An Orphan's Revenge

We all gathered back up at our old camp to think.

"They have to be in the temple!" Rain said. She had distanced herself from Oliver and Winne by a lot more than usual.

"There's a magic barrier, no one can get in." David said.

"But Destiny just recovered heaps of magic." Winne pointed out, "I bet she could open the temple by now."

Oliver bit his lip, and sat down. I gave him a strange glance.

What does he know that we don't?

"Oliver," I said, and everyone's heads turned, "What do you know that we don't. I can tell you're thinking of something."

"Well, before we left, Chester pulled Destiny aside and told her that her brother was alive, and that they had to come back to the temple to find him and rescue him." Oliver said.

"Was it true?" Rain asked. Marial tilted her head, but didn't ask.

"The first part was sort of true, but there was something I could lay my finger on. But the second part, the rescuing. That was a flat out lie."

"So the temple it is." I said, grabbing my sword.

We started hiking to the temple, and it only took us a few hours to get there, since Rain was so motivating. She continually told us to go faster, and to not sit or take a break.

The temple looked the same as it did before. Rain stuck her hand on where the barrier used to be, but it fell right through. She looked up at me and beckoned me inside.

"Everyone else, stay out here and spread out. Winne, surround the temple. Marial, be ready to back us up. You too David. And Oliver-" Rain said, but paused to think, "Come with us."

We snuck into the temple, trying not to make a sound. I could hear clanging and yelling from up the stairway.

"Oliver, go around that way, Connor, stay behind me and make no sound. Be ready to attack."

"Yes ma'am." I said, following her up the stairs. Rain was the most agile person I had ever seen. Even in her blue and silver boots, she still made no noise.

She pulled up her navy hair and drew her sword. The noise stopped for a moment, and then there was more yelling, but the voice was one I didn't recognize.

Rain dashed up the stairs, and I followed her. We reached where the noise was coming from, and I peeked around the edge.

Chester had Destiny in a choke hold, and the yelling came from the sorcerer that I guessed was Chase.

Rain's eyes widened at her brother's evil smirk. Chase tried to grab for his sister, but Chester threw him to the ground repeatedly.

"Soon you'll all be gone." Chester said.

Rain dashed to the other side of the room and raised her sword. Chester turned around and dropped Destiny in shock. She took a sharp breath and wheezed. I pushed away the urge to run to her side.

"Rain- I- I can explain- I-" Chester started, but Rain cut him off.

"What do you think you're doing? How did you get in here?" Rain asked, but it was more directed at Destiny.

"I-" Chester started, but Rain lifted her sword and he stopped.

"He tricked me." Destiny said in a wispy voice, still breathing heavily, "He locked me in a cell and tried to make me kill my brother. He took the dagger we needed to get in here. He's the one who burned all the forests and villages."

Oliver appeared at Rain's side. He nodded, and Rain walked towards Chester. Destiny and Chase Scamped to the other side of the table, where many potions and bottles were laid out.

Rain and Chester circled around each other, raising their swords.

"Why?" Rain asked, almost in tears.

"Because magic killed our mother!" Chester yelled, "It has to die! A death for a death! You of all people should understand that!"
"Magic was used to kill her, but it wasn't her who did it." Rain said.

"I don't care. I want my justice, even if I have to remove you from this world." Chester said.

"You'll only find yourself in a spiral of killing," Rain sobbed, "Please, you're smarter than this. Better than this. You know that it's not for mother's justice anymore," she reasoned.

Rain backed up and dropped her sword. Tears streamed down her face, and Chester scowled.

That's when everything took a turn for the worse.

As if it was in slow motion, Chester lunged for Rain. Oliver reacted by shooting blue fire from his hands to Chester. The fire went over the potions, causing a mass explosion, resulting in Chester being thrown against the stone wall and splitting his head. Destiny was hit by the flames, while guarding her brother, and Rain wasn't hit at all.

"NO!" Rain screamed, running to her brother. Blood trickled down the floor. The trickle turned into a pool.

I ran to Destiny to see if she was okay. She had a few burns, but she seemed fine. She was only focused on Chester and Rain.

"You are not dying on me!" Rain said, holding Chesters bleeding head. "You can't!" She cried. "You're all I have left," she whispered, though I could barely pick it up.

Chester barely muttered something. This time I couldn't hear at all, but Rain held back a sob.

"It's okay," Rain said softly, "I forgive you."

Chester barely moved his hand, beckoning for Destiny. She sat beside him, and we all followed.

"I am so sorry." Chester said, taking Destiny's hand.

"It's not your fault. Whoever did that to your mother, they sent you on this path." Destiny said.

"I know you don't love me," Chester said, as if the words left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, "But thank you." He said in earnest. "Thank you," he whispered, then was thrown into a coughing fit.

Destiny stood back up and smiled softly. She dipped her head slightly in respect, and a small smile crept onto Chesters face.

"Bury me with mother," He said, hardly getting the words out, "It's time that I paid the price for the death I caused. A death for the deaths. It's only fair."

"I can still save you." Rain said, sobbing.

"I'll see you again." Chester said, "And remember, in spite of everything, I love you. And mom would be proud,"

After he whispered the last words his eyes went still, and his chest stopped rising.

Rain held his lifeless form tight and wept into the corpse of her brother.