King John had been pacing about the small room trying to formulate a plan in his mind. "What if we imprison him like Sir David? Only this time we leave him there until we kill Varamont and the spell will be broken."
"It might work," Alrid supported the idea.
"It will not be quite as easy, though," Evander added in his voice. "Finding him will be a chore in itself, not to mention he has the ability to vanish into thin air at will so there is no telling how long we could even keep him in custody." He sighed deeply as he recalled what O'Leander had told him. "Say we were even able to do any of this, he would not be released of his control if we were to kill Varamont."
"There is something different about him isn't there, Evan?" the king asked softly.
Evander nodded, "His blood is not human. His heart pumps the abyss instead."
King John took a few moments of silence as his mind mulled over the news. He did not look up when Den spoke next, "What de ye mean about vanishing, lad?"
"Well, he appeared in my home without breaking anything and the only door remained locked. He also managed to evaporate by the time I followed him outside. Onyx was the last to see him and he looked to me as if he had seen the dead walking."
"How peculiar," the king murmured to himself.
"So what do we do then?" Alrid asked naively.
The king referred to Evander now, "You say you met with O'Leander, how did you find him?"
Evander thought about what he should tell the king and how much. Should he tell him about hearing O'Leander's voice in his head and risk being seen as mad? Or should he remain silent about it and hide an important piece of information? It only took a moment for him to decide.
"He spoke to me in my mind," Evander admitted to the three men who now displayed looks of surprise. Never had something like voices being relayed over minds had ever been heard of before. Just with that knowledge alone showed that they knew very little of the abilities of O'Leander. So being able to evaporate wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.
No one said anything in response to dispute Evander's claim so he continued, "He was waiting for me in my home. I could not get a good read on him as he was emotionless for the most part though it seemed he knew mostly of only rage. For a moment I felt that my brother was somewhere still inside but that was only until he threw me into the wall for not using Varamont's Lordship title." He paused to get a read on the others. "I am not sure there is anything left of my brother."
"We have to at least try," Alrid spoke up then. Making his opinion heard without any hint of demanding action on it.
"Can you speak with him in return?" the king asked as he took a seat beside Evander. He was intrigued at the thought of words being sent over mental power and he wanted to know more about how it worked and what limitations it had.
"I don't necessarily think it's as like that. I can have a thought and if he is reading my mind at the time he may reply. It seems to be more of a one way conversation though." Evander addressed the group, "Should I try to contact him? See if he will meet with me again?"
The room fell silent for a while, only the crackling of the small fireplace gave the room any sense of life. "I get the sense that he will only meet with ye when he sees fit, I say," Den said as he shifted his weight in the chair.
"Perhaps our next meeting might not be one so civil," Evander admitted to himself and the others.
"What is it that you mean by that, Evan?" the king asked hesitantly.
"You were not here when I said this earlier," Evander started. "O'Leander means to kill me. I know not how or when he plans to but I know that it is his ultimate goal to make me pay."
"Pay for what exactly?" Alrid asked, "You've done nothing to him."
"He believes differently. He believes it is because of me that he was taken and molded by the enemy." Evander's gaze switched to stare into the fireplace off to his left. "He believes I deserted him...abandoned him."
"Could it be possible," Den theorized. "That Varamont told him these things so that he would be more willing to kill ye when the time came, lad?"
"It is quite possible that that is the case," the king agreed with the dwarf.
Evander mulled over their words, "Perhaps that is true. That would be preferable to him coming to that belief on his own. It leaves room for me to talk with him. Make him see the truth."
King John sighed grudgingly, "At any rate, we must take this new development to mean all of our moves are being watched."
O'Leander's voice trailed in from the very back of the room, "You little creatures believe yourselves to be cunning. But all I hear is the prattle of children." A soft laugh flowed from the darkest corner of the room. It was not a natural darkness though, it was as if he had drawn all of the shadow in the room over himself to conceal his presence. Invisible to the periphery of the eye until he desired attention.
Alrid, Den, King John, and Evander all stood in alert at the new voice that now carried a hefty amount more of malice that it had at Evander's home. His black eyes were invisible within the alien darkness. "Please, draw your weapons if it makes you feel better." He half-threatened and cold steel rang out in the small room, "You're only human." O'Leander prodded but then he noticed Evander hadn't drawn any of his weapons like the others had. He merely stood behind the others as the four men stood in a semi-circle around O'Leander.
"How long have you been hiding there, rat?" Evander questioned with a stern confidence.
O'Leander's frame remained hidden in the dark as he answered, "Straight to the point I see, then." He spoke with a slow methodical tone, "I have been sitting in this chair since well before you arrived, right as I left you at your home to be exact. I have been watching your son, Alrid was it? He speaks a lot to himself, and I am willing to wager that you are unaware of what really bothers him."
"Why are you here?" Evander demanded gaining his confidence with his Trust now accompanying him.
"Quite the impatience from you and yet you seem to have gained some form of what you swine refer to as 'confidence'" O'Leander slowly came into view as he released the shadows back into the room where they belonged. "I have merely come at your wish for a meeting. I use that lightly of course, I have simply allowed you all privy of my presence. I could have just as easily remained out of your knowledge and sat here for as long as I deemed beneficial to me. Now, what is it that you ask of me?"
King John began to answer but was cut off mid-sentence by O'Leander, "You do not speak to me. You are no King. Though it matters little, I know of what you wish from me. Do not waste your time, how little of it remains. I cannot be swayed to your side even if I wished it so." Anger flashed over his deep black eyes like a rough breeze over an otherwise calm ocean. "The lot of you are all responsible for the way I am. Had you been less arrogant in your peaceful world and kept me safe I would not be sitting here like this. I would have grown up with my brother and not become this wretched creature you see before you. I would have lived the life of a normal child and not been under control like some fucking puppet." He was visibly angry by this point. The hatred in his heart pouring out like a bottle uncorking after many years under pressure.
Den interjected, "It seems to me that yer more angry at how ye are than at us."
O'Leander did not appreciate the accusation from Den. He grew agitated at the arrogance of those who stood before him and had to restrain himself from rushing over to the dwarf and silencing him forever. He was not yet permitted to kill anyone other than Evander.
"You know not of what you speak, dwarf. You know nothing of me or naught but your mountain home. And as I recall, you shall never see your mountain halls again. My master made certainty of that." O'Leander reveled in the now-present pain on Den's shoulders. Den thought back of his wife and son that remained back in the Iron Isles in the Holt Realm. He had not seen them since before the Great War and it pained his heart deeply to be reminded of the life he lost and could never return to.
His pain was covered by the words he shot back, "Ye may be Evan's brother but don't think fer a moment I won't bury my axe in yer skull." His grip tightened around his axe.
"How very bold of you to assume you could even come close enough to make promise on your threat," O'Leander remarked. He then shifted his attention to Alrid who stood cautiously beside his father. "You've been awfully quiet, young Alrid. Have you nothing to say to your uncle?"
Alrid hesitated, unsure of what to say. He searched for anything to say to this man who claimed to be his uncle. Alrid felt nothing for him but an anger of his threats on his father's life. There was nothing to say short of threats and names but that would do no good to a man of the pedigree of O'Leander.
"I see," O'Leander finally said after Alrid held his tongue. "You really have nothing to say. Very well."
Evander piped up then, "Let us take this elsewhere. This meeting shall be settled between you and I. Our quarrel does not concern them."
O'Leander accepted the Hunter's proposal with a thin smile stretched with venom and a shallow approving nod. In an instant he imploded on himself into a deep black smoke and left no trace behind of him ever being there. The room returned to normal as the heaviness of the air left and the men realized how crushing it had felt.
Evander said nothing and made his way for the door.
"You know where he is don't you?" the king stopped Evander with his question.
"I do," the Hunter said as he held the king's gaze. His eyes portrayed untold words of reassurance.
"Watch yourself out there," the king knew that Evander had to meet with his brother alone again. "Bring him back to us."
"I do no think it possible but I at least need to know for sure," Evander looked to his son. "I will return. I love you, my son." With that the Hunter left the Kingdom of the Flag.45Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7uPdqTBHQ