Exile

prompt 7

When I awoke my head felt like it had been run into repeatedly by a wrecking ball.
My vision was blurred and I couldn't tell exactly where we were but I knew we were no longer back at Loney Hills.
I rubbed my bleary eyes and shook my throbbing head several times trying to regroup and focus.
I then realized that I didn't sense Xyiss' presence. I quickly jumped to my feet and shouted his name.
"Xyiss?!"
"Xyiss?!"

I heard a groan coming from behind a small rock formation about 10 yards away.
"Over here Grale."
I ran over behind the rocks and there was Xyiss who was obviously suffering from the same blasting head ache that I was.
"What did that old bag of tricks do to us?"
"I think more to the point is where did he send us?"
I replied to him.
It was then that I looked around and was hit with the sudden realization where we were.
"Xyiss, we're home."
I helped Xyiss to his feet and he slowly surveyed the lay of the land.
"Wow so that old hat wasn't just blowing smoke was he?"
"NO Xyiss, he wasn't."

"So what now Grey?"
"Now we go settle things"
We both looked around for something familiar as things looked nothing like they did when we were last home. We both knew pretty much ever inch of Naphira
but it had changed. A once beautiful place that was created and settled for demons who were trying to live peacefully instead of roaming around pialging,and causing destruction in most any realm any demon who wish to changes his or her ways could come here and live peacably and focus on trying to change the evils of those who wished not to do so.

But now, now Naphira was a dark, dry, cold, desolate place.
"You have any idea where we are?"
Xyiss knodded towards a little cluster of dead and dying yalamo trees.
"Don't you reckognize that?"
It took me a few minutes of looking and thinking and then I realized that what we were staring at was Therantay Wood.
"Xyiss it can't be."
"How did you spot it?"
Xyiss walked over and pointed out that right in front of the trees was Ganya's grave.
"You know what is on the other side of these don't you Grey?"
"Yeah Xyiss, I do............home."

We headed through the graveyard of trees that resembled nothing more than a waste land and discovered that some sort of very determined and strong vine had grown itself all over the downed and dying trees.
We pushed our way through the thick over growth and over the horizon we could see our home. The grass and crops were burned, the small village outside the castle walls was in ruin and there was no one in sight.
We headed towards the castle with out delay.
With caution we walked through the village, rubble paved the road all the way up to the castle. When we reached the gate there was a chain and lock locking the two steel doors together.
"How are we gonna get in, Grale? This is the only gate."
I smiled at Xyiss and pulled two TOOTH PICKS out of my front pocket that I had taken from the diner. I put the tooth picks into the key hole and shifted them around a few times then, after a bit of fanangling the lock popped open.
Xyiss smirked at me
"You weren't even sure that was going to work, were you?"
I laughed as we walked inside into the court yard.
"Of course I was sure it was going to work, why do you think I did it?"
In truth I had not believed I could pick a lock with tooth picks and I surprised even myself in suceeding.
We walked into the main hall and there my father sat.
His voice was just as deep and as horrid as I had remembered.
his eyes just as cold.
His raven hair gave him almost a walking dead look against hi pale skin.
"It's about time you two came home."
He glared at us with a hate filled grin as he stood from his throne, drew his sword from it's sheath and walked down the steps of the throne pedastal towards us.
"I never would have guessed you two escaping would've started a civil war and caused this kingdom to fall, If I had known that your mother might've been spared her fate."
Our father stopped at the bottom of the steps , we glared back at him with an equal amount of hatred in our eye's but said nothing.
From behind us we heard the door we entered from slam shut.
We turned to find Crillic standing behind us, Sword in hand.
Crillic was a lean lanky fellow,with white hair and shifty eyes when in human form.
I never did trust him.
"Your father is right. You two managed to ruin everything we'd planned just by leaving this realm."
Xyiss and I stood back to back, defenseless; when my father tossed two swords at our feet.
"Arm yourselves, You both die here."
Slowly we both bent, without taking our eyes off of our father, and picked up the blades.
"Good to see you too..........father." I said with distaste my tone.
"I dont know what you are going to do here today my beloved offspring, but dethroning me is not it."
"Crillic, let out a sarcastic, asanine laugh behind us."
Xyiss spoke up with a strength in his voice I hadn't heard before.
"Gee, dad, and here I thought we'd have this beautiful reunion , all hugs and kisses and whatnot."
Xyiss sighed. "ahhh, oh well!"
All's well that ends well!"
Xyiss kicked his sword with the tip of his boot, spun around and swung it at our father.
Father, infuriated that Xyiss got off the first blow put out a hand and forced him backwards. His power was much stronger than ours, but we were starting to regain our full strenghth and the longer we were home the stronger it became.
I ran towards my father only to be tripped by Crillic.
Xyiss was up now and in battle stance. He held a out a hand and motioned to Crillic.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"
I started to help Xyiss and out of the corner of my eye saw our father transform into his demon self. He towered over me in his true darkened form.
His skin was like rusted metal;hard , dry and cold. His eyes were so dark and slanted it was almost as if he had none.
His breath was as hot as lava, and his hands were like eagle's talons only much larger.
He ignored me to make his way towards the battle between Xyiss and Crillic.
He reached down and with one sweeping blow he knocked Xyiss across the floor.
It all seemed like it was happening in slow motion.
I didn't even realize the scream I heard was coming from my mouth.
"Xyiss, No!!!"


I ran to my brother as he lay almost motionless on the floor hoping that his state was not as I feared.
But all my fears were confirmed. He was coughing up blood and barely able to speak.
Don't let him win, Gray."
Xyiss, hang on, just hang on!
Most demons had the ability to heal themselves but that was if they were in tip top shape and not in a weakened state as my brother had been; and even then it took time for it to work.
I turned back towars my father as I could hear him in his gruff voice saying how that one should have been killed at birth, and how he never was good enough.
Crillic and my father both laughing louder and louder with each comment.
My anger and hurt welling up inside me I turned back to look in the direction they were standing and tried to appeal to the fact that we were his children.
" How could you do this to us..........to him?"
We are you sons."
Surely you can find it in your heart to show us some compassion."
He paused as if to consider it.
"You think that I as your father should care whether this weak, sad, lump of flesh is my son."
"Yes, father, I do."
With a deepening in is voice that made sound more evil than ever he replied;
"Then that shall be your undoing!"

He raised himself drawing on all his strength and power preparing to strike and kill us.
I tried to position myself so that i could sheild Xyiss from the intial blow.
All of a sudden I felt Xyiss grip my hand and I felt a sudden jolt run through my body like a thousand lightening bolts hitting me all at once.
"Now Grale, now!"
Without hesitating I reached and gripped the sword that I had been holding with both hands , turned and leaped towards my father and plunged it up through the his neck and out the top of his head.
The last look on his face was that of surprise......right before he toppled over falling beside Crillic.
Crillic stared first at my father then back at me. I sarcasticly looked at him and said......."next."
He dropped his weapon and ran from the room.
I don't know where he was going and I didn't care.


I turned my attention, back to Xyiss.
"Xyiss?" We did it."
He is dead, we can start putting things back the way they were."
We can make it home again."
Xy.....
I knelt beside him and stroked his forhead and touched his chest.
Nothing.
It was then that I knew what had happened when he grabbed my hand. Xyiss had passed all of his power to me.
He knew if he did nothing that we would both die but if he gave what he had left to me then our home had a chance of being what it once was.
"Rest well my brother."
I crossed his arms and looked around at the vile place in which I stood.
I knew this was not the end, but only the very beginning.
The real battle hadn't even begun yet.
I knew with time that I would put it all back. I thought a good place to start was Eularia.