Prologue’s End

Part 1

“Father!!” Franklin woke up screaming in a hospital bed.

“Ah, you’re finally awake.” Purple says to him, while sitting in the bed beside.

“What happened? Where am i?” Franklin asks.

“You’ve been out for three days,” Purple says, rolling up the sleeve of his hospital gown, “It was quite an impressive list.”

“What are you doing?”

“I wrote it all down,” Purple replied, “let’s see, a lot of ribs broken, your left lung was punctured by one of the ribs, you had a hole in your arm, and a number of small injuries, from bruises to cuts.”

“You forgot the concussion.” Orim’s voice came from the bed on the opposite side of Franklin.

“Orim?” Franklin asked, surprised.

“Why are you here?”

“Our friend there broke my arm when he pulled us out.” Orim pointed with the cast on his arm toward Purple.

“Sorry, but it was that or letting you three die.”

“Don’t worry, i’m not mad, it’s just pain, which as far as i’m concerned, is better than being dead.” Orim reassured Purple.

The mention of that word reminded Franklin of why he woke up so suddenly.

“You said it’s been three days, what happened to my father?”

“About that...” Purple replied.

Part 2

“the wispshapers arrived and arrested the four of us.” Dix explained, they walked side by side, she was using a crutch to support her left leg, “They would have killed us right there for destroying the canton, but the workers protected us.”

“So they brought us here.” Franklin interjected.

“Yes, but before that, i managed to hide the documents i found in the canton in a safe place,” Dix explained, “we were prisoners at first, but the news of what you did in spreaded quickly, then your brother came. He convinced me and Orim to give him the location of the documents... sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, at least we are not wanted criminals anymore.” Franklin said with a smile.

“But, we could have found another way, maybe if i had told the wispshapers about it.”

“You did what you thought was right, and did it with the right intentions, that’s what counts the most” Franklin said.

“Still, i should’ve foreseen that, based on what he did before, the only reason you are alive is because he could not reasonably spin the story in a way that you would also be blamed.”

Part 3

Gyles Dawnlight, the new head of the family, was retiring to his room, the illusory sky displayed a large full moon that released a gentle light on the things below.

“It’s been a few days hasn’t it, brother” Franklin said, as soon as Gyles entered the room.

The new head of the Dawnlight family spun in surprise.

“Don’t worry, i’m not here to kill you.” Franklin said, “i’m just here to talk.”

Gyles offered no reply, Franklin continued.

“If you don’t talk, it will be very difficult to get the answers i want.”

Franklin’s younger brother took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Very well, ask away.” Gyles said.

“Why did you do that?”

“That what?”

“You know what i’m talking about.” Franklin said, in serious annoyance.

“I did a lot of things in the last few days, you’ll have to be more specific.”

Franklin walked closer, his brother seeming to shrink with his approach.

“I said i’m not here to kill you, but i’m seriously having second thoughts right now. Why did you change the content of the documents so that father would be blamed alongside Lord Alard?”

Gyles recomposed himself, a spark of determination flared in his eyes.

“Honestly,” he began to explain, “i’m much more suited to lead our house, if it wasn’t for me, our household would have fallen on the first day, i kept it all together. Father was a good man, better than i am , but he did not know how to play the game, he was unprepared for such attacks.”

“And so you decided the best course of action was to leave him to die by the hands of those who plotted against our family?” Franklin asked.

“Did you know father did not have spies? He was completely clueless of the plot, that was the reason they were able to strike against us with such force and speed. He was a good man, but our family doesn’t need a good man, it needs someone that can make hard choices when the need arises.”

“Got it, in the end you were just like Lord Alard, but your hunger is for a different kind of power.” Franklin said, turning his back to leave, “i guess that’s all i had to say to you.”

“Wait,” Gyles called, “join me.”

Franklin turned back, the moonlight illuminating the incredulous look in his eyes.

“Why would i do that?”

“Give me the gravity spirit back, i know you have it, that’s the only way you could have defeated Lord Alard. If i have the spirit and you by my side, our family will become one of the most powerful in all of Lotian once again.”

“You used our father as an escape goat and now you want to use me to gain even more power. You are really roten aren’t you?” Franklin said.

“That spirit belongs to me.” Gyles said in response.

“No! That spirit is to be kept by the Dawnlight family, as far as i know, i’m still your brother. The spirit chose me, and i will not lend it to someone as power hungry as you.”

“I will not allow you to keep it.” Gyles threatened Franklin.

“You know what?” a thin smile appeared in Franklin’s mouth, “Lord Alard asked me why i was fighting so hard, i never had the chance to tell him, but i will tell you. It was because of you.”

“Me?” Gyles repeated, puzzled look on his face.

“Yes, when you abandoned me and father to take the blame for brownstone keep, i could not stop thinking how satisfying it would be to look at your face with you knowing that i saved our family. The spirit stays with me.”

Franklin left through the window and disappeared into the night.

Part 4

Where to now, master Franklin?

Back to my companions;

Franklin walked through the hallway, the sword he stole from his family estate, until he saw Dix in the distance, together with her, Orim and Purple were also waiting, she turned towards him.

“What now?” Dix asked.

“Don’t know, i guess we will figure it out as we go.” Franklin answered.

“Why not go back to your family?” Orim asked.

“I never had any interest in ruling, my brother is more suited to it, as much as it pains me to admit it, besides that, i don’t know if we could investigate what’s happening if we are arguing over trade deals all day” Franklin said, then sighed, “I won’t be able to sleep well until i find out how something as powerful as that was able to slip inside of Lotian.”

He looked to the window that showed the outside world.

“Aren’t you worried he will try to do something against you?” Orim asked.

“My current reputation will keep us safe from him for a while, we’ll figure something out until then.” Franklin said absentmindedly.

“Do you know where to start asking about that thing?” Purple questioned.

“Ardyn said it isn’t dead, it ran away before it drew the full attention of the gods. My older sister might know something, she left the family a few years ago to pursue her studies.” Franklin replied, “Unfortunately, i don’t know where she is right now.”

“So we are piss poor,” Purple said, “homeless, and with no leads to pursue?”

“We can use my shop, it’s still mine after all. If you all don’t mind sleeping in a house with no doors.” Orim suggested.

“Sounds a lot like how we started all of this.” Dix said.

“That’s not true, different from then, now i have a nice pair of boots.”