Opening his eyes, Lukas winced at the bright colors. The Magic he'd done to his eyes allowed them to see the energies around people, to trace where they had been, but his brothers' energies were so strong and so entwined that it was hard to tell where Matthew's auburn trail began and ended. Squeezing his eyes shut, Lukas slid off the bed, feeling his way to the door.
“Lukas?”
“Do you know where Matt is?”
“Luk?”
“Don't follow me! Not yet,” Lukas warned, keeping his eyes shut as he fixed the red-brown color that was his baby brother's in his mind. “I can find Matthew, but I have to focus and I can't do that with you around.”
Soren shouted some protest, but Berwald cut him off.
“Ya can't face Fath'r alone.”
Sighing, Lukas nodded. “You can follow me, but not too close.”
Then he shut the door behind him and opened his eyes once more, automatically filtering out the older, stale colors to find the fresh auburn hue engulfed in a sickly green.
Father.
Lukas had hoped it might have simply been Matthew wandering off on his own, but a part of him knew that Matthew wouldn't have gone anywhere without at least one of them, especially after last night.
Father had taken Matthew.
Tapping on the door, Lukas stalked down the hallway after the trail, his fire surging into his hands, just waiting to be used.
Behind him, he could hear his brothers footsteps, though they were thankfully quiet.
Lukas needed to think, to plan, because for all his insanity, Father had once been the greatest mage in the Kingdom, trained by the best from all over the world so he could defend his kingdom. Lukas, with his self-taught spells and his lack of experience, had no chance in a direct fight.
Stepping through a wall of magic that sent shivers down his spine, Lukas froze. Where there had been silence only moments before, there was now a desperate cry for help.
“Bear!” The cry was shrill, a child's high voice raised in terror. “Father, no! Bear, please! Soren! Lukas! Please, I'm scared-”
And then it stopped, the cry ending in a strangled yelp.
“Matt.” Berwald had stepped through the sound barrier just in time to hear the final plea. Matthew was calling for him.
Lukas knew before it happened that any chance for secrecy was gone, as Berwald ran past him, throwing himself against the door to Father's rooms until it cracked beneath his strength.
As the door fell, the others joined them, their eyes met with a horrible sight.
Matthew was crying, the sound muffled by a gag as Fath- Arthur! - knelt over him, hands moving across Matthew's bare skin. Matthew's clothes were strewn across the floor, his bound arms trapped beneath him as he struggled against Arthur's strength.
Arthur didn't even look up as they forced their way in, his voice low and dark as he spoke to the sobbing child beneath him. “I've missed you, my love.”
“Matt!” It was hard to tell who was the first to leap forward as both Soren and Berwald grabbed Arthur and threw him to the floor. Soren followed him down, lashing out with his fists, as Berwald went to Matthew's side, lifting him from the bed.
“I'm here,” Berwald's voice cracked as he tore away the gag and untied the bonds holding Matthew's arms back. “I'm here, Matt.” The moment he was able, Matthew clung to his savior as hard as he could, sobbing and sniffling into Berwald's shoulder.
The Power in Silence - Part 2b/?
“Lukas?”
“Do you know where Matt is?”
“Luk?”
“Don't follow me! Not yet,” Lukas warned, keeping his eyes shut as he fixed the red-brown color that was his baby brother's in his mind. “I can find Matthew, but I have to focus and I can't do that with you around.”
Soren shouted some protest, but Berwald cut him off.
“Ya can't face Fath'r alone.”
Sighing, Lukas nodded. “You can follow me, but not too close.”
Then he shut the door behind him and opened his eyes once more, automatically filtering out the older, stale colors to find the fresh auburn hue engulfed in a sickly green.
Father.
Lukas had hoped it might have simply been Matthew wandering off on his own, but a part of him knew that Matthew wouldn't have gone anywhere without at least one of them, especially after last night.
Father had taken Matthew.
Tapping on the door, Lukas stalked down the hallway after the trail, his fire surging into his hands, just waiting to be used.
Behind him, he could hear his brothers footsteps, though they were thankfully quiet.
Lukas needed to think, to plan, because for all his insanity, Father had once been the greatest mage in the Kingdom, trained by the best from all over the world so he could defend his kingdom. Lukas, with his self-taught spells and his lack of experience, had no chance in a direct fight.
Stepping through a wall of magic that sent shivers down his spine, Lukas froze. Where there had been silence only moments before, there was now a desperate cry for help.
“Bear!” The cry was shrill, a child's high voice raised in terror. “Father, no! Bear, please! Soren! Lukas! Please, I'm scared-”
And then it stopped, the cry ending in a strangled yelp.
“Matt.” Berwald had stepped through the sound barrier just in time to hear the final plea. Matthew was calling for him.
Lukas knew before it happened that any chance for secrecy was gone, as Berwald ran past him, throwing himself against the door to Father's rooms until it cracked beneath his strength.
As the door fell, the others joined them, their eyes met with a horrible sight.
Matthew was crying, the sound muffled by a gag as Fath- Arthur! - knelt over him, hands moving across Matthew's bare skin. Matthew's clothes were strewn across the floor, his bound arms trapped beneath him as he struggled against Arthur's strength.
Arthur didn't even look up as they forced their way in, his voice low and dark as he spoke to the sobbing child beneath him. “I've missed you, my love.”
“Matt!” It was hard to tell who was the first to leap forward as both Soren and Berwald grabbed Arthur and threw him to the floor. Soren followed him down, lashing out with his fists, as Berwald went to Matthew's side, lifting him from the bed.
“I'm here,” Berwald's voice cracked as he tore away the gag and untied the bonds holding Matthew's arms back. “I'm here, Matt.” The moment he was able, Matthew clung to his savior as hard as he could, sobbing and sniffling into Berwald's shoulder.