determination and will. Torta’s son arose with such a gleam though it seemed this time he was not so eager to hop across to the world of men so he made his way to the tower at a slow but determined pace. Chantlian called to his younger looking father as he approached, the elf prince almost skipping down the steps with joy in his eyes as his son came near, “Father! What is the plan?”

Torta simply waved his hand toward the tents, “Break camp and gather everything to the boats so we may set sail by noon.”

Chantlian seemed confused for a moment and asked, “Should we have not awoken sooner, Father? It is nearly half way through the morning, I doubt we will even make it to the boats to pack before noon has passed.”

Torta grinned and simply said, “With that attitude we sure won’t! Let us get moving everyone!”

As the camp quickly realized the casual nature Torta took in the moment, everyone began to quickly break their camp down and move towards the boats to make ready but as this all went on the tent of Tylineus had not moved once. Within sat the brother and his red shadow who bid their farewells and made sure their plans were aligned once more as the shadow melded back into the other darkness. With the red shadow gone, Tylineus threw open the tent and saw the ordered chaos of the tribe breaking camp down and some making their preparations on the boat as he witnessed Torta at the helm of the lead ship, pointing at a table with five other elven warriors.

“I tell you, this is where we must be before the battle drags on too long.” Torta replied with earnest, a serious curve to his brow as he explained.

Chantlian sighed in frustration and asked, “So how are we to break through their defenses? They will see us land and have themselves ready before we can move off our boats!”

Torta chuckled as he pointed to a beach landing north of the encampent or village on the map, “Not if we land here during the night and set up make-shift camp there. If we do this right then we should be able to attack before the dawn and strike them hard as they wipe the sleep from their eyes.”

Tylineus appeared behind Torta and patted his older brother’s back with a laugh, “Listen to your father. He may be on to something now!”

Torta rolled his eyes as he continued, “All we need is to root out the forest just north of their trove and when we have the plains on their west and south occupied then all we must do is fire within to wipe out the early risers and we charge to the center where the trove is located.”

Chantlian took a moment to think then asked, “Who are we to expect in the encampment to be left after firing?”

Torta snorted, “If we are lucky, just the lazier and hopefully weaker wolves within but realistically we should expect the worst of them to still be standing and ready to rip us apart by that point.”

Tylineus began growing worried as the plan Torta was formulating was truly genius if it were not for a few minor details so he laughed, “Taking after your brother’s ideas, Torta? I know you said you could lead this time but I did not think you would steal from my tactics! Ha!”

Chantlian rolled his eyes at his uncle, “If you really believe this plan similar to your own then I shudder to think what you compare your dick to.”

A raucous laugh resounded from all except Tylineus who had shadows dancing in his eyes as he glared at his nephew, “I suggest you watch your tone, boy.”

Torta spun his own eyes, that filled with silver and light, toward his younger brother, “Do not threaten my son, Tylineus. You know better.”

The brothers glared at each other almost as if the very light and shadows were fighting against each other till one of the other warriors, Kailyon, asked, “So this is our last mission?”

Torta and Tylineus broke eye contact and Tylineus answered, “All we need now is within this camp. Once it is retrieved then that will mark our end in Midgard forever.”

Chantlian seemed to grow suspicious at the way Tylineus phrased that statement, “And by our end in Midgard forever you mean?”

“Exactly what I said, nephew. Our end to Midgard. Must you always be so suspicious of me?” Tylineus laughed as he entered the office of the ship.

Chantlian looked to his father with worry and uttered, “I believe this voyage to be a farce, father. We should stay here and end this insanity once and for all. We have taken all we needed and proved our point. There is no true purpose in going to Midgard now.”

Torta sighed and rubbed his hand over his face as he explained, “I’ve told you this, my son. Tylineus only needs one thing in this camp and we are free to move on from this. We can even throw it away forever to the annals of our people, how the first House conquered the world of Men! It’d be marvelous!”

“But, Father, something feels off this time and I mean more than usual.”

Torta grew annoyed and said, “I have had enough of this line of questioning, boy. I will hear no more unless it is about the plan!”

Chantlian grew frustrated finally and blew off his father by asking, “So how are we to die then? Skewered or burned alive!”

Torta yelled to all of them that they were dismissed as he turned to the office room of the ship and kicked it open then slammed shut behind him as it seemed to rock the boat a bit. As Torta turned towards the inner sanctum of the ship, he found his brother at the desk who was writing a quick log into his journal but quickly shut the book when he sees his brother approach. “What now, Torta?”

“Tylineus, you haven’t explained what we needed from Midgard yet. Maybe if you told me I can tell the others and it’d put them more at ease so we can-”

“I will not bear our secrets to all those low-lives!”

Torta grew annoyed but kept his composure as he quickly stated, “Those low-lives are our kin, brother. They sacrificed more to be here than either of us so please choose your words carefully describing our house.”

Tylineus seemed to grow angrier, “Oh what could they lose if they think their joining the almighty ‘Prince of Light’! You know just as much as I do, I am the second to you even now!”

Torta lost a piece of composure, “You decided to make me the face of these missions and make me take the glory when you were in charge. Do not blame me for what others see when you manipulated it to be so.”

“Don’t lecture me on my plan! You still take all the glory for yourself happily instead of being humble like we were taught!”

“You are the least humble out of the two of us. You were the one who grew furious at me for developing my light faster than you. I am not to blame for what the Norns dealth us.”

Tylineus shot up and got in Torta’s face, “You are absolutely to blame. You and every fucking elf who thinks their better than me cause I choose to wield the dark now and again.”

Torta sighed and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “You aren’t supposed to do that. If you are caught by Father then he will-”

“What?! Have me banished? Like he tried last time! He won’t!”

“And what makes you so fucking sure, Tylineus!”

Tylineus gave a sly grin as the angered facade fell away, “I have you, dear brother.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Tylineus smiled again as he sat back down, “You shall see, brother. Go help the others get the ship ready to sail.”

Torta groaned in aggravation and stormed off saying, “You know one of these days, I won’t be able to protect you anymore. You will be lost in whatever darkness you’ve placed yourself in forever without me.”

As the door slammed shut behind Torta and Tylineus was left alone in the darkness once again, he muttered, “Oh you have no idea how right you are, brother. Only you will also be in that darkness as my prisoner, mine to torment for all those years you were supposed to be below me and I the reigning prince!”

As Torta walked around the deck of the ship to make sure final preparations were underway, he noticed his son and his family gather on the deck as well with Chantlian speaking to his daughter Talyna. Quietly Torta appeared behind Chantlian and began making funny faces towards his granddaughter in hopes to disrupt his son’s attempts at being serious again. As he made a very strange face with his eyes shut, Torta opened his eyes to see his son’s slightly disgusted face towards his father and his granddaughter laughing a sound that was reminiscent of a bell.

“Grandfather, you’re so silly!” Talyna giggled as she sat in her father’s arms.

“Yes, your Grandfather is very strange,” Chantlian uttered silently.

“Talyna said I was silly not strange, son,” Torta corrected as he grabbed his granddaughter up into his arms and began kissing her face quickly and repeatedly for a moment or two. Her giggling ringing through the air, providing the much needed joy this dreary ship needed.

“I believe you said the same word twice, Father.” Chantlian laughed a bit and smiled towards his father and granddaughter.

“Daddy! Don’t be mean to Grandfather!” Talyna yelled quickly with a very sour expression.

“Oh do not worry, my little flower, Grandfather can stand up for himself you know,” Torta smiled now, one of those radiant ones that brightened the room and made even the cloudiest days bright.

“Grandfather? Where are we going now?” Talyna asked quietly as Torta pulled her closer for another kiss to her forehead.

“We are going to take something for your Great Uncle Tylineus.” Torta explained slowly and calmly.

“Why can’t we just stay here, Grandfather?” Talyna seemed genuinely upset to leave her home once again.

“Oh do not be sad, my flower. We will return and stay forevermore. I swear to you.” Torta gave her that brilliant smile and kissed her head once more then handed her to Chantlian. “I must make sure the ship is ready to be off soon. Make sure everything is right here, I should return before we set sail.”

“It shall be done, Father.”

As Torta blinked away to another ship to make sure they were ready to set sail, Chantlian handed his daughter to his wife as he quickly explained that he needed a word with Tylineus but she should make sure they brought everything. As his wife left to make sure their things were packed, Chantlian made his way to his uncle’s office and kicked the door open. “What are you planning!?”

A surprised Tylineus quickly threw his journal into the drawer of his desk and yelled at, “Doesn’t anyone knock in this tribe!”

“You heard me! Answer!”

“We are getting something important to me and that is all you need to know!”

“That is a lie! Tell me the truth!” Chantlian’s eyes began to shine brightly as the skin on Tylineus arm’s grew warm and began to sizzle as he realized what his nephew was doing.

“Shut your bright eyes, Chantlian! I’m warning you!”

Chantlian kept his eyes on his uncle, watching the skin on his arms burn as he realized that his uncle had officially sided with the Darkness. He leapt from where he was and over the desk, grabbing Tylineus by the throat and tossed him into the wall behind him. As Chantlian landed on top of Tylineus, he grabbed him again only this time by his uncle’s shirt and dragged him to eye level and questioned him again, “What are we getting for you uncle.”

As Tylineus burned under the gaze of his nephew, ever the vigilant guardian, he smiled as he uttered, “The thing I’ve wanted most for so many centuries.”

Chantlian stared into Tylineus’ eyes and something in his head clicked what his uncle meant and dropped him, “You sick bastard.”

Tylineus grinned even more widely, “What are you going to do, Chantlian? Your father won’t believe you! He trusts me whole heartedly now! He will never believe I could hurt him again and that will be his downfall!”

As Tylineus began to laugh maniacally, Chantlian rushed out the door to find his father and get him to abandon this suicide mission and quickly blinked himself away. “Yes, tell your father. Make him abandon you like I’ve made him done to everyone else. Give me that which I’ve wanted for so long.” As he uttered this, the shadows around him grow darker and a shocking set of red hair appeared along with a smile and bright eyes filled with mischief alongside the growing dark eyes of Tylineus.