Down with the king! 2-2

Prologue  Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 2-1

Their father made a deep sigh before he started with his words “I'm pretty sure you guys have an idea of who the enemy is but maybe it’s about time I tell you about our world” He glanced at each of them before he proceeded “We used to be a free nation. There were so many different kinds of creatures back then too. Witches were the most powerful ones though. They were amazing beings. Healers, creators, protectors… They were everything we humans could never be. Things changed when humans started hunting them down, thinking the witches turned evil. There came a point where the witches got too arrogant that they wanted to be the rulers of our world. When that happened, we humans started capturing every witch we could find. A lot of them were innocent. A lot of them had families of their own too. Nobody understood what our ancestors were up to before but it got brutal” 

“What does have to do with you fighting?” Audrey scratched her head slightly, confusion was definitely the only thing she was feeling then.

“Patience, darling. We’ll get to that part” For the second time that night, Their father heaved another sigh “To continue… well… we can’t really tell humans from witches. It was almost impossible so things got chaotic. Humans turned on humans. Witches turned on witches. It was just terrifying. Witches then started doing rituals and offerings to the devils to gain more power. They were hunted down more when that happened” He paused for a moment when he noticed that they had gone silent. Probably from the shock, but he could never be too sure. 

“Anyways, the witches gained powers much stronger than they already had. It was a terrifying time. They wiped out almost half the human population in a single night. We humans… or at least those that survived... fled to the wastelands after. You could only imagine what our ancestors went through just to manage to survive. For the past 300 years, we have suffered from the selfishness of both witches and humans. And since the defeat of humans, we made technology for the sole purpose of defeating them. We studied them closely. We found out that the witches are at their weakest point for only one day. That was during the summer solstice… It was always the perfect time to attack. And since then, we’ve been trying to fight these witches. Yearly, we would attempt to. And this year, it’s my turn. I want to make this world safe for you… I’m getting old and I don’t think I can bear leaving you guys in such a terrifying world. So just let your father do what he has to” All of a sudden, he got down from his chair and knelt on the ground, as if he was begging. 

For the very first time, Audrey and Tinble saw their father being so vulnerable that it shocked them. They were unsure of how they would respond but for some time, they just sat dumbfounded whilst their father silently sobbed before them. 

“You shouldn’t be begging like this, Daddy…” was what Audrey muttered before she got up from her bed. She walked up to him then knelt in front of him “If you think it’s what’s best for you… I won't stop you…” She leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. Soon enough, Tinble was already beside them, hugging him just as tightly while he was stifling a sob

“Daddy… You have to come back, okay? Make sure you come back…?”  Tinble was the one pleading this time.

“I…” Their father wasn’t sure how to respond then but when he looked at their hopeful eyes, it seemed to break his heart more to have to say things they didn’t want to hear “I’ll try to. For my beloved children” He then pressed a lingering kiss on each of their foreheads. None of them wanted to stand up then. They just stayed like that for some time until the children fell asleep and he had to carry them back to their beds. “Good night my dear children”

For the first 2 weeks of that month, their father was given to prepare, he spent all the time he could with them. He taught them both about the tools he used, the plans he had, and the projects he was working on. He instructed them on what they should be doing when he goes into battle. He even asked them to help him build the weapons and items he would be using for the battle. He even told them of a world where he imagined that humans and witches could get along. It was one of his wistful thoughts yet it made sense for him. 

2 weeks before the summer solstice, their father and the other heroes were called back to the leader’s office. They needed to coordinate an attack pattern that would work for all of them. But before he left to go to the leader’s assigned meeting point, he made sure to leave the key of his study to Audrey. 

On the day of his departure, their father listed off a few things that should be done. He also left a few things he wanted to ask Audrey to do for him. Things that should be kept from their mother. He was about ready to leave. His bags were already packed, and he only had to say his farewells “You have to be a good girl for me. Take care of your mother and Tinble while I’m gone.” 

“I will… but you have to promise to come back as soon as you defeat the witches, alright?” Audrey looked up at her with teary eyes. Same with Tinble who was just beside her

Their father then faced Tinble and gave him a tight embrace “And you, young man, you need to make sure you get stronger to help your mum carry all those heavy parts” 

Tinble only answered with a nod before he leaned in and hugged his father. “Promise you’ll come back soon…?”  

“I’ll try to. Even if I have to crawl out of hell for it” Their father answered back with a cheeky grin and hugged them both tightly before he stood up and kissed his wife who was standing by the doorway.

“You have to take care out there, Chandler. We’ll be waiting for you right here…” Their mother finally spoke yet she didn’t dare lift her downcasted gaze. She only looked at the floor and their two children who started crying.  

“I will. Have the kids help out in the store in my stead…” For the last time, their father gave them one of his goofy smiles

“They’ve always been a better help than you ever were,” She said with a light chuckle “You should head off soon. The leader might be waiting” 

With a nod, he waved goodbye to his family then headed off in the direction of the assembly area. 

Their mother closed the door, and like any other day, she opened up the shop, made preparations for the day, and asked Tinble for help. Audrey, on the other hand, locked herself up in her father’s study. She knew the chances of him ever coming back was close to impossible. Yet she wanted to believe that in 2, maybe 3 weeks, he would be knocking at their doorstep again with that goofy smile of his. Then they would be building automatons and new machines again like they’ve been doing for a while now. 

She was angry at herself. Sad that she couldn’t do anything to stop her father from going off to battle. She has spent every moment of her day there in his study since. And no words of her mother could ever get her out of there. She even went so far as to carry her bed to the study just so she had no reason to leave. For 2 weeks, she waited there. She desperately hoped that by the end of the day, or maybe even by the end of the week, her father would come back since he said he would try. 

He did come back. But not in the way they all expected. What came back was nothing but a few limbs. The men that delivered his remains said that there were no survivors this time around. That all the heroes perished in battle and that their father fought bravely despite how many enemies he was up against. 

When the men left, it was Audrey who thought of going through his things when her mother strictly forbade her from doing so. She dragged the back he packed back to his study then one by one, she went through the articles of clothing, as well as a few other gears crammed messily inside. There, she also found a small journal. 

In the journal was a list of things he had wished for on its first page. The remaining pages were filled with scribbles and drawings. Some plans that he probably never attempted to build. On the very last page, there were only a few words scribbled on it. No words, no rushed sketch unlike all the other pages, just the words that read “Make a better future for them” 

They were just simple words yet with just those words, she couldn’t help the tears that streamed down her cheeks. For the first time in 3 weeks, she got up from her bed, picked up the last plan her father was working on, then started building again. In the next few years, she continued her father’s work. She may have even surpassed him when she started improving the steam engine he used as the basis for most of his works, but since then, she became known as someone as eccentric as her father. Most said she might be even worse.

Chapter 3-1

I finally got to properly put the links in ;;w;;