NH: The Tale of Two Brothers

[...]

And thus, the King created on the fifth day two sons of his. The first one was made of clay dark as starless night, with eyes in colour of the ground and ivory-bone lips. The second creation was complete opposite of his older sibling, created from sheet white clay, with pitch-dark eyes and tangerine mouth.

The King said:
"I am your Creator and Lord of this land. You are my children. I give you names Kain" he looked at his first-born son, "and Abel." and took them both by their hands.  He felt his creations' hearts trembling from the outside world.

Then, the King spoke the following:
"Let there be apparel to protect them from the evil of the outside."
And it was so. Both brothers had been clothed - Kain in ivory gown with shorter, orange material and Abel in tangerine toga and black belt.

And when they looked at their Creator, both of them started to worship him, laying on the ground. The King said:
"This is my land. You will live in well-being, each of you here with your own part of my kingdom, on only one condition. Every month you shall show me what have you created, depending on your mission.

Kain, I grand you with this - fertile land where you will create your own creations, not alive nor dead.

Abel, you will gain creatures, fragile but in the same time strong, with their own will.

Each of you will have to take your newest, best creations to me and show them. But you must be attentive, if you won't do as I say, I will not show you mercy."

And, at last, the King said:
"Go to your houses and start creating with your new powers I gave you. Within a month you will create, practise your abilities and then show me your greatest creations. Farewell"

With those words, the King disappeared. Brothers looked at each other, quite unsure of what had happened.

The first one to talk was Kain:
"Brother, even if we know  so little about this world, we have to do as the Lord says.  But it doesn't mean we can't work together so we can help each other."
He smiled, taking in his hands his brother's. But Abel, as a good creation, had to only listen to his father, so he broke their contact and went to his home.

---

"Abel."

He didn't hear him. He didn't want to hear him.

"Abel, please."

He was doing the right thing, he was doing what he had to do.

"Abel, you're"

Nononono, I'm not listening to you.

"You're killing me..."

He couldn't do it. Abel looked at his brother's body. Or what was supposed to be his body. Covered in flowers, some plants he didn't know. And what was worse, Abel's creations were eating him, his own brother.

"Abel, help me"

But he didn't say anything. His - his children had to eat. And there was nothing on his part, so he needed to do

t

h

i

s.

"Child, I'm proud of you." He heard. "They look so great and strong."

But Abel wasn't happy.

But he couldn't cry.

Because he had do forage those plants so his sheep will have food. And those sheep were for his father.

The circle of life.

---

'Only two days' Kain thought. 'Only two days to my deadline and my plants are getting eaten by those monsters.'

It wasn't like he didn't know about this, oh no. But he tried to just pretend that-

that his children hadn't cried.

That everything is okay.

That Abel is trying to make him miserable in their father's view.

'It wasn't the truth' darker hoodian thought again, 'He is a good brother. Those sheep just doesn't listen to him, that's all.'

"Water"

Only two more days, and he will have to kill his children.

But if they will be all eaten, what will he have?

---

"Kain."

"Abel."

Brothers looked at each other and their gifts. Only few hours left for their Lord to show up. Abel came with five of his best creations, while Kain got only a few of his plants. He couldn't abide their screams when he had to take them out of the ground. And even if he could, most of his precious children were eaten by Abel's.

'But the King will know' Kain thought, 'and Abel will have to pay the price for those deaths.'

In the same time, Abel couldn't look at his brother. Every time he only thought about him, he felt ill. Those dreams - nightmares - had started to be longer, in each his brother looking worse.

'I need to talk to him, to tell him the truth.' But he couldn't do it. He knew it too well.

The sheep started to run everywhere.

"The time has come."

---

"My children, I came as I promised. Show me your best creations, as I had told you to."

Both of them nervous, the first one to go was Kain. He tried to remember his speech he prepared before this about Abel, but

"Kain."

Kain could feel this pressure.

His Father was angry. It was the second meeting of theirs, but Kain knew whatever he would say, wouldn't mean anything to him.

He felt like crying. But he couldn't, he had to be strong for his children, he needed - he needed a plan.

"Father, those are my most precious children. I tried my best, but the rest of them are... gone." Please stop crying, Kain thought, I will save all of you.

"Why is that?" The King said, confused.

Abel was looking at the whole situation from a distance,  not able to move nor speak. His mind screamed 'It was my fault!' however the body didn't listen.  Maybe because he found the answer to this question his own death sentence or maybe because Kain-

"They weren't enough strong" Why did he lie? Just- why. There was no logical explanation and even Abel knew about his brother's plan to make him miserable in their King's eyes. Well, not exactly eyes, due to kind not having them, but mentally? Abel didn't know what to think about this situation, standing there like a tailor's dummy.

But their Creator came to Abel, walking as if Kain wasn't even there.

"Abel, show me your work."

"Of course, M'Lord."

He was so scared to look at his Lord. And not because of the situation from a few seconds before.

It was because Kain watched this situation. In his eyes thirst for revenge, in his hands dying children, yelling for help.

"They look so strong, each majestic in a different way. Abel, you've done the right thing. As for those results, I grant you more of my land, where you will create more of your creatures."

Abel panicked. He knew that this was what his Lord wanted but he felt guilt overcoming him.

"Father-"

"But those children here will be coming with me. From now on, every month you will come with three of them.

And you, Kain. I'm disappointed. You should try more. As for the price, you will have to create your creatures only for Abel."

"Father." Paler hoodian said again, stronger. The King  looked again at his older creation, waiting for him to agree with punishment. He should be thankful that the Creator didn't kill him instantly nor didn't deprive him from his powers and children.

"Father, are you listening to me?" Abel tried and tried to reach his Lord, but he was lost in his thought, waiting for Kain's response.

"..."

"Let them wait. Show him your power.

Show him, that he isn't right.

Show him, that you are in control."

---

It was two days after all those events. Abel didn't get any sleep - or more likely, he was avoiding dreaming.

"No"  he remembered, "My Lord, I want justice. My children are dying, my best creations were eaten by- by those abominations! Father, please listen to me."

It felt like hours when finally their Creator spoke. He wasn't happy of listening to those - for him fake - accusations towards Abel.

Hoodian of ivory skin was walking with sheep,  trying to clear his mind. He couldn't erase this feeling - it wasn't just guilt or fear, but he couldn't exactly tell what was it.

This look in his eyes. Abel saw it. For a moment his brother wasn't himself. More precisely, it felt like a new hoodian, creature with power over Hoborg.

He finally found out his Father's name, but how Kain knew about it in the first place? This occupied his mind, trying to remember when his brother changed.

"You will pay for this. You will pay the highest price."

Those were the last words he heard from his brother. A whisper that was making him mad.

"Beeeeeee." the wind was getting stronger. It was time to come to his home.

For the last time.

---

"Is it the only choice?" Kain was still mad, of course, but he started to have some doubts about his own plan.

"Why, of course Kain. I know The King too well, so don't worry."

The fairy - as Kain called it - was a really small creature. It looked so fragile, with sheer wings and a small outer blue glow, so he couldn't tell any smaller details.

Their met in the throne room, while the Lord - Hoborg, as fairy called him - was looking at Abel's children.

"There is no time to spare Kain, I told you all the details."

"But what if I miss him with a knife? What if the King will be mad?"

The fairy, Azra, only laughed as a response.

"Kain, you know what's important. It your decision, not mine.
But look at your children. Being eaten, crying in pain. Of course, if you don't want for them a better life, we can stop our deal."

There is no turning back now, Kain thought. He heard footsteps of his brother.

For the last time he looked at his new friend, took his knife and ran.

"Well, that seems like it. Time for the next stage."

---

Abel felt it. Everything was coming to the end. It didn't even matter to him if this will happen here, just before his brother's house or his own. For the last time he patted his children on their heads and waited.

He just didn't predict how soon it will happen.

The strong force which made him to fall, those emotions on Kain's face, this sudden yelling of all of theirs children.

"So it comes to end here, huh.
Kain, please don't cry."

He didn't expect the sea of tears.  He moved a little to touch his brothers chest.

"It's all right Kain."

"No, it isn't. But I need to fulfil my promise."

Surrounded by sheep, both of them breathing heavily, looked in each other's eyes for what felt like years.

Abel finally understood his  dreams. All those nightmares, those scenes of murder.

It was their fate. There was no way around it, and now they are here, in culmination,  where there was only one thing left to do.

Kain played this one moment in his head so many times, trying to make it the most perfect moment of his life. Why, oh why did he started to have all those doubts. Was it because of the murder itself or circumstances of it. Was it about the cause or about income of this act, or maybe about who was the culprit and the victim.

But he can't go back. He made a promise, and it was his job to fulfil it.

"Goodbye, brother."

Silence.

Abel smiled for the last time, his body covered with flowers coming from the knife.

Silent tears coming from the only remaining brother.

And the silence.

***

"What happened next?" Arig asked his mother. Her rainbow fingers in his stems, her voice sweet as sweet pea.

Klaya answered:

"Kain was left alone, with his brother becoming bush of flowers and other plants. Legends says there was a creature that helped him to bury Abel's body. This one spot is supposedly our Mulberry Tree."

"And what was Hoborg opinion about it all?"

She didn't know how to answer. It wasn't even Hoborg who told her this story, she... She'd read it somewhere?  Klaya didn't really remember how she found out about this story.

"The most important thing about is that there is a moral to this story."

"And what is it?"

"That you need to listen to your parents."

"That's not the mora-"

"IT IS, RUZE. THE END."