Tale of Four

Sat at the end of a large feasting table, Legetus saw Alice step in, beside her the two escorts. At one end of the hall, he saw his son casually picking at his nails, his twin sister next to him, kneeling on the ground, picking between three different dresses, badgering him on which one she should wear, getting a half-hearted response that only annoyed her.

”Trito,” Legetus called out to his son, making him look up. ”Velacena.” Calling to his daughter as well, he saw her show an annoyed expression. ”Leave, please.” He didn’t understand why his children had decided to hang around the hall to choose clothes, and while he usually laughed and enjoyed watching their childish bickering that didn’t match their ages, he needed them gone. Sensing the difference in him, they complied, saying nothing, picking up the dresses and leaving.

He turned back to the three arrivals, his gaze flicking between Randolf and Elva. ”You two may leave as well.”

”My Lord,” Randolf spoke, his words trailing, wondering why such an order was being given. With a hard glare, Legetus lifted a finger off the table, a wave of power spreading from his body, hitting the two, bringing them to their knees.

”One should kneel and be thankful for the feast of life.” His voice was dark, lacking all the joy of life he usually spoke with. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t rise, only able to do so when Legatus lowered his finger again. Looking at Alice, he saw her eyes widen in amazement at what he had just done; the questions she didn’t need to voice were clear in her eyes. ”Get out.” Saying it again, His finger rose halfway to what he had previously done. Not needing to be attacked again, they quickly bowed and left, Elva giving Alice a suspicious glare before turning and leaving.

”Magi.” Getting up, his voice shook. Looking at Alice, he could see the wonder of life in her, one he saw in all his people. A joy that could only exist if someone truly loved living. ”Do you know what you have done?” Forcing the words out, he took a deep breath, getting a tilt of the head as a reply. ”Do you know what your arrival has done to me?” Walking before her, he looked down, his large stomach almost hitting her.

”You know the arcane?” Alice asked, completely ignoring his question. A vein popped, and grabbing her collar, he threw her over his shoulder onto the table.

”ANSWER ME!” With laboured breaths, he saw Alice barely acknowledge the threat, instead staring at him with the same excitement, with only one thin hand grabbing one of his hands. Trying to peel his fingers off, she failed, lacking the strength to do so.

”Get off me,” Alice replied, a small annoyance in her voice after failing. Tightening his grip on her collar, he breathed over and over, his hot breath hitting her, making her face scrunch in disgust. When it reached a breaking point, his hand moved away. With an outstretched palm, she slowly inched it towards his chest. Legetus’s instincts cried out, and listening, he let go, stepping back. ”Finally.” Patting her collar down, Alice jumped up, sitting on the edge of the table and staring at Legetus. ”Why did it take you so long?”

Legetus was stunned for a moment. Looking at Alice, he waited, wondering if she would answer his initial question, but it was as if she didn’t even know he asked anything, instead staring at him, waiting for an explanation for the power he had just used, as if he owed it.

”Hateful.” He didn’t mean to say the insult, but once it was out, he couldn’t stop himself. ”Arrogant. Defiler.” Each one was venomous, and Legetus paced back and forth, looking at Alice. ”Your kind, you disgusting people, can never be satisfied, always reaching for what isn’t yours. Destroying everything and everyone, without regard.” Lifting a hand, he pointed his palm towards Alice. ”Do you know what you have done to me? To the others? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA!”

Unbothered by the threat of his palm, Alice blocked her ears, her face showing her displeasure at being shouted at. ”Why are you so mad?” Saying it with a perfectly innocent tone, Legetus chuckled, his raised palm slowly falling. With a deep breath he tried to calm himself, but seeing ALice cover her ears looking at him as if he was the villain destoryed any progress, his rage returning. Throwing a hand forward again, he grabbed her collar and pulled.

”Tell me? What did the Eldest One do to you?” Despite the orders not to question, Legatus couldn’t take it any longer. His dread and rage forcing it out, ”Why have ’Its’ puppets returned to this world once again? What more suffering does ’It’ need to inflict upon us to be satisfied?”

”That guy with the red eyes told you I’m special.” The veins on his neck popped again, and using everything he had to suppress the anger and not punch her, Legetus stared at Alice, seeing her urge to talk about herself. ”The world will be mine. Whatever it was told me to do, and of course I shall. No one is capable of it besides me.”

His grip loosened, and he brought his shaking hands up; he brushed them over his face, holding the position for a second. ”’It’ will never be satisfied.” Speaking to no one, Legetus rambled, ”How many times must ’It’ do these things before ’It’ gets what ’It’ wants? Why... why does it have to be my generation?” Pulling his shaking hands away, he looked back down at Alice. ”Do you know who suffers because of your actions, because of what you want to do?”

Alice tilted her head, looking at him, such a question not registering in her mind. ”You’ve damned us.” Lifting a hand, the thought to end it rushed through his mind. Such an action wouldn’t just kill him; he knew that much, but it would send him to the Valley. Thinking of the others, those who had the same burden and duty as him, and the lives that would be destroyed because of Alice, he couldn’t help but feel it was the correct action.

He trusted Raven; he trusted everything he said and ordered, but in the face of the overwhelming reality, he couldn’t accept it. How long had they all been defiant? How long had they all scrounged joy in a joyless world? How long had he spent being the jolly fat Lord who could ease the worries of others, even when it crushed him?

His fellows in the suffering. Those he may have never seen in person but could still call friends. Those who never stood in the same room as him, who shared the smallest amount of news about their lives when they could, over the mirrors, just to give each other small comforts.

Those old men who had guided him when his father could no longer, easing his worries and dread. Those younger than him, who he did the same for. His mind paused, thinking of the Lords younger than him, those who had hardly got to live before being asked to do their duty.

Those old men would likely face it with the same stern comfort they had given him. He didn’t need to mourn Lord Goodson nor Lord Eversight; they would die happy to be finally free. Nor did he need to mourn Lord Graves, knowing the mad man likely had already laughed at the order. He could picture Lord Pathways, cold logic working through the problem, taking comfort in that above all else.

But the others.

Lady Hollow and Lord Dreamscape. Why did they deserve to face their duty when the cause of it stood before him? Lady Hollow guarded the worst the land had to offer, never having known the joy of motherhood, of bringing life to the world. But even that awful fate was lucky. She had a sister, the one she bickered with but loved to pass her line to. Lord Dreamscape didn’t. A child in his own right, destined to never experience the joy and struggle of age, his line to be carried by a babe he loved more than anything.

It wasn’t fair.

Holding his hand up, Legetus stared at Alice, stared at her bright gaze, which didn’t understand or care about the thoughts running through his mind. With a shaking hand, the power given to him mobilised.

The doors opened before anything could happen. Stepping in, A Voice appeared, their face covered in the same black mask that they always wore. Staring blankly at him, unable to see, unable to speak, it stared, waiting. It didn’t move to stop him, nor did it encourage what was going to happen; it simply watched when it shouldn’t have been possible.

Gulping, Legetus turned back to Alice and saw her looking past him at the arrival, ready to jump up and pester it again. Taking deep breaths, his shaking hand lowered as he looked back at the voice, which gave a slow, single nod before walking off.