Part Seven, Kiddies. "Calling Out To Son".

[Ichi TK]

Yes, I know I still don't have parts 2-5 up. I'm on it. For now, please read through and give feedback. All spelling and grammar corrections apreciated as well (I'm like that)

Part VII - Calling Out To Son
The Father mourned the loss of his son Hayden. Not the death of his body, the loss of his soul. His right hand man had been corrupted, by a villianous witch who infiltrated their sacred home. His first son left his home without a word, and had the audacity to steal from him, who had raised him his entire life. The Father had the generosity and love for Hayden any parent would. This is why he did not have Hayden killed by his own brothers. No matter what Hayden had done, of what he was going to do, he was still his father's son, and he would be brought back.

Tristram lay out flat on the grass, Hayden doing the same next to her. They had been like this for an hour. Hayden jumped back into awareness with a start.
"Were you wounded?" he questioned, remembering why he found her in the first place.
Tristram turned her head to him and timidly nodded her head, "It's OK, though. I can go on."
It seemed that she was ok. The bleeding had stopped, at least.
"Can I see the wound?" Hayden asked.
Tristram shook her head, "It's gone."
Hayden was very confused at this. A wound which bled that heavily couldn't heal so quickly. Tristram saw his confusion, expected it, and answered his question before he asked it.
"My family recover quickly from injuries caused by magic."
Hayden was satisfied with this answer and continued to rest on the grass. Not for long, though, as he remembered the more pressing matter.
"Who was that man who tried to kill us?"
"Me." Tristram quickly barked, "Tried to kill me." She looked very upset, Hayden had no idea what to do, so he just did what Elena had done after she had awoken him. He held his hand out to his side closer to her, and reached his fingers out in her direction. She looked out at them, thought for a moment, then seized his hand with her own. She held it tightly, like she never wanted to let go.
"Thank you for saving me. Thank you."
Hayden was filled with a great sensation. His heart was warm, his fingertips were tingling, his body gained new strength. He was happy. He smiled. He felt wet on his hand, and jumped up.
"Are you bleeding again?" he asked, consumed suddenly with concern. Tristram looked up at him and he was what it was. She had tears streaming down her face and an expression between absolute joy and terrible despair, "Your... eyes..." he started, but was stopped when Tristram jumped up at him and hugged him around his waist.
"I'm so glad you came and helped me, but he'll come again, and he'll kill you. He kills everyone." She squeezed Hayden harder, "He'll kill me too, and because of me, everyone will die until I do."
"I will..." Hayden looked down at her face, at her eyes filled with fear and her quivering arms, her trembling legs, "... protect you."
She smiled again, and said quietly, "You can't. Suther will kill us both. We just have to run, he'll come again soon."
A quiet, haunting laugh came from behind Hayden, towards the hills.

"My sons." The Father commanded. The two of The Kindred who survived the battle with Hayden stepped forward from the shadows of their quarters and stood before their glorious father. "You have our possessions back?" His rapturous voice echoed throughout his great hall. The great heavy walls held a few torches, the only light sources. The stone room was dimly lit. It was dark and warm, empty but full of life.
"Yes, My Father." the first replied and took out a bag, in which they had the pedestal fragments Hayden took, as well his sword, which he was no longer permitted to carry since abandoning The Kindred. The son opened the bag and reached inside.
"No!" The Father commanded, "You may not touch his sword. Give me the bag." The son bowed his head, walked forward to his father and lay the bag at his feet, then backed away to his brother, who was also bowed.
"Is there anything else you require of us, dear father?" the second asked.
"No. Thank you both. You did well. Now, join the others, they are still mourning our murdered brothers. I will be with you shortly." The two brothers bowed lower and left the room, closing the magnificent oak door behind them and hurrying to their brothers. The Father opened the bag and reached inside. He took out Hayden's splendid, ornate sword and removed it from the hilt. It was a shortsword, perfectly sharp on both sides. The metal was immensely strong and would never bend nor break. The blossom patterns which decorated the length of the blade and the untarnished silver hilt showed that Hayden once took great pride in his "work".
"With such a great gift. Why, Hayden, why did you turn against me?" he looked up and down the sword once more. "Did I not show enough love for you? Were you not content here?" He carefully sheathed the sword again, "I love all my sons. I would not kill without need." The Father looked in the bag for the shards which Hayden had also taken. "I will not kill you Hayden. I lost you already in one way." The shards were wrapped in another cloth at the bottom of the bag, carefully wrapped. "Our possessions have been returned. There is no reason to kill my own son." He unwrapped the shards from their primitive packaging and gazed upon them. His heart was filled with rage.

The quiet, haunting laugh came from behind Hayden. This terrifying sound felt like an icicle to the heart for Tristram. Hayden did not fully recognise the owner from just his voice, and turned to see him. The elegant man had once again found Tristram.
"Did you not expect to see me so soon, my dear Tristram?"
"Suther... no." Tristram looked at him and quaked. She fell to her knees. She was so scared, she couldn't move at all. "What... what did you do with Seig?"
Hayden's ears pricked up "Seig? You know Seig?"
The elegant man ignored Hayden's comment and spoke, "He is dealt with. I was interested with what he had on his person, though. I wonder if you know anything about it."
"Seig saved me earlier. He fought Suther, and Suther is still here. Seig must have... no..." She felt great heat in her eyes again and welled up with tears.
"Seig..." Hayden thought back, and felt sad, "... Seig helped me, too. He was... my friend."
"Pay attention, you vermin." The elegant man held in his hand what he had taken from Seig. "I want to know what you know about these."
"Seig helped you? Are you the one from The Kindred who was there before me?"
Hayden was startled as someone other than Elena knew who he was, both Seig and Tristram know who he is, and now, this man as well.
The elegant man's point of attenetion had changed, now focused on Hayden. "Perhaps I should ask you instead then. What do you know about these?" He opened his hand. Hayden was filled with excitement and horror.

The Father's heart was filled with rage. The stones inside the cloth were cold, lifeless, pointless rocks.

The elegant man held in his hand the shards Hayden had taken, which he had then taken from Seig.

Hayden suddenly remembered it was Seig who was the one watching him the first time he came to in the cellar. He remembered what Seig said.
"These things you're carrying are trouble. All kind of evil are after them. You're obviously not strong enough to keep them on you. I have some strong buddies who can help here. I'll take them from here, 'kay?"

"I took these from that fool Seig as I finished him off. If he hadn't put up such a fight for the girl, I wouldn't have stayed and found them." The man looked very pleased with himself at the sight of Hayden's expression, which had now turned to unadulterated instinctual hate.
"Suther, is it?" Hayden begun, "You killed Seig. He was my friend. He helped me. He protected me. and you're trying to kill my new friend Tristram now. She helped me, too. I won't let you."
"Yes, I am Suther. I killed that brigand Seig, I stole these from him. I will kill that girl, too. And then I will kill you. You cannot stop me. I know who you are. Hayden, first son of The Father of The Kindred. Marauder of a hundred villages. Murderer of ten thousand people. The first to break free from that domineering Father, first to survive a battle with your vicious brothers, first to even get close to stealing from great relics from their sanctum. But I am Suther, betrayer of the Godhand clan. The strongest mage in all the world. The sole being in the universe who has the power of the gods. You cannot stand against me and win."

The brothers stood around the coffins holding their brothers Hayden killed. Every one with their heads bowed in solemn respect. The room was black and cold. The walled carved into the mountain, like the rest of the sanctum, were cold and unhearing. Footsteps were heard from the hallway outside. There was a great crash as the door was smashed down in fury.
"Step forward!" The Father shouted at the brothers who returned from the fight.
"Yes, my father." They each replied and did so.
The Father glared at each of them. He held out his hand holding the decoy shards they took from Hayden after the fight. "Tell me, my son, what you see here."
"Stones, father." answered one.
"Yes, father." the other.
"Do you not, then, see our shards of the pedestal which were stolen from us? What your deceased brothers IN THIS VERY ROOM died to retrieve."
"No father." They answered in unison.
"Well that is what you should see!" He threw the stones at the son's faces with his great strength, cutting them. They did not flinch, keeping in mind the punishment they would receive for showing weakness and doing so. The brothers all stood in silence, awaiting their father's next words. There was a terrible silence in the room. The Father thought to himself. Consumed by his fury at Hayden's deception, as well as his committing betrayal and murder of his brothers, he gave his orders.
"Find Hayden. Bring back everything he has on him."
"Yes, father." The voices rang out and echoed excessively around the room.
"If you have to kill him, kill him. He would do the same to us."
The hundred or so brothers left the room in silence, heading to their armoury. The army of determined brothers went out in search of Hayden.