Chapter 91: Perception VS. Reality

Chapter 91: Perception VS. Reality "Behold the path of exile. Step upon it, and your footprints shall turn to ash. No road home shall remain." A few doubted, but with all this prepared, there was no way they would be pardoned. "Can’t believe all this happened in one night," someone whispered. Henndar’s voice, low and measured, filled the hush: "Let none here doubt the severity of this moment. At once, bring forth the exiles." Two cloaked Deadlocks produced Aramith first. He was pale, his chest rising in ragged breaths. He still couldn’t believe everything was well some hours ago. He met his father’s eyes with a flicker of regret, sorrow, and a look of broken understanding. Next came Mozrael, hopeful and hopeless. She looked like she wanted to escape, though she offered no resistance, glancing back at the place that was once a source of comfort, now seeming distant already. Last, Lynnor with her head bowed, and her expression unreadable. Henndar watched each of them enter, sorrow flickering behind his resolve. When the doors closed, he uttered his last words to them, and the kingdom: "May the morning sun burn away your darkness. Know that you leave by my mercy, and return by none but your ashes." He nodded once, and the carriage rolled forward. At its wheels, the fallen leaves ignited in a soft, amber glow, blossoming into gentle flames. The scent of burning spice and autumn filled the air. As the wheels turned, the leaves crumbled into ash, leaving a barren scar through the grove, proof that these paths were gone forever. The crowd watched in heavy silence, some with tears, some with relief, some with grim satisfaction. When the last ember flickered out, Henndar spoke again: "This act is my final mercy. They depart alive, though without crown or comfort. Let none speak of this day beyond these walls. Let the sun’s first rays seal your lips as surely as they lit this path." Then, without another word, he turned and strode back into the hall. The crowd dispersed in stunned reverence, some glancing warily at one another, others lost in their tangled thoughts. Aftermath In the rear galleries, soft voices carried on the morning breeze: "They’ll haunt my dreams..." "Do you think they’ll survive?" "I will pray for their souls." "He showed mercy and cruelty in one breath." Out of all the people witnessing the events, the Elwicks were the most out of place. Elder Eryndor clenched his fist so strongly, his nails dug through his skin, l; leaving bloody marks within. He couldn’t believe it. Out of all the people he could use to find flaws with Henndar, Aramith and Mozrael were the best victims he could rely on. So, how did this happen? Is it that Henndar knew and decided to do this? No, that couldn’t be. Far above the Blazewood Path, birds cried overhead as the first full sunrise painted the sky in firelight. But for two young hearts, the kingdom’s dawn would be a long, painful exile they could never walk back. The carriage was dark, and though windows existed, light couldn’t make it into it. The only source of light was some alchemy formations drawn across the roof, giving off a faint glow. Painfully so, the carriage didn’t also allow any sound to enter. They would never know where they were. So many times, Aramith wished he could open his eyes and everything would just disappear. Mozrael tried to reassure him, but her words only reminded him of how hopeless everything was. Why did she even have to join in as well? After several hours of travelling, they finally came to a stop. All deadlocks stepped out, closing the door behind. A few minutes passed, then the doors opened for them to step out. They released them from their chains, but confusion was all Aramith and Mozrael could feel. They were in the middle of nowhere. In all directions, the land stretched into complete darkness. The only source of light was a fire set in front of the carriage. The deadlocks surrounded it with their backs facing the fire. Only the leader faced the three as they stepped out. He offered them food, then made them go back inside the carriage to sleep. For a week, the journey continued in painful silence—stopping only for meals, and never hearing a single sound beyond their cage. Few words were exchanged between Aramith and Mozrael, and even fewer words between the two and the Deadlock. Lynnor didn’t even utter a sound till the very end. On the very last day, they stopped in the morning. Aramith and Mozrael painfully remembered the location, but they were still some distance from Lynnor’s home. It was in that moment that they realized just how fast the serpent they’d ridden was. A whole week to travel the same distance that took hours. "As promised, we have brought you out of the lands belonging to the Vermillion Kingdom," Deadlock One started. He looked directly at Aramith. "You shall never return to the lands you once knew, and if you do, anyone who recognizes you will end your life. Before we bid you farewell, your father asked us to grant you one last generosity." He pulled out two grey orbs and handed them to Aramith and Mozrael. "These would keep your minds in good condition," he finished, then turned around, entering the carriage. Aramith and Mozrael watched as it left— Their only final connection to home. Just like that, they were gone from home. They weren’t spared the time to think back on anything at all, for Lynnor started to walk off. They followed suit, glancing back a few times before the trees totally blocked out their view; they were deep in the forest they had once come to not long ago. A little distance into it, Lynnor stopped and stretched herself. "That was quite eventful," she said in her sarcastic tone. "If I spoke back then, they would have treated me as a more dangerous person. Phew." She turned to the two and smiled. "Been a while, eh?" Aramith and Mozrael didn’t know whether to smile, laugh, or cry. Lynnor was back. And from the looks of things, she was pretending most of the time. "I’m glad you’re okay," Aramith said. Mozrael felt same. At least, they had Lynnor with them. Lynnor smiled more. Then approached them. She placed her hand on Mozrael’s shoulder. "I never told you this the other time, but I really like you. You’re very nice, you know that?" Mozrael’s cheeks flushed. "Thank you," she said, burying her face. Lynnor ruffled her hair a little, then turned to Aramith. "You, on the other hand," her smile suddenly dropped. "You...are a very big fool. How stupid can you be? Throwing everything away because you think you’re saving me? Absolute bullcrap! Who do you think you are to try and save me by throwing everything away like that? You’re not a great person for doing that, so try to..." Her sudden shift in mood and tone caught them both off. Mozrael stood there watching in fear and confusion. What was she supposed to do in this situation? Aramith just stood there, accepting all Lynnor said. Though he never expected her to speak to him like this, she wasn’t wrong, and he wouldn’t deny that. "...what you did only proves you’re stupid. You gained nothing from doing all that, thinking you saved me, a killer. Keep in mind that I’m not a good person, so I don’t pity you. But I feel terrible for this girl you dragged into all this. She cares for you so much she’d also go along with all this stupidity." She finally stopped her rambling, but her anger was still boiling. Aramith didn’t know what to say as he buried his head in shame. "Hey," Lynnor suddenly spoke up. Aramith looked up at her. SMASH! In a second, she grabbed Aramith’s head by his hair and smashed his face into the ground, knocking him out cold. "Idiot!" She shouted. Mozrael’s expression changed from that of surprise to pure, unbridled fury. Blue dragon marks flared all over her skin, her eyes became slitted, and flaming wings sprouted from her back. She moved with speed and precision, quickly punching Lynnor’s arm. The force she used was so much, it broke Lynnor’s arm. "Stay away from us!" Mozrael hissed at Lynnor. Lynnor only took two steps back and smiled. She looked at her broken arm, then shook it. It healed instantly. "This is what I like about you, Mozrael. Your love and dedication to that worthless boy. He doesn’t deserve someone like you, so why waste your time on him like that? Anyways, I’m going to teach you both a good lesson about this world we’re in." She stretched her arms a bit, then smiled at Mozrael. "Hope you’re ready." Mozrael didn’t wait for Lynnor to attack first. She quickly covered herself in flames and shot forward like a meteor. I’ll not let anyone hurt him anymore.