"Enos."
Ethos said in a hoarse voice studying his long-lost brother. As always he stood proud and tall.
"How is life living in the human world?" he asked in a derisive tone.
"Good," Shane replied simply.
Ethos looked away from him and glanced at Julienne.
"I see you've brought a human with you," Ethos said barely looking at the woman crouched next to Enara.
Julienne glared at him.
"You don't have to look down at me," she said in a fierce voice.
He chuckled softly at her reply.
"Am I? I'm simply saying you're human, woman."
He said with disregard in his voice.
"Her name's Julienne," said Rana tightly.
"Thank you for enlightening me that, Enara. What happened to you, my love?" Ethos asked, his voice softening at her. He crouched before her still lying body. He touched her head.
Rana looked at him darkly.
"Don't touch me," she said, sharply.
"Still mad at me, Enara?" he asked removing his hand. He studied her face for a second.
"You lost your memories and just regained them."
He rose to his feet and turned his back at them. He faced the moon instead.
"You shouldn't have left Lunara when you're sister told you not to. Why did you not listen to her? To us? Why did you selfishly leave never to return, Enara?"
"I needed to find Enos."
Rana said finding her voice. She looked fiercely at his back against them.
"Your love for him is as remarkable as ever, Enara. You even have to turn down my offer of marriage. Do I never measure up to my little brother?" he asked in a mocking voice.
"You're better than him."
Rana said looking at him.
"If I were better than him then why did you turn me down, woman?"
He said boredom in his voice.
Rana who has been looking at his turned back looked sideways briefly observing the long shadows cast down by the moonlight against the trees. She shifted her gaze towards Shane who quietly listened to their conversation. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. Then, she looked back at the back of Ethos.
"I'm betrothed to Enos, Ethos."
She answered with a calm and straightforward voice.
"I believe that betrothal had long lost its essence the day he disappeared from Lunara and yet you still strongly held on to it," Ethos said, paused for a moment, and spoke again. "I could have made you happy, Enara."
"I don't think you can do that, brother," Enos said quietly, butting into their conversation.
Ethos turned to face them and looked down at Enos.
"Shut up, Enos. You had no idea how we looked after Enara after you were gone. Did you know that she went sick for a week after that time you disappeared and Ethiara and I have to look after her thereafter?" he said, coldly informing him. "Did you not know that she stopped talking thereafter? That the shock was too much to bear for Enara? And all those times you were never there."
He said in an accusing tone and looked at Enos coldly.
"We nursed her back as she suffered from the trauma of you being gone, you silly boy," he said scornfully. "Have you not tried to pursue with your mischief and curiosity, you would never have disappeared from Lunara. Didn't we tell you that night that you have to stay away as much as possible because it was a dangerous night of the full moon? Still, you went ahead and did not listen."
Ethos released his sword from his scabbard and pointed it to his throat. Shane raised his head and he felt the point of the sword on his throat.
"Ethos! "
Enara shouted, vehemently.
"Shut up, Enara. I need to teach this scalawag a lesson he never needed to forget."
He said with a dull voice not looking at her but instead eyeing Shane directly with his cold fierce stare.
"Helios, get out of the shadow and give him his sword."
He ordered with a commanding tone.
A tall man with curly dark brown hair wearing rectangular glasses came out hiding in the trees opposite from where Ethos came out. He was wearing black weaved clothing that reached his knees and stringed sandals. He threw a sheathed sword at the feet of Shane.
"Get it and fight me."
He said and went to a clearing by the banks of the lake.
Shane slowly rose from his feet removing Enara from his thighs. He walked to where the scabbard had been thrown and bent his back to pick it up. He followed Ethos in the clearing and stood twenty feet away from him.
Ethos stood on his side holding his sword with his right hand while the blade rested on his left palm studying it as if it were gold, looking at its blade where his eyes reflected from the silver.
Without looking at Shane, he said, "Come at me anytime, Enos. And prove yourself worthy of the sword."
Enos raised his sword with his right arm and gripping it firmly he rushed towards Ethos. Ethos raised his sword to deflect Shane the moment his sword hit him. They went sparring for minutes. The sound of the sword clashing each other was the major sound that could be heard by the lake aside from the movements of their feet.
Neither was willing to back down against one other. Shane fought with his will. His sword was his fight. Ethos fought with his strength. His sword was his proof.
For the next few minutes, swords clashed against each other. Relentless. Willful. Unrestrained. The two men besting their strengths and their wills on the metal blades that they each held in their hands.
But Ethos proved his strength. When Shane raised his sword again and struck it down against Ethos, Ethos had a stronger grip on his sword and he swung it and Shane lost his sword and it leaped into the sky and fell to the ground with a clanging sound.
Shane was shocked that he lost his sword.
He looked at his brother waiting for his final strike. Without saying a word, Ethos struck a slashing cut across his chest from his right shoulder. And Enos fell to the ground.
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!"
Enara cried with disbelief. Her voice hoarse echoed the dead of the night. She was sitting on the ground helpless at the sight of Shane defeated. Tears poured from her eyes while her hands were clenched.
"How could you, Ethos?" Julienne looked at him with cold fury. Her eyes were bright, clear, and icy as the cold night. Her tone was accusing and loathing.
"You didn't have to kill him." She said with bitterness.
Ethos glanced at Enara and looked at her with cold unseeing eyes.
"He's dead." He said his voice dull and cold. "Get up. We must leave, Enara."
He coldly commanded her and flicked a glance at Julienne.
"You're not included in the journey back home, woman. Leave now."
Ethos said while his sword was pointing above Shane's head.
Unbeknownst to the three people, Shane was still conscious. He could feel the searing pain across his chest. It hurt like hell. But he must fight back. He breathed to ten mustering his strength while stretching his left arm so his hands could reach for the sword. It was just a few inches away from where he fell to the ground. He curled his fingers as he felt the cold handle of the sword. And with the last of his strength, he summoned everything in his might along with his inner demon magic, lifting it and striking the sword pointed at him.
Ethos was taken by surprise by the sudden attack making him lose his grip on the sword he was holding and it flew out of his hands jumping in the air and falling to the ground dropping on its hilt.
"You cheater," Ethos murmured but a small smile tugged on his mouth.
He bent down and helped Shane to his feet.
Rana moved her legs and stood up and joined Shane and Ethos. She threw her arms around Shane.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Enos," she said thickly with emotion.
"Aww…" Shane complained as he tried to hug Rana back.
"Here. Let me help you. Sit still," said Rana gently as she placed her hands above Shane's wounds and white light appeared on her palms healing Shane's wound.
"ETHOS!!!" A voice of a woman called and echoed from somewhere.
Shane and Rana looked around trying to find the voice around them. They both shifted their gazes towards the lakewater as if the sound came from there.
"How dare you hurt your brother?"
The unseen woman said in an angry tone.
Ethos picked his sword and Shane's sword and gave it to him.
"Ethiara." He said in disappointment. "That woman always knows how to spoil my day."
Shane and Rana exchanged knowing smiles and tried hard not to laugh.
"Shut up, Ethiara. How can you see us from here?" he said not too loudly. "Enara's already healing my brother."
Ethos looked at Shane and Rana.
"We're going back to Lunara, Helios," he said looking at his cousin who stood a few paces away from them quietly watching them. Then, he returned his gaze to Shane and Rana. "You two are coming with us. You've done enough trouble. But don't feel like you'll be welcomed with open arms, Enara. You've done a grave mistake."
Ethos moved his feet continuing to watch Rana healing Enos.
"That woman could be so damn annoying," murmured Ethos in grave displeasure.
"Maybe you're just too blind to see that my sister Ethiara has loved you all her life but you never see her that way," said Rana as she kept her palms over Shane's chest.
"Ethiara bosses around. Who would like to be around her? I feel like I'm always around my own mother when she's near me. I don't need her to be my mother."
He said complaint in his voice.
"You can always ask her to be your lover," said Rana looking at Ethos who silently observed them.
"I have many lovers to count," Ethos replied. "She doesn't need to spoil it by turning it into a nunnery."
Shane bit his grin.
"My relationship with Ethiara is a complicated one. Sometimes I just wanna kill her. She throws herself easily at me. Who would want a woman like that?"
Ethos once more looked at Enara. Then, his gaze stayed with Shane.
"Why does it always have to be you, Enos, all this time? You were gone forever but she always called for you," he said scowling. "I've always been there for her. She could have me anytime she wanted me. Why must it be you, Enos?"
"Because I love Enara. And she loves me."
Shane said his voice husky.
"I'm not too sure about that, little brother," he said with a frown.
Then he looked at Julienne.
"You, my dear woman aren't invited to come to Lunara. Please don't seek an invitation."
Julienne gaped at him in shock.
"What are you looking at?" he asked looking coldly at her.
"I'm not asking for an invitation. Why would I join you?" she spat at him.
"Because you're here and the rest of us are leaving. Helios and I don't know where you live woman so please don't expect us to escort you back home. We're only here for Enos and Enara."
Julienne clenched her fist in anger. She couldn't believe this man called Ethos could be so unnerving. She would have laughed if he meant it like a joke but he said it with such ice-cold clarity she didn't know what to say to him so she kept her mouth shut but looked daggers at him.
"You know your own way woman. This is your home anyway," he sneered, "this is your Earth."
Still looking at Julienne, he spoke again. Then, he and Helios went to the lake.
"Enos, Enara. Go to the moon reflection and open the gate."
Instead of following his instruction, Enara turned to Julienne and touched her face.
"Julienne, we have to leave," she said tearfully. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you everything then. I didn't remember them. Thanks for always being there at my side."
"I will miss you, Rana," said Julienne hugging her. Tears glistened along her eyes.
Rana hugged her best friend and kissed her forehead.
"This will ease up your sleep tonight."
After kissing Julienne's forehead, her body glowed and she disappeared from their sight.
"She's safe at home, now," she said looking at the empty spot where Julienne disappeared. She turned to Shane.
"We can go now, Enos."
Shane held his hand to hers and they laced each other's fingers. They went by the banks of the lake and stepped into the surface of the water to join Helios and Ethos.