Benjamin was sitting in the library that he, more often than not, called home. Sitting at a large table, with his nose buried inside one of the many tomes that were left by his ancestors. All of them were written with only one topic in mind, 'The Rifts.' Something that gets boring from time to time, but he loved to be in here. He loved the smell of the leather and the aging paper. He loved the silence, and the way that he was able to think clearly. A cup of hot Lavender tea was standing next to the tome, prepared by his recent acquired study partner, Emma. She was sitting across from him, bowed over a tome, reading every word and every page. Which Kiara never did, Kiara always attempted to look like she was reading. Not that it mattered, because their father would pull her out of the library as soon as he discovered that she was in there. Which he didn't do with Emma, he tried to do that but failed. Benjamin is sleeping with Emma for the last couple of weeks, and although his father has tried to push more women into his bedroom, in various stages of undress. But he shoved them back out faster than they were able to blink. And at the same time, his father tried to push Emma into the role of a house slave, just like he has done with Kiara. But he those not do that when Benjamin is around. Which was another reason why Benjamin is keeping Emma so close to him, he doesn't want Emma to be the next Kiara. She is his wife, in all but name, and he is going to protect and respect her to the best of his abilities. Emma looked up at him, probably she has noticed him staring at her. Her green eyes shimmered slightly, something that happened more often nowadays. It might have something to do with the amount of sex they have lately. He sighed and turned his gaze back to the tome he was reading. Although, his thoughts were not with the words written on the page. It has being weeks since the last rift has opened up, and there was still no sign of a new one opening. He didn't feel the pulling weight of the world landing on his shoulder. It was strange, normally it didn't take this long for a new rift to form. He briefly wondered what Kiara thought of this.
"I feel so sorry for Kiara," Emma said out loud with an audible sigh. He looked up, wanted to ask why that was. But she was already holding up the tome she was reading. It was his grandfather's journal. He himself has read it many times, after his grandfather died. It might sound strange, but every time he read it, he had the feeling that his grandfather was standing right behind him. His words, on the yellowing pages, were a guideline. "I knew that Kiara had a hard life, we all did. But to see it spelled out how bad it was, makes me somewhat sick." he nodded slowly in agreement. Knowing that he was part of the abuse, which made him sick. "And then to think that she was the first ever Beskyttelseskerne female to be blessed with the gift." This made him snap out of his own thoughts.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yeah, according to your grandfather, she was the first. He could sense the power in her from the moment she was born, only he also stated that it became lesser over the years." she said, which he already knew. One of the reasons why she was treated this badly was because she didn't have enough magic. Which was horse shit, she was able to close a rift on her own. But when he thought about her magic, there was something strange to it. His was golden, pure golden light. His grandfather's magic had the same color, but Kiara's had a hint of soft purple to it. "She was also a sickly baby, and according to him this might have played a role in her lack of magic." He heard Kiara's mother complain about her being sick all the time, so that was also nothing new to him. "But then he writes how he noticed that Kiara's wounds seemed to heal in minutes, and the bigger once seem to heal overnight. He thinks that the magic is healing her, and he theorizes that it is the reason why her magic doesn't grow overtime is because your father is beating her so fragrantly. And placing her in a position where she most likely gets hurt." He frowned.
"I have read my grandfather's journal many times, but I never saw an entry about Kiara before." he said slowly, so not to accuse her from anything. She lowered her gaze slightly.
"I noticed some hidden pages, when you were out getting tea for the both of us." she said softly. Hidden pages? Well, that sounded like his grandfather. "He also stated that Kiara might be the key to locking this dimension from that of the Riftwalkers, your father knows this. But still choose to ignore him and went on with the bad treatment of Kiara." Benjamin narrowed his eyes.
"So let's say that my grandfather is right and Kiara is the key to defeat the Riftwalkers once and for all, and as you say, my father is aware of this. Why would he not jump off joy years ago?" he asked.
"Because that would mean the end of the Core of Protection as we know it. We are no longer needed if the Riftwalkers aren't here, he is already climbing the walls." Emma said. He closed his eyes, and knew that what she said was a fear assumption. He was never able to dream about a life without Riftwalkers, a life where he doesn't have to worry about if their children have the gift or not. If he is able to go home to them, or if he loses his life because a Riftwalker claimed it. It would be strange, an adjustment. But he was able to see it. And she was right about his father, he was currently climbing the walls. Benjamin stood up, walked around the table and lay a hand on Emma's shoulder.
"Close that book, and quickly get another one." he said. "My father will be here in a few minutes, with one of his crazy demands." The door swung open, his uncle barged in.
"Do as he says, Emma." he said. Emma jumped up, closed the book and placed it in the nearest bookcase. She just sat down with a random one, and lay it open when his father entered the room. Benjamin didn't even have time to ask his uncle what was going on. He would hear it soon enough, though. His father looked angry, and drunk, which was a dangerous combination. And right now there was no Kiara to take all the blows. Which was a terrible way of thinking, but the truth.
"There she is, little madam herself." his father snapped. Stambling towards Emma, but Benjamin blocked him, he wouldn't allow Emma to get hurt. At least by the hands of his father, she was his woman. "Step away son."
"I am not going to do that. You are drunk, and do not think that I do not know what you are capable of when you are drunk." Benjamin hissed. "Uncle, get Emma away from here." Emma rushed towards his uncle, and they were about to leave the room. When his father grabbed his head, and slammed it against the wooden table, Emma's scream echoed against the walls. There were stars dancing before his eyes, the taste of copper filled his mouth. He shrunk towards the ground.
"I told you to step aside! When I tell you what to you, you are supposed to listen to me!" his father screamed. "I am the leader of this organization! I am your father!" Something hard bumped into his stomach, the air left his lungs. "And that pretty girl over there is keeping you from your duty to procreate with as many women as possible." Benjamin groaned, never in his life he felt this kind of pain before. He wondered how Kiara was able to put a brave smile on her face after their father was done with her. "But that doesn't matter now, hmm. Kiara has done something, and now not one rifts has opened in weeks. I am wondering what she did, and you my boy are going to get her for me. By force if needs be, and bring that Lordling she is bedding too." His father stood up. "And your sweet girlfriend will sit with me, until you get back."
"Brother, is this really needed?" his uncle said, while he slowly pushed Emma out of the room. Benjamin wanted to scream to her that she should run. To get away from his father, but he doesn't have the air. He hoped that his uncle would be doing a better job of keeping her safe. A scream came from Emma's mouth, a scream of pain and panic. His father has her, he has Emma, and now it was up to him to get her back to safety. But against which price? Kiara's recently found freedom, and there it was, the feeling of the fate of the world resting upon his shoulders. A rift was about to open, Kiara, and the Lordling would be there as well.
"Benjamin, I am so sorry. I didn't know that he was planning to take Emma." his uncle voice sounded muffled, and when Benjamin looked at him, blood was pouring out of his nose.
"I will get her back," he said through gritted teeth. "A rift is about to open, ready the troops."
"Are you going to kidnap, Kiara?" he asked.
"I honestly do not know, but that is something that needs to wait until the rift is closed." he said, and he pushed himself upwards. "Ready the troops, I will join you shortly." His uncle nodded. Leaving the room, leaving him alone with the anger that was building and building. If he let it all out now, he would burn this whole compound to the ground. With every in it as well, he needed to calm down and focus on the mission at hand. Killing Riftwalkers, and to close that bloody Rift.
