The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Four: Plan of Action

Kei slumped onto the couch, as his legs gave out. His body was bruised and he was exhausted from the fight. Today had definitely been the most challenging one yet. Kei heard the door opens and peaked under his arm which he had placed over his eyes. He saw Hywen walk through the door and relaxed. Coming over to Kei, Hywen clapped him on the stomach, causing Kei to grunt. That had been where Brassly had landed his biggest hit. Though the rapier had taken the brunt of the attack but still it hurt.

"Tough fight today?" Inquired Hywen as he glanced at the bloodstains on Kei's shirts, taking in how he was almost passed out on the couch.

Kei laughed. "He was the toughest so far. He was from the Fileatte, huge axe."

"Nice." Hywen grinned, putting on a childish smile. All of his facial expression looked stupid since his body was so huge and muscular that when he acted like a kid, just didn't fit. Kei laughed at the grin, and after a moment, Hywen also laughed. They were still laughing when the door opened again. Hywen tried to hide Kei with a blanket but it was too late. They had come.

"Kei what happened to you," cried Maria rushing over to cradle Kei in her arms, patting his head and rocking him. As the wife of a blacksmith she was extremely pretty and slim, but her worried hug was more like a chokehold. Hywen tried to come to Kei's aid, but Cyreen, Hywen's younger sister, was already yelling at him. Even if he had managed to help, Kei doubted a goddess could get him out of this vice like grip.

"Why did you let him get into another fight? You know how mom gets. Wait 'till dad sees this! He's going to being royally pissed!" She looked just about ready to tear her hair out. Although the irony of the term, 'royally pissed' was not lost on Kei, considering how he had just beat one of 'Prince' Ghunyan's men. Not to forget that he was a prince.

"We know you have a little girl crush on Kei, but lay off," retorted Hywen. Cyreen swirled around and slapped him in the face, hard. Even though she was two years younger than Kei and Hywen she packed a punch. Or a slap.

Maria was weeping, Cyreen was screaming, Hywen was rubbing his cheek, and Kei was just about ready to pass out. Then a large man came walking into the room, his bulking muscles screamed authority, but his gentle face relaxed all those who could see. Zale, the father of Cyreen and Hywen, the husband of Maria, and probably the only person in the entire world that Kei admired. All activity in the room came to a halt, and he began to speak.

"What's all the fuss about?" Zale stroked his beard, surveying each person. "Got into another little scrap, didn't you Kei?"

Kei nodded, but did not lower his gaze. Since this was the man that Kei admired, he would not hide anything, but he also would not let himself be overcome with admiration. "This time it was personal." Zale's gaze went over to Hywen and he gave one of his all knowing looks

"He was from Fileatte," added Hywen, still covering his cheek and glaring at Cyreen.

Maria piped in, "That's actually why we came back so early." She was now gently applying medicine to Kei's cuts and tending to his bruises. "There is a noble from the Fileatte, searching for an 18 year old boy named Kei." Everyone looked at Kei and he shrugged.

"They say that her name is Lady Xavier. Ring any bells Kei?" Cyreen asked quietly, she was treating Hywen's wounds, which were much less than Kei's but still at risk of infection. Although she was having quite a bit of trouble since Hywen kept trying to push her away, refusing to let her near his cheek.

Kei shook his head. Paused. And then nodded. "I seem to remember hearing that name. Or I may have said it..."

"Why would you have been speaking to a noble?" Cyreen inquired. Kei shrugged his shoulders, again. Although he did trust these people with his life, he hadn't told them about him being a prince of Fileatte, only that he had been born there. He was afraid that they would be scared or worse, angry, at him and kick him out. Though he had found it in himself to trust Hywen with the secret.

Hywen had thought it cool at the time, but now they had to be aware that at anytime there could be a time where someone else recognized Kei. With his eye patch and his unnatural pitch-black hair, it was obvious that he wasn't from around here.

"No idea," said Kei, with a slight slide glance to Hywen. Which he noticed Zale caught, rising on of his bushy eyebrows.

"So let me get this straight." Cyreen looked at her mom and then sighed. "There is a noble from the Fileatte and she's looking for a boy the same age and with the same name as Kei. Also with her is a scary looking man, all bloodied and whatnot. And while they were looking for him, Kei just beat him up." She finished summerizing with a look at Kei. He looked back at her for a second before Hywen laughed.

"Way to state the obvious, sis. But what are we gonna do if they're actually looking for Kei?"

Before anyone could answer Kei struggled and sat up. "First things first. I gotta see her."

"You're going to try to talk to a noble? Of Fileatte?" Maria cried, falling backwards. Kei went to catch her but Zale was already there.

"I agree with Kei." When Zale said something you didn't argue. "Hywen go with him." Everyone nodded in consent except for Maria who had just passed out.

Kei turned around and ran out the door, Hywen right behind him. Whether or not this turned into some sort of fight was up to them. And if Kei knew anything about himself or Hywen, it was that this was going to turn dangerous no matter what they did.

They ran until they spotted a huge crowd. They were all completely silent. A couple hundred people and not a sound could be heard. It was as if the Gods and Goddesses of the Cursed Eyes had taken away the noise of the entire world.

"Kei, look." Kei directed his eyes to where Hywen was pointing. A young girl rode in a carriage looking out into the crowd. Her gaze did not waver and her features were stone, even though the rejection of all the people was obvious. She had light blue hair and when tried to look at her eyes, he knew the color even before he saw them. A light yellow color, reminding Kei of the sun. A memory tugged at his mind, but he was still unable to place his finger on it.

He soon lost track of Hywen but he continued to travel down the line, following the noble until he saw her house. A huge mansion of many colors, but was mostly dominated by pink and purple. Kei covered his laugh with a cough, momentarily breaking the silence. People turned to convey looks of surprise and astonishment towards him, but he wasn't there anymore. Kei had already turned around, his first objective complete.

On his way back to Hywen he memorized each twist and turn to get to the mansion from the place that he had left Hywen.

When Kei spotted Hywen, he had only strayed a little from the place Kei had ditched him, laying down on a bench against the wall. Kei hurried over to him and roughly nudged him with his foot. "Hywen, get up."

Hywen blinked a couple times before getting to his feet and stretching. "Thanks for ditching me." His voice was soaked in sarcasm. "Why are you smiling like that? It's making me uncomfortable."

At Hywen's words, Kei put his fingers to his face and was surprised to find that a large smile was indeed on his face. Though when he thought about it, it wasn't actually that surprising. Kei grinned even further when his suicidal plan resurfaced in his mind.

"Get ready, Hywen." Kei covered his eye patch when a sudden pin prick of pain entered his eye He winced and pushed it to the furthest corner of his mind. Pain was secondary. They were just about to have some fun. Kei grinned like a madman. "We break into her house at midnight."