My father cut from my body the mark that linked us. Though I felt anger and hate towards my father, I found it weird that a lump had formed in my throat and tears stung the back of my eyes. I hated myfather.
“What? What you do mean temporarily?” Iasked.
“The mark of Mortas from your neck. It will grow back, River. Your father is not yet aware of your body’s capabilities. The mark will regenerate,” Derwin said withconfidence.
I turned my head forward slightly and saw that Derwin was kneeling next to Merc. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched Derwin rub some sort of thick concoction over Merc’s back. Merc was also lying on his stomach and groaned or grunted here and there. I moved closer and sat on my heels while I gazed in shock at Merc’s back. Was this from being whipped? This was myfault.
“Merc, what happened?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure that Iknew.
“Lashings,” Derwin said under his breath while he concentrated on Merc’sback.
Merc’s back was torn open in several places. The edges of the open wounds were white, and the centers of the wounds were a mix of red and pink. It looked incredibly painful. Merc was my only friend, and this happened to him because I did not heed his warnings. I feltterrible.
“I am sorry, Merc. Please do not hate me. You are my only friend,” Imurmured.
“It is not your fault, River. You just did not know what kind of animals they are. I learned the hard way, too, when I was younger. I might have been close to your age,” Merc coughed as hemumbled.
“Derwin, my father said if he could, he would kill me. Do you know what he meant by that? Why could he not killme?”
“It is written in the stars and the whispers in the trees, that you will help your father one day. You will help your father one day in a way that is unknown right now but will be of great use to him. Your impact will be profound, and felt by many,” Derwinexplained.
“What?” I voiced myconfusion.
“Your father knows that he cannot kill you because then he would be altering the prophecy that you will help him,” Derwin furtherexplained.
“Lochlaan kept you alive because he is going to use you, River,” Mercadded.
“No,” I said and shook my head slowly. “I will never helphim!”
I vowed then and there to never help him. I would make it my personal goal to try to undo the evil and pain that hecauses.
290 YearsLater
I pulled the flimsy cloak further over my head as I sat against an outside wall of a pub in Stonewald. The man who owned the pub always sent out some barmaids to announce when Lochlaan and Carpe Noctem were to return. I had heard rumors for a long while now that Lochlaan and the Carpe Noctem were preparing for this night for a long time. Details were slim to anyone outside of the Carpe Noctem clan, but even the strongest groups have a loosemouth.
I stared at the cobblestone between my feet as I drifted in and out from daydreaming and tried to figure out where Lochlaan had gone. While I thought, three forest chips were tossed at me from a passerby. It was not uncommon for me to collect forest chips or bread while I lurked around outside of thepub.
No one recognized me as a spawn of Lochlaan Mortas, which suited me just fine. He certainly made no point to ever mention me or of my existence. I let my hair grow out just long enough to always keep the mark of Mortas covered. I wanted no claim tohim.
I looked up in the direction of some commotion that broke out close to the entrance. Two women and a disgusting drunk stumbled out of the pub. They were laughing and groping one another and began walking in mydirection.
“Come on, ladies, let us get a quick fuck in before Carpe Noctem return,” the drunk laughed hysterically and slapped the asses of the twowomen.
The three stumbled around me and into the dark alley behind thepub.
“I know a secret,” the drunkslurred.
“Tell us,” one of the womenbegged.
The repulsive man started to laugh hysterically again. The women screeched as the man lost his footing and tumbled over some wooden crates and fell to the ground. More laughter erupted fromhim.
“Tell us the secret,” the woman coaxedagain.
“Carpe Noctem,” he started but was overtaken by laughter again. “Carpe has gone to kill theking!”
Laughter echoed in the alley, and I rolled my eyes. What an idiot. There is not a king around these parts. The closet kingdom that I knew of was the Kingdom of Darick in Drishane, and it was notclose.
“What king, sweetheart?” one of the ladies asked amid all of thelaughter.
