Chapter 12
Weeks went by as Kaiden and Gabriel worked on figuring out what they could and could not do. Kaiden was strong but Gabriel was stronger, it seemed Kaiden had been given all of Gabriel's strengths and healing abilities but he couldn’t read the writing on the staff, indicating he hadn’t been given the wisdom Gabriel had, although Gabriel was sure he didn’t feel any wiser.
Basing themselves out of their original camp by the beach, the two brothers spent most of their time hunting and sitting by the beach. Both of them needed the rest, they were both physically fit and healthy but the mental toll they had endured in both what had happened in their hut and what was happening to them was catching them.
It was a relief to both of them to know that they could live off the blood of the animals but it didn’t fill them the way they wanted. They craved more and as the days passed, they ended up with more food than they would need to last two winters. They couldn't keep the food since it would never keep that long, so most it went to waste or to the scavengers that followed them.
“We can’t keep doing this” Gabriel sighed, as they sat on the beach watching the sun go down, his eyes fixed on the waves.
“I don’t know about that, the sunset is pretty impressive” Kaiden said, not taking his eyes off the array of warm colours sprayed across the sky.
“I can’t keep killing everything I eat” Gabriel said, glancing at Kaiden. “We will never be able to live amongst other people if we can’t control ourselves. Which means we could never find a woman.”
"Then what do you propose we do?” Kaiden asked, knowing Gabriel was right even though he was enjoying his freedom.
“We need to learn to keep the animals alive and I know it’s going to be hard but it will be worth it” Gabriel answered, knowing that he wasn’t going to find a girl to love if he couldn’t go anywhere near people or trust that he didn’t kill her the moment he smelt her. “You do want to find a woman, don’t you?”
"Of course" Kaiden responded, it was what he had always wanted and what had gotten them into the current situation, not that he wasn’t enjoying his new found strength.
“And you don’t want to kill her do you?” Gabriel questioned, knowing the answer.
“No” Kaiden sighed, glancing at Gabriel.
"Then tonight when we hunt, think of the most beautiful woman and how much you want to protect her, even from yourself” Gabriel suggested, hoping that it would work for himself as well.
“Fine but I make no promises, I can barely control myself just thinking about it” Kaiden said, pushing himself up. “Let’s go, I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry” Gabriel laughed, getting up.
The two then headed off into the bush and started hunting. For them hunting was getting more and more easy but after hunting for hours, neither of them could control themselves enough to preserve the life they drank from and Gabriel knew he had to come up with a better plan.
By the time the sun came up, both men found themselves relaxing on the beach again. They had barely accomplished anything they had set out to do and were both frustrated by this fact.
The next night they hunted again but this time Gabriel waited while Kaiden ate, knowing Kaiden could never wait until he had his fill. Kaiden’s hunger had far too much control over him and he Gabriel knew that he was never going to accomplish anything until Kaiden had a clear mind.
As he watched his brother eat, Gabriel concentrated on the animal and tried to figure out when Kaiden had taken it to the point of no return. He then carefully watched Kaiden feed from another animal and when he knew the animal couldn’t handle anymore, Gabriel pulled Kaiden away. Gabriel continued this routine until Kaiden had eaten his fill before he explained to Kaiden what to do. They then focused on Gabriel and by morning, they were both able to preserve the life they were taking from.
It took several nights before they trusted themselves to head out hunting on their own. They knew that there would be times when they were not be together and they both knew that they needed to trust themselves more than anything.
By the time the cold winters air settled in, both men were able to control themselves while they ate alone. Gabriel however, wasn’t sure if they were ready to even start thinking about seeking out other people, there was still too much doubt in his mind to handle the temptation. Although, it was the memory of Ava and the seer that held him back most.
“I want to check those caves out” Gabriel said, watching as Kaiden cooked some fish. While they still ate normal foods to give their bodies an extra boost, they mostly did it to feel normal and for the taste, not that they felt normal anymore.
“What’s up there?” Kaiden asked, flipping the fish over.
“There were some markings I want to take a look at” Gabriel answered, recalling the arch covered in markings and now that he was able to recognize the meanings of the symbols, he wanted to see if could read the markings on the arch and hopefully understand what it was for.
“Okay, when do you want to go?” Kaiden asked, looking quite content to just sit there and cook fish on the beach for the rest of his life.
“Perhaps after our hunt tonight” Gabriel suggested, knowing that would help to keep his mind clear enough to focus.
“Well I'm going to have to cancel some of my plans but I guess I can fit you in” Kaiden joked, unable to keep a straight face.
“Well I'd hate to interfere with anything important” Gabriel laughed, loving his brother's relaxed nature..
As the two men sat on the beach eating fish and discussing their hunting plans, Gabriel hoped that he could give Kaiden a better life. While they had planned on leaving anyway, they both still had to give up a lot and the thought that they could never return saddened Gabriel. The family they knew was no more and mostly likely either wanted them dead for what had happened or thought they were dead.
Once the day turned to night, Gabriel grabbed the staff before they set out for their evening hunt. Most of the diurnal creatures had settled in for the night, making them easy pickings and just to continue to fine tune their skills, they chased after a few nocturnal creatures as well.
In the hours before the sun came up the brothers headed up into the mountains. The cold breeze furiously whipped around them but neither of them felt cold, in fact the snow now covering the higher elevations didn’t seem to bother them either.
As the sun started to splash light across the mountains, Gabriel and Kaiden made their way inside the cave that Gabriel had seen the arch in. This time their eyes didn’t need to adjust but the roof was still covered in glow worms and the ground was still a shallow pool of clear water reflecting the dim light the glow worms provided.
Taking a quick look around, Gabriel then lead Kaiden to the back of the cave, there were no markings on the walls leading to the arch, just mineral formations. Gabriel was hoping he would find more markings because the more information he had the better, although he wasn’t sure what the arch was for and thus wasn't sure what information he would be searching for either.
“Wow, what is that?” Kaiden gasped, as they rounded the bend in the tunnel.
“Hopefully I can figure that out” Gabriel said, as he approached the arch, looking it over as he went.
“Is it going to lead to more trouble?” Kaiden asked, as he tentatively walked toward the arch to get a better look.
“I hope it will be the opposite” Gabriel sighed, glancing at Kaiden. “I found the staff in the caves above this one and it hasn’t caused any trouble, Sabiha managed that all on her own.”
“True” Kaiden responded, watching Gabriel place the staff against the wall. “I wonder if I could lift that staff now?”
Stepping away from the staff, Gabriel signalled for Kaiden to have a go and laughed when Kaiden couldn’t even lift it at all. He then watched as Kaiden put everything he had into trying to lift it and laughed even harder when nothing happened. It was obviously only meant for him and him alone.
; “I don’t think it likes you” Gabriel chuckled.
“If I would have gone to find it, you wouldn’t be able to lift it” Kaiden pointed out, smirking at his brother.
“I’m glad you didn’t, there are just somethings none of us should have to go through” Gabriel sighed, remembering the murmurings and how the prison made his skin crawl.
Not sure what to say, Kaiden frowned at the staff before leaning against the wall. He knew he had received the better end of the deal, he had Gabriel's strength and hunting abilities, without having to go through what Gabriel had with Sabiha. Although, Sabiha seemed to have tricked Gabriel into helping her, he still felt sorry for her, she had gone through all of that for love, only to have it torn from her. It was a heartbreak Kaiden hoped he would never have to endure.
Ignoring the fact that Kaiden was watching his every move, Gabriel started to look the arch over. He was relieved to be able to read every symbol on the arch, which told a story of their lands and it’s connection to an infinite number of realms but nothing was mentioned about how it worked.
“So what’s it say?” Kaiden asked, as Gabriel stepped back from the arch and sighed.
“It says that these lands were created by the gods of earth, air, fire and water for their children but not all their children got along” Gabriel answered, still deep in thought about what it all meant. “So the gods created an infinite number of realms to satisfy their children and connected these realms with doorways so that once their bitterness died, they could be together again.”
“So this must be a door” Kaiden deduced, looking at Gabriel as if he still wasn’t sure.
“Yes but there is nothing here to suggest how it works” Gabriel sighed, staring at the arch. “But if it was created by the gods, then perhaps that’s our clue.”
“Do you really want to open a door to an unknown place?” Kaiden questioned, not wanting to run into an unhappy god.
"Kaiden, I don’t think we can stay here, if they find us they will try and kill us” Gabriel sighed, imagining Tiria leading a party of hunters with the intent to kill them.
“I’d like to see them try” Kaiden scoffed, knowing they were stronger and faster than any man they knew, even Tiria.
"I couldn’t forgive myself if I hurt anyone else” Gabriel told Kaiden, knowing how hard it was to deal with what had happened in their hut. “A fresh start might be nice.”
“Okay what do you need?” Kaiden asked, with a weak smile. He knew deep down that Gabriel was right but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to give up their home lands, especially if they couldn’t return, which was a possibility.
“We have water and wind, so we probably need fire and air” Gabriel answered, looking at the symbols and remembering how he had retrieved the staff. “So we should probably go and get some supplies.”
“Why don't we get what we need and come back tomorrow, I'm starting to think I need to get some sleep” Kaiden said, sounding weary. “Neither of us have slept since this happened and I'm sure we need to.”
Gabriel looked at Kaiden and nodded, he was was right, they hadn't slept and the fact that he had be able to take a nap the night Ava and the seer died, suggested that they probably needed it. As Gabriel thought about it, he realized he could do with a few hours of sleep as well and figured it might be what he needed to help him figure out how to activate the arch.
Grabbing the staff, Gabriel followed Kaiden out of the cave wondering what else they might need. It was obvious they didn't need much sleep but what they did need scared the hell out of Gabriel. It was dangerous and he would gladly give it all up if it meant he didn’t need or want blood so much.
Looking at Kaiden, Gabriel knew he would give him anything and while he knew Kaiden was enjoying the strengths, Gabriel would never have wanted this for him. Kaiden seemed to be himself but Gabriel could see there were small differences in him, that only someone who knew him well would see. From the way he held himself to the look in his eyes, despite the fact that their eyes turned red when they ate, there was something different, he just couldn’t put his finger on what.
“Kaiden, I’m sorry for all the trouble I have caused you” Gabriel said, as they entered their beachside hut. “You deserve better and I’m going to do everything in my power to make things better, maybe even revise what I have done to you.”
“Gabriel I’ve never been happier” Kaiden said, smiling at his brother appreciating the sentiment but he really was happier. “I’ve never felt so free, no one can tell us how to live our lives and I can’t believe how blind I was too it before we left. In truth, with the exception of Ava and the seer, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“I’m glad you're seeing the brighter side of this” Gabriel said, returning Kaiden’s smile. “I don’t think I could have gotten through this on my own, I’d be a mess without you.”
“I don’t know if I could have handled this on my own either, so let's just make sure we’re always there for each other” Kaiden promised, making himself comfortable.
“Always” Gabriel agreed, as he closed his now heavy eyes.
It wasn't long before the two fell asleep, the sound of the ocean and cool breeze making it easy for them, regardless of the fact that the sun was shining brightly in the blue sky.
Hours passed as Kaiden and Gabriel slept the day away, and by the time they woke, the stars had dotted the dark sky, making them both wonder how long they had actually slept for. They both felt revived and more mentally aware, making them feel stronger, even thought neither of them were sure if they had slept for hours or days.
“How long did we sleep?” Kaiden asked, as they walked out onto the beach.
“Does it matter?” Gabriel questioned, grabbing the staff as he followed Kaiden out of the hut.
“I guess not” Kaiden sighed, knowing Gabriel was right. It didn’t matter how long they slept, no one was relying on them and in fact it didn’t matter what they did, they only had each other worry about and both men knew the other well enough to know each other's needs. “Well I guess we’d better start collecting what we need for that arch of yours.”
“Don’t you want to eat first?” Gabriel asked, looking out at the ocean and wondering if he was ever going to dream of the girl in the waves again. He couldn’t remember dreaming at all as he slept and prayed that Sabiha hadn’t taken that away from him.
“No, let’s go and check out your arch” Kaiden answered, knowing food could wait, he wasn’t feeling that hungry anyway and was quite surprised by that.
“You sure?” Gabriel questioned, not sure if he was believing his own ears, Kaiden was always hungry.
“Yeah, I’m curious about what it does” Kaiden said, not sure if he really wanted to know what the arch did but he wanted to support Gabriel.
“Okay” Gabriel said, nodding at Kaiden. “Then let's go.”
After collecting everything they needed, the two brothers headed up to the cave and both stood in front of the arch. While Kaiden stared blankly at it, Gabriel read over everything repeatedly but the only thing that seemed to stand out to him were the symbols for air, water, fire and earth.
Not sure what else to do, Gabriel elevated himself up onto his toes and started blowing on the wind symbol. When nothing happened, he started blowing his way around the arch and before long, Kaiden joined him.
After blowing on every surface on and around arch, Gabriel and Kaiden stood back and stared at the arch again. Gabriel was confused that it didn’t work, especially since that was what worked when he retrieved the staff.
“Damn it” Gabriel growled, frowning at the arch. “I need more information.”
“Maybe we should try the water” Kaiden suggested, looking down at the water covering their feet.
Nodding, Gabriel grabbed the staff and used it to pick up the water. The water floated in front of the arch for a moment, not only impressing Kaiden but causing him to gasp at the sight as well.
"I can’t say I’m not impressed” Kaiden said, me
smerized by the water.
Glancing at Kaiden with a smile, Gabriel held the water steady for a moment before he pushed the water at the arch. The water splashed over the arch and fell around it like a waterfall, moving water around the space without effort.
As Gabriel pulled the water up again, he turned his head to look at the wall of water and he noticed some symbols on the ground. Throwing the water at the arch again, Gabriel groaned in frustration and internally scolded himself. He had looked for answers everywhere except beneath his feet and now felt stupid for not looking down.
“Nothing happened” Kaiden complained, frowning at the dripping wet arch.
“No but look down” Gabriel said, as he used his staff to lift the water from the ground.
Kaiden looked down and immediately gasped. While he couldn’t read any of it, he knew Gabriel could and would probably give him the answers he was looking for.
“What does it say?” Kaiden asked, looking from the ground to Gabriel, who looked like he knew something.
“The symbols not only tell a story but they also double up as keys” Gabriel answered, dropping the water as he stepped toward the arch. “All we have to do is touch the symbols in a specific order, depending on where we want to go and according to the floor, the arch will take us to those coordinates.”
“And if we want to come back?” Kaiden questioned, wanting to make sure they could come back if they had to.
“These symbols represent our current location” Gabriel answered, pointing out some symbols written on the ground between the pillars making up the arch. “All we have to do is remember those symbols in that specific order and we can come back anytime.”
“Okay so where are we going?” Kaiden asked, knowing Gabriel was going to want to use the arch.
“I don’t know, I was thinking we use the symbols for here except change the last symbol” Gabriel suggested, staring at the symbols that would get them home, trying to commit them to memory. “At least that way it will be easier to remember where we came from, assuming these symbols are written somewhere on the other side.”
“Okay but let’s both commit those symbols to memory before we leave” Kaiden said nervously, as he looked down at the symbols.
“Well let me know when you’re ready” Gabriel said, taking a step back to give Kaiden room.
After staring at the symbols for quite some time, Kaiden took a step back and nodded at Gabriel. Gabriel then smiled at Kaiden before moving three stones above the arch, ensuring he pressed them in the order he read about in the floor.
“What the heck are they?” Kaiden asked, looking at the three stones curiously.
“You can’t have just anyone using this thing, it needs a key” Gabriel answered, not taking his eyes off the stones. “This protects the other realms, although I'm not sure how secure this is since it looks like we’re going to use it.”
Once Gabriel was finished with the stones, he then started pressing his hand to the symbols, ensuring to keep them in the specific order for their home realm, with just one change. As he pressed his hand to the last symbol, the arch started to gently glow a light blue colour, similar to the glow worms on the roof above them.
As Gabriel stood back to look at the extraordinary sight before him, he began to wonder if he could leave their home realm. He had no idea what was on the other side and the more he thought about it the more he started to wonder if he could risk taking them both into a dangerous situation. He didn’t care what they were leaving behind, which was nothing to him but he would never forgive himself if something happened to Kaiden.
Noticing that Gabriel was struggling with the decision of whether or not to walk through the now fluid looking wall behind the arch, Kaiden placed his hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. He knew if Gabriel didn’t go in, they would probably come back every day and stand there staring at the arch until he finally worked up the courage.
“What are you waiting for?” Kaiden asked, knowing the answer.
“What if we are walking straight into a dangerous situation?” Gabriel breathed, not taking his eyes off the arch.
“Well let’s find out” Kaiden said, smiling at Gabriel and when Gabriel didn’t move, Kaiden pushed him through the door to another realm and watched him disappear. He then took at deep breath to gather some courage and went in after him.