Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
TYNAN
My eyes slowly moved from crevice to crevice of the hard rock surfaces.
All the time I spent within these walls made me think that I would never be able to leave.
And now, I have returned to the place that used to be my personal prison.
The land welcomed me back as if nothing happened.
The home that I hated had offered us a refuge we desperately needed.
I used to think of the mass of obsidian rock and the cold, misty air as my own personal enemies, as if this beautiful landscape was contaminated by poison.
Despite all the memories, these walls were above it all, above my pain and misery.
They were meant to stay here many years after my body became a part of the soil and chilly air, returning me back to where I came from.
“You’ve grown,” Hanoch observed at last and I shifted my gaze back to my brother.
“And you have not changed,” I said.
Hanoch walked further into the spacious office he occupied.
I remembered the room used to be my father’s study.
Hanoch changed all the furniture and pictures on the walls.
I could not help noticing that he removed all the family crests and regalia that had decorated the room when I was still living in the castle.
“I will get to the point. You can stay here, but I am not going to start a war with the council over you.”
“I would not expect you to.” I met his gaze.
“You must understand. There are many people here in Darragh, I cannot put them in danger.”
“I understand. We’re not staying here long.”
“Where are you going to go?” Hanoch asked.
“We believe there’s a way below.”
“What? That’s impossible.” Hanoch scowled.
“There should be a way.”
“You’re really desperate, huh?” He scrutinized my face.
“We are. Do you know anything that could help us get there?” I asked.
A sudden rustle came from the hall and the door swung open, my hand landed on the dagger at my waist. A moment later, a toddler came running into the room, his unsteady, chubby feet turned toward the table, but the boy froze, unsure when he saw me.
“Hey, Toby. Where’s your mom?” Hanoch reached down and grabbed the boy who tried to get himself free. “Let me introduce you to your uncle, Ty.” Hanoch gave a kid a wide smile.
“You have a child,” I said, stupefied.
“Yes. It’s been a while. I have four children. Three girls and one boy.”
“I had no idea.” I watched two of them.
“Yeah. I wish you had visited,” he said.
“I thought . . . sorry.” I frowned.
Hanoch placed the boy back on the floor and I watched him head toward the desk.
“There’s one person who could probably help you with your questions. Sage is still around.” Hanoch picked up the stack of papers, removing them from the boy’s reach.
“He’s still alive?” I watched him in disbelief.
“Yes, surprisingly. Although, he predicts his own death every year. With the amount of liquor he consumes, I don’t know how he’s still alive.” Hanoch turned when the boy threw a paper holder to the floor.
“Is he still in his hut?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Thanks. I will try to talk to him.”
“He still hates you.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know what you did. But if your name is mentioned, he always stops the conversation and curses.” Hanoch grabbed Toby’s hand when the boy picked up the steel blade of a letter opener.
“So, nothing has changed.” I approached the front door.
“Ty?”
I turned, meeting his gaze.
“Glad you’re back.”
I nodded, looking away, before leaving the room.
I had to get outside, the walls were suffocating me. I would prefer to be surrounded by crawlers somewhere in the wastelands than stay in the castle. I ran down the sets of stairs, avoiding talking to anyone else.
Hanoch was the new clan leader and the head of a large family.
I still could not believe that was even possible.
I used to dream about all those things a long time ago.
I wanted to have a family, to be a husband and a father, to be the next clan leader.
I wanted to prove to everyone, myself included, that I was worthy.
I knew better now. Gabrielle was my first major life lesson, a hint of what was to come.
My destiny was different, and there was no point in thinking about the past or comparing my own life to his.
I stood for a moment, forcing myself back to reality. My eyes shifted to the horizon. I knew the place where Sage built his hut. Without delaying any longer, I turned toward the valley.
I walked down the hill and then crossed the city from the west. I soon lost my patience and shapeshifted to my dragon form. I knew that flying in the city was disruptive and not welcomed, at least that was what I remembered, but I was out of the city so I flew to Sage’s vale.
It took me only a couple of minutes to find the right place. The shabby wooden structure looked like it was leaning to one side. At a distance, it looked like an abandoned shed, but I knew the old man was still there. Then I finally descended and changed back to my human form.
The ground surrounding the house was all mud and dirt.
A stack of logs lay rotting off to one side, and an assortment of discarded wooden furniture was scattered all over the front yard.
It seemed he was cutting wood for his fireplace.
I scowled. Wood was really valuable and people used coal to get a fire going, but Sage did not seem to care.
Stepping carefully through the mud, I stopped by the entrance.
The door was ajar so I peeked inside. I knocked on the door, and looked around.
The fireplace was not in use and I saw no evidence that the old man was around.
Not a sound, no one was home. I pushed the door open wider.
The old man’s place was almost devoid of personal belongings.
I quickly spotted a low wood table, and noticed the exposed beams on the walls with cracks in the corners.
The bed looked like an animal's nest and multiple glass bottles were piled on the floor.
“Sage?” I called, but received no answer.
I waited for some time, before losing my patience. At last, I changed back and soared upward.
The sky displayed all shades of gray when the tiny sprinkles of rain hit my face. I realized that the further I was from the castle the better I felt. I glanced at the massive structure in the distance, losing myself to my memories.