Chapter Three in the Rise of the Shar

CHAPTER III

The seasons flew by. Another treaty was in place and the fighting between Hels and Evalon had stopped for the past five years. It was the twins twelfth birthday, and Ridiah was waiting impatiently for her brother to awake. Finally, she could hold her excitement no longer. Climbing out of bed she brushed her raven black hair. “Wake up Razalon!” Ridiah whispered urgently at her brothers head, hidden somewhere beneath the covers. . “Come on let’s go.” she called
Razalon groaned and put his pillow over his head. “Oh fine have it your way. Ridiah turned and ran downstairs and out the back door to the well. She grabbed a bucket and filled it full of water. Tiptoeing back up stairs to avoid waking her mother she yanked the bedding of her brother’s bed and dumped the bucket’s contents over him. “Now you don’t have an excuse not to go to the creek with me?” Ridiah gasped between fits of laughter. Razalon jumped up furiously his black hair a mess. He spoted the empty bucket in Ridiah’s hand then spotted one of his shoes at the foot of the bedstand. Razalon concentrated hard and suddenly it flew up and hit his sister on the cheek.
“Hey! What did you do that for?” She exclaimed, but she failed to keep the smile from her face.
“You started it!”
“I most certainly did not!”
“You did too!”
“Let’s stop arguing and take a swim before mom wakes up.” Ridiah suggested.
“Okay, let’s mop this up and go.” Razalon said.

Ten minutes later they were running toward the creek. Ridiah led the way through the bushes that covered the distance between the woods and the creek. They had discovered a fair size swimming area the previous year and had kept it a secret from their parents. “Race you!” Ridiah shouted over her shoulder and started to sprint down the slope. Razalon spotted a vine ahead of his sister and focused on it, as she ran past, the vine wrapped itself around her ankle. “Hey! No fare.” She shouted as she fell to the ground and Razalon ran quickly past. Ridiah ripped off the vine and raced after him.

They reached the shore as the sun rose over the nearby hill. Razalon wadded into the chilly morning waters. “Hurry ahh!” Razalon shouted looking over his shoulder as he was shoved under water by an invisible force, Ridiah burst into another fit of laughter and fell on the bank unable to stand. They had discovered that by concentrating hard on an object they were able to make things move by lifting and shoving them with their minds. Learning to control their power had not been easy. At first they could only lift small things like pieces of cloth. As time went by they were able to move heavier objects. This was another secret they had kept from their parents. Ridiah was laughing too hard to resist as her brother pulled her into the creek.
“Race you to the other side.” Ridiah gasped, coughing on a mouthful of water.

They had been swimming for about an hour and Razalon was attempting to dunk Ridiah when he paused. They looked at each other suddenly, “Do you get the feeling that we are being watched?” Ridiah asked.
“We should leave something isn’t right!” They said together. Swimming to shore they climbed out of the creek. Something was moving in the bushes a hundred yards or so downstream. A strong sense of dread swept over them as the movement in the bushes headed their way. Together they scrambled onto the soft shore.
“Leave your shoes, let’s go!” Ridiah urged. Razalon raced into the woods, wincing as he stepped on the rocks and twigs.

Ridiah soon had the lead. Looking over his shoulder, Razalon saw someone emerge from the patch of bushes and break into a run behind them. The sun was behind shone directly behind the person, making their features impossible to distinguish.
A scream ahead told him that Ridiah was in trouble. Looking ahead he saw a man emerge from a group of trees. He had a strange glint in his eyes. The man ran towards Ridiah, his arms outstretched. Razalon skidded to a stop, looking desperately around he spotted a blackberry bush between his sister and the approaching figure. Just a little closer he thought. Now! The man ahead stepped beside the blackberry bush. Quickly the thorny vines curled around his legs and began to weave themselves around his chest. The man shouted angrily as the thorns dug into him.

Razalon didn’t have time to admire his handy work even as the guy in front of him fell, strong fingers close around his arm. “Help!” He shouted, “get him off me!”
Ridiah turned and saw Razalon’s position looking around frantically she spotted a fair sized rock. She picked it up but it was too heavy to throw at Razalon’s attacker with accuracy. Meanwhile Razalon was trying to throw his attacker of him. “Duck!” Ridiah shouted as she hurled the rock at Rozalon’s assailant, using her mind to guide it. Razalon threw all his weight to the side and dove as the man noticed the object.

The rock hit him square in the stomach knocking the wind out of his lungs. “Run!” Ridiah shouted as Razalon got to his feet. They ran toward the man in the bush. He was almost untangled by now and Ridiah had to jump aside as he made a desperate grab for her foot. Together they darted through the remaining trees, past their barn, and up the steps to their house. Razalon slammed the door and bolted it behind him.
“Where’s mother?” He asked.
“She must have left to get the cake from Gimel already. I told her we were going for a walk so she didn’t need to worry about us, and father has already left for town.”

They heard someone run up the steps and hit the door with a grunt. “Quick! Close the shutters on the windows.” They raced around the house latching all the downstairs shutters. They raced up the staircase as someone rammed the door again.
Ridiah peeked out the window and saw the two people who had chased them in front of the door. It was strange but when the one with a red glint in his eyes tried to ram the door a burst of silver light would hurtle him back down the stairs. The other man looked on with an expression of grim amusement on his scarred face.
“What’s stopping them from breaking down the door?” Razalon asked. “I don’t know.” Ridiah replied.
“What should we do? I have a feeling that the door won’t hold them for long.”
The man with the strange eyes got up, furiously muttered something and waved his hand at the door. There was a loud thud and the house shook. “Let’s do what we’re good at, when I say now, try to throw the guy who just cast that spell at our house.” Ridiah instructed. “Are you crazy? Push him away would make more sense at the moment.” Razalon argued.
“Just trust me.”

There was another thud, dust floated down through the cracks that led to the attic. “Now!” Ridiah shouted. Razalon felt his sister’s magic flow with his own as they threw the man into the door. Something the attacker obviously was not expecting. There was another blast of silver light as the man slammed into the door, screaming from pain. “Hold him against the door!” Ridiah yelled. The man stepped back only to meet a fresh shove into the door he screamed for a few seconds then with a great yell, he exploded into a cloud of smoke leaving behind a small pile of ash.

The sounds of an old cart climbing the hill to their house reached the twins ears. The remaining attacker heard the approaching wagon and ran off through the trees. The children raced down stairs to unbolt the door for their father. “What was that about?” Malek asked. Then spying the glowing rune on the door, he paled. “What happened?” He demanded.
Razalon glanced at Ridiah, pale and uncertain.
“You must tell me what happened.”
“We were down by the creek when two men attacked us.” Ridiah explained. “We don’t know who they were, but one of them had a very creepy presence about him.”
“That’s him, over there.” Razalon said, pointing to the pile of ashes on the threshold.
“Poor fellow never stood a chance.” Ridiah said.
“This isn’t funny!” Malek scolded, heat rising to his face. “You could have been killed!” “You’re right, it isn’t funny, and someone should bury him, poor fellow.” Ridiah agreed. She pretended to kneel in the effort of gathering the ashes. Just before she swept them up, Ridiah forced a sneeze, sending the dust scattering in every direction.
Malek rolled his eyes.

“Don’t you trust us?” Ridiah asked her father a half hour later.
“I thought we handled him pretty well, didn’t you?” She asked, turning to Razalon who merrely nodded.
“Do not tell your mother what happened here today.” Malek warned as a horse approached. True to their word, the twins remained silent and the rest of the day was spent celebrating their birthday. After lunch Ridiah opened her present from Razalon, it was a locket he had made from birch wood and carefully bound with silver string. Razalon had carefully inscribed a small R on the front. Ridiah’s face lit up as she tried it on. “Razalon this is great! How did you make it?” She asked, a little overexcited.
“Oh stop the wise cracks.” Razalon told her. From Ridiah, Razalon received a small bottle of ointment. “What is it for?” He asked.
“Well I haven’t had the chance to test it thoroughly yet, but it can heal minor wounds. I should have created something that could give you a brain.” She said thoughtfully. “Remind me to work on that.”

From their parents they both received practice bows and quivers of practice arrows. Razalon’s eyes lit up as he unwrapped his bow.
“Does this mean that we’re finally going to learn how to shoot?” He asked excitedly.
“Oh, great!” Ridiah exclaimed in horror “as if I don’t have enough to worry about without this great oaf running around with a bow.” She sighed, “What will they think of next?” They had just finished opening their presents when there was a knock on the door.
Vilix answered it. “Surprise!” A familiar voice shouted.

Setting down her things Rydia embraced her sister, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to visit?” Vilix asked her. “I wanted to surprise you.” She replied.
Then in an aside whisper she said, “the Hels army are on the move again, they seem to be preparing a fleet. I’ll tell you more tonight.”
“Happy to see you too.” Rydia called diving under the table as a fake arrow flew close by hitting the wall with a squelching sound as the tip of the arrow turned to goo on contact where Rydia’s head had been a second before.
“Razalon you really should be more careful.” Ridiah scolded.
“Sorry Rydia,” Razalon called, “they’re not real, just practice arrows.”
“Oh well, that’s quite all right, I’m used to things being thrown at me,” she replied.
“I run a restaurant you know, and every once in a while we get an angry costumer who would rather release their anger by throwing things at you than eat their dinner. You know, I really think they would feel better if they cooled off over one of my homemade mince pies, or a cup of tea.”