Shadows of a Broken Past: A Shard of Faith (Book one)

Chapter 2:

After Galaxya spoke, a dead silence fell over the emperors, who looked at each other in pure confusion. 

"Um...." Joey said, looking at Scott, the parrot-winged man wearing many extra layers to keep warm, as Rivendell was frigid compared to his usual humid jungle. "Who's Xornoth?"

Scott looked at him and sighed. "Everyone sit down. This is a long story." Everyone did, some of them more curious than others. 

Pixl seemed to be the only one who had an idea of what was going on, and he was shaking his head, readjusting his copper crown. 

"So?" Lizzie prompted, the Ocean Queen's blue eyes curious. 

"Xornoth is my brother. And he's-" Scott was cut off by Pix. 

"The champion of Exor, correct?" The desert-native said. "Sorry for the interruption. But he is, isn't he? And you the champion of Aeor?" 

"Yes." Scott confirmed. "He is."

Pixl nodded and sat back in his seat. "I know of this story." He murmured, adjusting his thickly padded coat. He too was not used to the cold climate of Rivendell, and despite them being indoors with the heating on, he wore a long coat with fur lining. His eyes were sombre.

Scott nodded before continuing. "When I was thirteen, about nine or ten years ago, my father and aunt had a duel in the dead of night in our throne room."

"What throne room?" Joel demanded. "You live in a manor, Scott!"

Scott sighed and stood. "Come with me." He said, gesturing for them to follow. They did as he asked and Pearl stepped up beside Sausage, her wing sliding around him protectively as she fastened her cloak around her shoulder with the other. 

They went outside and Scott led them up the ridge behind his spacious home. Pearl looked back towards Joey, her half-brother, who was walking along the path with a wary look. She sighed and turned back, wondering what had her sibling so on edge, soon stopping as Scott did. 

"See the ruins here?" Scott asked, gesturing to the remains of a once-great castle. "This was my home." He pointed at a small stone structure amidst the fallen and crumbling walls. "That's where the Council gathers. We do most of our training here. 

"It's been the victim of many years of magic practice, scavenging, a fire and two earthquakes. As you can see, the shell is still here, but the most of the inside is collapsing." 

Pearl gazed at the grand palace. "It's amazing." She breathed. 

"Anyhow, this is where my aunt and father had a duel. They fought to the death and killed each other. That day, me and Xornoth, my twin brother, got given the magical abilities of the Great Stags. But that night, Xornoth changed. He became a creature of darkness." Scott said, stepping forward and crouching, putting a hand on a half-destroyed wall. 

"He became a demon."

Shelby gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. Katherine glanced at her, sitting astride her smoky-black wolf, Shadow, but the half-cat said nothing. 

"He killed out mother that night. And about a third of the Rivendell population." Scott said, and his snowy-white wings shook before he stood and faced them again, tears in his eyes. "He disappeared that night. I never saw him again. So how did a part of his antlers get on Shelby?"

All eyes went to the gnome, who looked down and ran her hand along her wolf's fur. 

"Shrub?" Gem pressed. 

Shelby looked up. "I think I know." She said in a barely audible whisper. "But I don't think it is."

Gem sighed, looking up at the now setting sun. "I'm sorry, I have to survey a nighttime test for my advanced students." She said, massaging her temples. "May we continue this another day?"