Chapter Text
Eythan woke up earlier than usual.
The house was silent except for the gentle hum of the wood furnace trying to keep out the bitter chill. He rolled onto his side and curled into a ball, burrowing under the thick fleece blanket. Winter mornings in Modelheim were always unbearable until the sun poked over the mountains and warmed up the earth.
A loud snore broke the silence. Eythan peeked out from under the covers to stare at his brothers: Tomas the sleep-talker and Judah the snorer. He could barely see Tomas who was wrapped in a cocoon of blankets with only the top of his strawberry blond hair poking out. Meanwhile, Judah was practically hanging over the edge of the top bunk, his mouth open and drooling as he let one arm dangle.
Beside them, the door to their room was cracked open – most likely from their mother checking on them periodically in the middle of the night. She had picked up the habit shortly after Eythan’s horns started growing in. He didn’t like to think about how his mom may be a little afraid of him.
Eythan could see the faint glow of light from in the hall seeping in through the crack. This was not unusual. His Dad always woke up before dawn to get ready for the day. He was careful to be as quiet as possible as he cooked breakfast. Eythan could smell eggs and slightly burnt toast in the kitchen down the hall. He wrinkled his nose. He hated eggs, but his dad made him eat them.
“It’s a good source of protein to help start your day!”
With a huff, Eythan turned over and stared out the frost covered window. Although it was dawn, the canopy of trees that surrounded their home kept them in shadow, just how Eythan preferred it.
He lay in bed for another ten minutes, counting sheep to lull himself back to sleep. When that didn’t work, he sat up and stretched. He slipped out of the room into the hall, careful to avoid the squeaky floorboards.
The house was still dark, except for the lantern sitting on the kitchen table. Eythan trudged in and grabbed a piece of toast from the stove. He scraped off the burnt edges with a knife before slathering it with his mother’s homemade raspberry jam. As he washed the knife off, he noticed some dirty dishes left over from the night before.
Dammit Judah… He always forgot to finish his chores. Sighing, he washed them as well so his brother wouldn’t have to worry about doing it when he woke up.
The back door creaked as a gust of wind blew, letting in the chill. Eythan shivered as he dried his hands with a towel. No wonder it’s so cold in here… He walked over to close the door and noticed that footsteps were leading down to the Temple of Ioun.
Dad’s already at the temple? Did someone come early for a consultation? Although early visits were uncommon, they weren’t something that his dad hadn’t done before. Curious, Eythan slipped on his snow boots and found his dad’s fur-lined cloak still hanging on the coat rack. He took it and pulled it over his shoulders, the fur insulating him from the breeze. After firmly closing the door behind him, he walked down the snow-covered path to the temple in the valley behind their home.
In the spring, the walkway was framed with flowers and trees, but in the dead of winter there was only a canopy of barren branches decorated with lanterns. They weren’t lit yet, making the path more frightening that it should be.
His father’s long stride was stamped deeply into the snow, leading to the back of the temple. However, there wasn’t a second set of tracks suggesting that he had brought a visitor with him. Eythan hopped from one footprint to another to keep his feet as dry as possible as he continued down.
As he approached, he noticed that the porch hadn’t been swept clean of snow. He walked up to the front door and pulled. It was still locked.
Dad wouldn’t bring someone through the back… With anxiety slowly itching underneath his skin, Eythan quickly made his way around to the back door and saw that it was open. He shook off his snow boots and bowed briefly in reverence before entering.
It was dark inside the temple. None of the candles had been lit yet.
“Dad?” he called out, his voice echoing against the arched ceilings. “Are you in here?”
Eythan went into the small storage room to grab a set of holy matches. He walked into the main sanctuary and began to light the lanterns, murmuring the prayer his father had ingrained into his brain. Each one flickered to life with a slight violet hue, casting the room in a magical glow.
A gilded chandelier hung from the ceiling, the candles enchanted to begin glowing at dawn and to burn out at night. The entire room was encased in bookshelves, resembling more of a library than a place of worship. However, it was perfect for those to come and praise the goddess of knowledge and prophecy. Eythan used to bring Tomas and Judah here at night to read them a story before going to bed. They were too old for that now, but Eythan still liked to read the many texts collected on the shelves.
At the front of the temple was a small altar framed in stained glass windows. When the sun shone through, it would cascade a rainbow of colors onto the altar. In the center was a massive statue of Ioun that nearly reached the ceiling. She was sculpted out of quartz, and decorated with seasonal flowers and fruits. Her hands were cupped in front of her, gesturing toward the offering bowl at her feet. It too was made of quartz, where guests could leave what they could afford as a gift.
Lying next to the offering bowl was Eythan’s father.
“Dad!” Eythan shouted as he dropped the matches and ran over. He collapsed to his knees and tried to rouse him. However, his dad was unresponsive and felt like ice. Eythan shrugged off the cloak and draped it over his dad’s body to try and warm him up.
Did he slip and hit his head? Eythan wondered in a panic. He knew the floors sometimes got icy during the winter, but there was no visible trauma or blood suggesting a head wound. Eythan rolled his dad over onto his back and trembled when he saw the blue tint in his lips and the dull glaze in his eyes. He pressed his fingers against his dad’s throat and could just barely feel a pulse.
“In an emergency, stay calm. If someone is unconscious and isn’t breathing, tilt their head and clear out the airways. If their heart has stopped, roll them onto their back and start chest compressions.”
Eythan listened to the years of instruction and leaned his hands against his dad’s sternum, pressing all of his weight down as he began to try and resuscitate him.
“Y-you’ll be okay! You’re gonna be okay!” he said, his voice hitching as he tried to keep his composure. Tears made his vision blurry as he kept count of his compressions. It helped him ignore the empty look in his father’s gaze as his eyes rolled back. “You can’t…you’ll be fine!”
After a full set, his dad was still unresponsive. Eythan choked back a sob and clenched his fists into his father’s shirt. He could no longer feel his father’s heart beat beneath the fabric. “No…no, Dad…this can’t be happening!” He started another set, his pressure harder and his pace more erratic. “You need to wake up!”
He completed another set, and then another, each time becoming more desperate. Every once in a while he would pause to try and listen for a breath, but his father wasn’t breathing. He wasn’t doing anything except staring back toward the statue that loomed over them.
“Ioun, you can’t...anyone but him!” Eythan screamed, tears streaming down his face. “He doesn’t deserve this! Ioun, save him, please!”
“If you are unable to heal someone, find the next person who can. If you are alone, pray and keep trying your best,” his father advised in his mind.
“Ioun…Mom!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “Judah…Tomas…anybody! Someone please help!” Eythan staggered to his feet and ran to the bell chamber. He yanked on the thick rope hanging from the ceiling, his entire body vibrating as the gong resonated through the temple. He kept screaming, his voice drowned out by the deafening bell. He kept ringing and ringing until eventually he felt someone tug on him from behind. He stumbled back into his mother’s arms as she pulled him away.
All he could hear was ringing. All he could see were blurs of color. The front doors had been broken open, and several men – both locals and visiting adventurers – were crowded around his dad. They were casting spells and force feeding him berries. His mom shrouded him in a blanket and guided him out the back door. Eythan barely felt his tears freezing against his cheeks as she shuffled him back inside the house.
He slumped down in front of the fireplace in the living room to thaw. Tomas and Judah were ushered into the room and told to sit and wait. Scared, they huddled up close to Eythan, who tried to dry his tears and look strong. But he couldn’t stop himself from sobbing. He bent forward on his knees, pressing his forehead into the floor and squeezing his eyes shut.
Then he started to wail.
Please, Ioun, don’t let him die…
***
The medics were unable to revive Levi Addler, and he was pronounced dead a few hours later. The temple was closed to the public for the day, and the Addler family stayed at home to grieve. Citizens of Modelheim kept their lanterns on throughout the night, and left flowers and gifts in front of the temple in his memory.
Two days later, a public funeral was held at the cemetery. Everyone went to the service to mourn the loss of their cleric.
Eythan was allowed to attend only if he wore his cloak and kept the hood up.
That night, he sat alone in the dark with his back pressed into the corner of the living room. His brothers were already in bed, but Eythan couldn’t sleep. How could he? His dreams were filled with visions of his father’s vacant eyes and whispers that it was his fault that he died.
He had done exactly what his father has trained him to do: he had performed all of the necessary procedures, called to others for help when he had reached his limit, and prayed to Ioun all night for a miracle.
Yet it didn’t change anything.
He was your cleric…your loyal follower. He’s the last person who should have ever… Tears welled up in Eythan’s eyes, and he rubbed them away furiously. He hated that he couldn’t stop crying. He hated that he felt so powerless to do anything. He hated Ioun for failing him.
“Eythan?”
He looked up to see Tomas standing in the doorway, his blanket wrapped around him and his stuffed rabbit hanging from his hand. Although Judah had convinced him that they were too old for toys long ago, Eythan knew that he still brought it out whenever he was upset.
“You should be in bed,” Eythan said, his voice cracking.
“You should, too.”
Eythan nodded and beckoned for Tomas to come over. His youngest brother walked over and sat down, leaning up against him. He wrapped his blanket around the both of them and hugged his rabbit.
“I can’t sleep,” Tomas whispered. He buried his head into Eythan’s shoulder and sniffled.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Eythan held him closer and rested his chin on his brother’s head silently as he cried. They sat together for a few hours, fighting the need to sleep so they didn’t feel alone in their nightmares.
A knock on the door startled Eythan out of his dozing. His eyesight adjusted quickly in the dark as he tried to get to his feet, but he was weighed down by Tomas, who had been able to fall asleep comfortably. He heard his mother’s quiet footsteps rush down the hall and imagined her peeking through the eyehole in the door to see who was visiting in the middle of the night.
“Chancellor Krause,” his mother started, her voice raspy. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m sorry for coming so late, but the mortician’s tests have just come back, and I wanted to talk to you right away. May I come in?”
“Yes, please, come this way. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay quiet. The boys are having a hard time sleeping since…”
“I completely understand, Dahlia.”
The two of them walked past the living room and into the kitchen. Eythan caught sight of his mother and the chancellor as they passed. She looked ragged; her face puffy from crying and her hair a tangled mess. The chancellor, however, looked like he was always prepared for business. His hair was nearly combed and he wore his official uniform. The gold accents on his jacket flickered as his mother lit up a lantern.
Although the house had grown uncomfortably quiet with his father’s absence, their hushed tones were easily drowned out by the white noise of the furnace. Eythan shuffled over, dragging Tomas carefully with him as he leaned against the wall to listen closer.
“You’re husband passed due to respiratory and muscle failure…unknown substance in your husband’s system…could have been contracted through the air, or ingested, or absorbed…” Krause explained softly.
Eythan strained to listen closer. He could barely hear Krause, but was certain that he heard the word “poison” whisper past his lips and hang heavy in the air. It would explain why everything he had done didn’t save his father. He would have needed an antidote or a miracle.
Ioun…
“I know this is hard to talk about right now…” Krause said more clearly, “but I have to rule out any foul play in this tragedy. Do you know of anyone that may have wanted to harm your husband?”
“No! Why would anyone –” his mother started. “He was loved by everyone. I couldn’t imagine anyone who would want to hurt him.”
“You haven’t noticed any suspicious activity near or around the temple?”
“No, of course not.”
“Or in the home?” There was another pause as his mother didn’t reply. “I would like to talk to your sons and ask them about what they recall of the last few days. They’re bright boys. They may have noticed something while at school or at the temple.”
“Yes, of course. You can come by tomorrow afternoon. Thank you.”
“We will get to the bottom of this.” With that, Chancellor Krause stood up and left, leaving his mother sitting alone at the table. Eythan looked up and saw Judah in the shadows, standing with his back up against the hallway to eavesdrop without being seen; and although it was dark in the hall, Eythan could make out the worried expression on his brother’s face.
He shared the same sentiment.
***
Eythan sat at the kitchen table, bouncing his legs up and down anxiously as he waited for Chancellor Krause to arrive. As he was the oldest son, he would be interviewed first. His mother had spent time that morning styling his hair to try and hide the two black horns that were now too long to ignore. She eventually gave up and had him wear a knit hat.
Other than that, he was dressed in a clean white dress-shirt and his best pants. It was to put on a good impression for Krause. Apparently his mother believed that the uneasy feeling people felt around him may be thwarted with nice clothes.
Eythan jumped in his seat when he heard the knock on the door; the same rapid four knocks he had hear the night before. His mother gave him a smile and nodded her head, reassuring him that everything is fine. He dug the heels of his hands against his eyes to try and rub away the dark circles from a long night of no sleep. Then, he let out a deep breath and prepared to dive back into his nightmares.
Chancellor Krause was in the same uniform that he was wearing the previous night. Eythan wondered briefly if he ever changed into more comfortable clothes. Now in the light, he could see that Krause he looked young for his position. However, looks were deceiving, and Eythan knew that the chancellor had years of experience.
“Good morning, sir,” Eythan said as he held out his hand.
“Good morning, Eythan,” he said as he sat down across from him. He didn’t accept the handshake. “Did you rest well last night?”
“No, but I’ve always been a light sleeper.”
His mother frowned over Krause’s shoulder, and Eythan knew that she didn’t like his answer. “Don’t give him a reason to pry ,” he imagined her thinking. She was always so paranoid that someone would learn the truth. He furrowed his brow in response.
“Dahlia, if you don’t mind, I would like to continue with Eythan alone.”
“Of course,” she said stiffly. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the other room.”
All of the comfort of his mother’s presence vanished. Now he was alone to trudge through the gory details of his father’s death. He steeled himself for the interrogation.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Krause said with a frown. “I can’t imagine the pain that your family is going through. Your father was a wonderful man.”
“We all miss him a lot.”
The chancellor opened up his notebook. “Were you close to your father?”
Eythan nodded. “I spent every day with him in the temple. He was teaching me the ways of being a Cleric for Ioun.” Although it was never explicitly said, Eythan was certain his father was preparing him to follow in his footsteps.
He never expected it would come so soon.
“I see.” The chancellor smiled, and Eythan could see a gold tooth glisten. “What sorts of things did he teach you?”
“I mostly helped him sanctify the temple, and he would make me practice the proper prayers and rituals. Dad had just finished teaching me how to do basic healing and was about to start teaching me the potions and salves in his books.”
“How long have you been training as a cleric?”
“About four years ago. It was shortly after I became too sick to go to school.” It was a well-practiced lie. It was the only way to explain why the adopted son of Levi and Dahlia suddenly stopped being out in public.
“How is your illness, by the way? I do believe I saw you at the funeral,” Krause pressed, jotting down Eythan’s answers into his notebook. Eythan hated how much he was writing.
“Dad was working on a cure before he…” His voice broke. He took a breath. “I’ll probably be too sick to ever go outdoors again.”
Chancellor Krause nodded solemnly. “I understand. So, you spend most of your time in the house or in the temple. How quickly can you get from one place to another?”
Eythan narrowed his eyes slightly. “That’s a strange question.”
The chancellor smiled. “I’m sorry, let me rephrase. You were the first on the scene to find your father, correct? How long did it take you to get from your house to the temple?”
“I’m not sure, I wasn’t exactly paying attention. If I knew he was in trouble and was running, I could be there is under a minute –”
“You didn’t know he was there?”
“I had a hunch. Dad always goes…” he paused and took a shaky breath. “He always went to the temple at dawn to prepare for the day. When he wasn’t in the house I assumed he went there early.”
“So, it’s typical for your father to be up that early…” Krause made a note in his journal and nodded. “Okay. Let’s walk through that morning. Tell me everything you can remember.” Eythan shuddered and nodded, explaining that horrific morning in as much detail as possible, from how he woke up earlier than normal, to how he followed – literally – in his father’s footsteps, to what he did when he found his dad in the temple. He had to pause a few times to rub his eyes or clear his throat.
Chancellor Krause was silent through the entire tale, carefully keeping track of all details. Once Eythan was finished, he apologized for making him go through the ordeal again.
“I hope you understand why I asked you to do such a difficult task.”
“I do.”
“I have one last question before we wrap up. Have you noticed anything suspicious near the house or temple? Any strangers that gave you an…uncomfortable feeling?”
Eythan shook his head. “Dad is…was the type of person who would invite anyone to the temple if they needed assistance. But he wouldn’t let someone in the house that he didn’t trust.”
“Thank you so much for your cooperation, Eythan. Everything you’ve shared will be helpful for the investigation.”
“Yeah, of course. So, is this going to help you know who poisoned my dad?”
Krause raised his eyebrows. “What makes you believe your father was poisoned?”
“I was up the night you came to visit Mom and heard you mention that he had an allergic reaction from poison. You think he could have been murdered, since you’re asking about suspicious people around the temple, right?”
“Murder is certainly something we can’t rule out,” Krause said carefully as he closed his notebook. “I would like to talk to your brothers to see what they have to say. Can you go summon one for me?”
Eythan nodded and stood up, bowing his head to the chancellor before walking back into his bedroom where his family was waiting. Tomas was hunched over writing in his journal, and Judah was pacing back and forth.
“So?” Dahlia asked as he entered.
“He wants to talk to Judah and Tomas.”
“I’ll go first,” Judah said, pushing past Eythan quickly. “I’m older.”
“By ten minutes,” Tomas said indignantly. Even when in a state of grief, he had to defend his age.
Eythan sat down on the bed next to his mother and leaned on his knees, resting his head in his hands. He bit his lip as tears fell. Dahlia rubbed her son’s back as they listened to Judah introduce himself.
***
Eythan picked at the scrambled eggs on his plate. He scooped some up on his fork and forced himself to eat it. Dad would have wanted me to eat them, so I’ll eat them.
His brothers followed suit quietly, with only the clinking of metal to break the silence. Their mother stood at the stove, scrambling eggs tiredly for herself.
There was loud banging on the front door, causing them all to jump.
“I’ll get it,” Judah said as he stood up and went to the door. He returned shortly after with Chancellor Krause and three guards in tow.
“What’s going on?” Dahlia asked as the four men entered her home.
“We are here to arrest Eythan Addler for the murder of Levi Addler,” Krause said firmly as he looked at Eythan.
Eythan stared in shock at his mother and then at the chancellor. What?
“What is the meaning of this?!” Dahlia gasped, nearly dropping the skillet onto the floor.
The two guards approached Eythan, and he jumped up from his seat. He wanted to run, but running would only make him look guiltier, so he stood his ground.
“There’s been a mistake,” he said firmly, trying to steel his nerves. “I would never hurt my dad.”
“You have the right to remain silent,” one guard said as he reached for Eythan. He shrugged away and glared.
“I have no reason to stay silent! I’m innocent!”
“My children have nothing to do with this!” His mother’s voice was vicious as she approached Krause, and Eythan fought back a small smile. She did care about him, even if she was afraid of him.
“We have evidence to believe that isn’t true,” the leader said calmly. His eyes moved up to lock on Eythan’s horns.
All of the blood drained from Eythan’s face as he realized that he wasn’t wearing a cloak or hat to cover himself. In that moment he understood that he would be arrested not because they believed he was the murderer, but because of his bloodline. They would try to pin the crime on him to kill two birds with one stone.
“There may come a time where others may fear you," Levi's voice whispered in his memory. "Do not let them bring you down. Stay strong and stand proud, because you are an Addler.”
Eythan closed his eyes. Two of the guards wrap manacles around his wrists and they roughly pulled him out of the kitchen. Tomas cried out for him and was restrained by the third guard, while his mother demanded that Krause let him go.
Everything will be okay, Tomas, Eythan thought silently to himself, wishing that his brother would somehow hear him and feel at ease. We’ll figure this out, I promise.
As they dragged him past, Eythan saw how none of the guards seemed to be concerned about Judah, who hung back and kept his gaze lowered.
“Judah,” he said, and his brother flinched. But he didn’t look up to watch the guards take Eythan out of the house and into the streets, where bystanders were already gathering to gawk as the son of their beloved Cleric to Ioun was dragged to the prison.