To hell and back (Invite only)

Ric apparated back to his manor with a tight grip on Aldans arm. How could his brother, the only living relative he had that he thought didn't want to kill him join the enemy? He growled and let go of Aldans arm with a slight push. "You can stay here until the war is over and when i return we're going to talk!" He said before apparated out of the dungeons, leaving Aldan in pitch black.
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An hour or so later Ric returned to his house to get changed from his Mauis robes to something more comfortable. Then after he'd poured himself a glass of firewhiskey he headed down to the dungeons to speak with his brother.

Aldan should have known his luck would run out the minute he'd started helping on the actual battle field as a protector. It had start out fine until he had come face to face with his brother. Normally quite used to his brother's encouraging face, he was taken aback and intimidated by the pure rage on him.

He yelped as his arm was grabbed in a death grip and he felt the familiar apparation hit before he stumbled, finding himself in their dungeons (which he'd always though to be quite odd) and locked in.

Looking at his brother's retreating back he felt angry at this sort of treatment and he kicked at the bars, only to grimace as pain shot up through his leg. Bad move.

Miserable from being caught and taken off the field (and possibly trapped down here) he slid down onto the floor and wrapped his arms around his legs unhappily, glaring daggers at Asric when he finally saw him.

"Would've been more appropriate to ground me to my room you know," he said sarcastically.

He ignored his brothers comment and took a deep breath to calm himself. "What! Were you thinking?!" He asked taking up pacing. "What you thought one brother trying to kill us wasn't enough?" He asked stopping to look at his brother. "You just wanted to break the family up even more? What Aldan? What possible reason did you have to go against me?" He asked, after everything he'd done for the kid.

Aldan looked annoyed at the accusations. He hadn't been trying to ruin his relationship with his brother, nor did he fancy getting killed by his other brother. "Look, I've always liked muggles. I don't see any reason to kill them Ric. If I wanted to break the family up I would have told you, but I kept it hidden from you because I knew you'd flip at me." he snapped. "I don't want you to kill innocent muggles."

"Innocent muggles? They started this war Aldan, i was all for living in peace with them but thats never going to happen. Muggles are narrow minded and can't stand the fact we were given power they don't have!" He explained.

"Its those innocent muggles that are killing their own children who show signs of magic, it is those muggles that kill wizards on sight because they're too afraid to understand us. We've lost our parents to muggles, my apprentice has lost his sister through muggles. How many more people are you going to allow to die because you want to make friends with people who want nothing more than to kill you?" He asked.

"I won't let you or anyone else die because you believed in muggles. Muggles wont change just because you're nice to them. Their minds have already been brainwashed against us. Nothings going to change that and its about time you realised that."

"Not all muggles want to kill wizards and witches!" Aldan retorted angrily. He stood up, ignoring the sharp pain in his leg from having kicked the bars. He must have thrown it out when he'd done so. "Not every person on this planet who has not a drop of magical blood can be blamed for it. That's like our other brother claiming that I was of the same mind as you, because of my last name and blood."

"Just get me out of this damn cell already," he said. "You can't stop me from trying to at least protect those who deserve protection."

"We're not targeting the muggle race Aldan. We're saving our own race, we're out numbers probably 10 to one. We need muggles to keep our race going we know that, which is why we're only targeting the muggle group known as Exodus 22. They are the only threat we see." He explained.

"I'm making the world a better place for my son or daughter to grow up into. That's not a crime Aldan." He said, he just wanted his family to grow into a better world than he was. "Actually i can, being your guardian and headmaster of the school means i have enough power to do what i like. Its about time you grew up Aldan and learned to see the real world. Its not all painted black and white you know."

"Exodus 22?" Aldan asked, having never heard the name before. Passion might have mentioned the group and he cringed. "Soph is already pregnant. You'd only be bringing your kid into a warzone by the time they were born!" he snapped. "I know it's not painted black and white, hence why I'm trying to stop any kind of battle. I don't want to kill and I don't want you to either!"

"Yes, have you never read the bible?" He asked, quite surprised because his father had read him it just so he could know all peoples beliefs. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. They think we've stolen God;s power and claimed it for ourselves. They believe only killing us will send that power back where it belongs." He explained. "They are mental and should be stopped before they take anymore innocent lives."

"The more reason to fight now! The quicker we sort this mess out the easier it will be and you are only stopping us from achieving a better life." He said sliding down the opposite wall into a sitting postition. "Do you want your niece or nephew growing up into a war zone? Its your choice."

"Its too late for me Aldan, i've allowed and watched people die. I've even killed people, you can't erase my past, no one can. But im not a monster, i've only allowed it when its necessary. Death isn't to be taken lightly." He said looking up at his brother. "I'll let you out of here on one condition," He said bringing his knees up to his chest to lean his arms on. "Spy on the Protectores for me."

"I try to avoid it," Aldan said in annoyance. "What with me being able to remember everything I really didn't want to remember religion." He thought religion was an annoyance in itself but he didn't say anything as he heard the quote. "Then work on ways to prevent any chance, don't outright kill someone in defiance," he retorted.

Aldan fell silent at his brother's words and he stared incredulously at the man who had taken guardianship of him when their parents had been murdered --by muggles, the ones Aldan was swearing to protect.

"Why should I spy on them?" he hissed. "You'll gain nothing of it Ric."

"We all try to avoid it but the point is, we can't. With the muggles attacking us from all sides its everywhere, they wont allow us to forget." He said rubbing his eyes, he desperately needed to get his sleeping patterns sorted out.

"We kill when necessary Aldan. Not for fun or whatever reason you think. They shoot and ask questions later, we can't afford to give them leway just because you think they can change. Its not going to happen Aldan and its about time you realised that. When the muggles stop killing, i'll stop fighting them."

"What would you suggest? Go around wiping all their memories? Cause thats not possible, theres far too many of them for us to do that. This is the only way."

"We need to know what their plans are. Think of it this way, if we know what they're doing then maybe we can help. They won't knowingly tell us because they don't know or understand our aims and they don't want to either. Help me out and i'll let you out." He said looking around the room. "I don't know about you but this really isn't a nice place to live. I forgot about this place. Maybe i should give it a lick of paint for you."

"Something has to be better than killing them," argued Aldan. It was odd, hearing his brother talk like this. Before joining the Protectors he'd respected Asric a lot, grateful that the man had let him live with him. Now, he was still of the same mind but he'd missed his outings to the muggle world, had feared Asric finding out that he'd joined that order, but it had happened and now he was stuck dealing with the consequences.

"They've already suspected that I could be a traitor to them, how exactly would you know I'm not betraying you?" he asked sarcastically. He didn't want to betray the group that had shared his views, but he didn't want to stay trapped in this hellhole. Perhaps he could lie to Ric when he got out, tell him false clues. Not something he'd enjoy doing, but it could work.

"Why would you even do this to your own brother?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Just because I share different views, you're locking me up in a prison-cell?"

"Okay then what would you suggest? Locking them up? Torturing their loved ones so they behave themselves? I know what i'd prefer if i were a muggle." He said, he honestly didn't see any other solution because if he did he would kill. He only ever killed when it suited man kind.

"Im not stupid Aldan, you're not leaving this room until you swear to be loyal to me and our family. In fact only committing to the unbreakable vow will get you out. Far too much has happened in the past and im not taking chances this time."

"I'm trying to protect you. You wont see it now but in time when things become a little more clearer you will. One day you'll thank me for this and you'll be glad i did it." He said getting to his feet. "No your views make you who you are, im not going to hate you for that. Im just going to stop you so you don't get hurt." He said moving over to him and holding out his hand.

"Take the vow and i'll let you go."

It was a good point, however he didn't feel like telling his brother that dying was better than torture. He sighed and nearly dropped his head into his knees when Asric started saying loyalty and swearing. Shit, he wasn't...

"The unbreakable vow?" he asked incredulously. "You want me to swear on my life and magic for this? How is this supposed to protect me if I accidentally break it?" Merlin this was... This was unreal. How could Asric ask them of him in exchange for his freedom?

He looked at his older brother and guardian searchingly and warily. Could Aldan really do this? At the very least he wasn't being forced to actively spy on the order but if he did go to the meetings, or know when the meetings and information were because of another member, he couldn't withhold it if the vow demanded his loyalty to his only family.

"If you're as smart as I know you are you won't break it." he said looking at his little brother, he was almost as stubborn as he was so he knew exactly what he was like. "Im not asking you to spy, I'm asking you to stay away from them but should you chose to disobey me then I want to know what they're planning." He said resting his elbows on his knees.

"It's not too much to ask Aldan."

Aldan stared at Asric silently, his mind whirling with so many thoughts in one single moment that he felt his head was going to burst out of his head. His brother was asking him to promise his life and magic for loyalty. It wasn't demanding him to spy unless he disobeyed his guardian and attended the meetings. He was more worried should he discover something about the protectors as a member and thus be forced to tell his brother. He just had to find a loophole, right?

"I'll..." he hesitated before sighing. "Fine, I'll do it. I'll take the damn vow."

Ric sat silently waiting for the answer he'd knew he'd get. He knew, if his brother was anything like him, that another minute in this place was more than enough to drive him crazy. So he wasn't surprised when he agreed. "You'll thank me one day when you realise muggles arent as good as they make out." He said getting to his feet and holding his hand out to his brother.

He studied Asric carefully before the 11-year-old slowly stood up, wincing only slightly as he remembered kicking the bars and hurting his foot. Whatever, it was probably going to bruise though. He wasnt ready to forgive the man for throwing him into this dump, but he would take the vow and avoid Asric and the Protectors at all cost.

He hesitated before taking the hand, not sure why he would go against his will to fight for his belief like this.

He pulled out his wand and cast a spell sending a silver rope wrapping both their hands together. "Do you Aldan Chaos promise to deliver the Protectus' secrets and promise to never hold anything back? He asked looking his brother in the eye. He wanted him to know he was serious about what he was asking.

Aldan gripped the hand of his older brother slightly tightly as the spell began it's wounding around their hands as if a snake slyly waiting to strike, to take it's moment at the right time. Merlin could he truly do this? The wording was careful and as a Ravenclaw, he knew he would find seldom any loopholes.

Finally he met his brother in the eye at the end of the vow's promise and he knew this was serious. This was his life, his magic, and his entire being resting on the vow the minute he opened his mouth.

"...I do," However much he really didn't want to. He said the agreeing words that tied his magic to the promise and he instantly knew he'd be betraying the protectors before he even opened his mouth.

"Passion Rose is the leader of Protectores Mundi," he said, closing his eyes tightly as he began to spew the secrets of the group, compelled by his magic and by the vow. He only hoped he didn't make too much of an impact on this war with this vow.