Game of Dice and Dominos (Domino Series #1)

"My freedom?" Timo widened his eyes. "Why did my father want to protect my freedom? What was my father protecting me from?"

The Elder One was silent as his mouth curved into a crooked, curved line -- perhaps this was his way of smiling. Even though his whole body was wrapped in his clothes, the Elder One still lacked any sort of warmth. It could just be the chills he was giving off.

He took a long sip, then offered to pour Timo a cup of tea.

"No thank you." He lifted his hand, his palm facing the Elder One, and slowly shook his head. Scrunching his eyebrows, he decided to try asking something else instead, "How come you know so much about me?"

Another crooked smile greeted him but this time, he was met with a response shortly after.

"Current events, young Truscott," the Elder One started. "The Ivory Confederation is an alliance among five clans: Vandarrick, Gundarsen, Aldrige, Maighadom, and your own, Truscott. We were bound to find out if one of the heirs from our side was missing."

The Elder One furrowed his eyebrows as if something caught his mind.

"I'm afraid that, should I keep you longer, the consequences may be dire. Do you have any more questions before we go our separate ways?"

He didn't have to think about his question. It had never left him ever since he met Zara and Dark, and ever since he knew about the war. He knew he wouldn't get an answer, but if this is what he was meant to do, he had to ask. Someone must know the answer, right?

"How do I stop this war?" Timo blurted.

"The question is not on how you could stop it..." He paused. "But, if you would. You know nothing of this realm, yet are you certain that you want to fight while saving it?"

Silence engulfed the Elder One's office. However, he was the one who decided to break it.

"Dear young Truscott, I'm afraid I cannot keep you here any longer. You may want to regroup with your companions." The Elder One stood up and bowed his head as Timo got up from the chair and went through the door.

Zara and Marcus have kept their word -- they were close by. As Timo had exited the Elder One's office, he saw them immediately.

Once again, their boots thumped on the wooden floors, similar to how his heart was pounding as it skipped a beat.

"Why did you bring me here?" he murmured but he wasn't given an answer. Perhaps they didn't hear him.

The door clicked as Zara pulled it to close. They were back amongst the sea of warmly clothed people and strangely, their disinterest comforted him.

He looked down at his shoes as they walked back to the entrance of the Nachtkinderen Village. Its once glossy-black sheen was now covered in mud and dust. How did he end up here and in this state? He barely knew anything and was at the mercy of his captors.

Have faith in your companions. The Elder One's voice echoed in his head.

"The elder of the village wanted to thank us for saving them from the Everlunes," Zara decided to answer.

So she had heard him.

She continued, "He also wanted to meet the heir of Truscott personally, you know, to see if the rumors were true--"

"Why--" Timo started in a hushed yell. "Why am I here? Why did you bring me back to this place -- to-to Domino -- when I was sent away on purpose?" He gritted his teeth, refusing to look up.

"'On purpose', 'coz there is a purpose." Marcus raised his voice as he interjected.

Your father desired to protect you.

"Don't tell me the purpose is to put an end to your war, because I am tired of it. That's all I've been hearing for the past -- I don't know how long!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "I'm expected to end a war which I don't know why or how it started, in a place I know nothing of. How do you all expect me to do that?"

"Calm down, Timo. Please just understand that you are here for a reason. And you won't have to end it alone, remember, the Everlune heiress is yet to come fight on our side." Marcus grabbed a hold of his shoulders, slightly shaking him.

"I don't care about the heiress." Timo took a deep breath, "I just... If my parents truly cared about me, why did they send me off? What reason did my father have for deciding he didn't want me anymore?"

When Timo wasn't met with a response, he continued to fume.

"Why won't any of you tell me anything? How am I supposed to end a war when I don't even know anything about this world? How does everyone expect me to--"

Arms suddenly wrapped around him and a chin perched on his shoulder. Zara was hugging him tight. Timo was taken aback by what was happening and even as she retracted from their embrace, he still stood frozen on the spot.

A cold metal poked his chest once again as Zara briefly placed a hand over his heart.

"Don't worry. You'll figure things out soon enough. I mean, being the smartass that you are, this is gonna be a piece of cake for ya!" She flashed him a sideways grin before she faced her front and walked back the way they came.

A hand weighted on Timo's shoulder. He turned his head to see that it was Marcus'.

"You alright there, pal?" Marcus inquired as he tapped Timo's shoulder and then placed his hands on his waist.

"Yeah," he said under his breath as they followed behind Zara.

They walk the rest of their way back quietly. Footsteps echoed as they entered the stone cave. Pale light from the lanterns hanging on their shone just enough to keep Timo from falling. He kept his head down as they were walking, only looking up once they had stopped.

Stone grated against stone as the archway opened up, the afternoon sunlight washing in the dim-lit cave. A tall figure greeted them, his shadow casting on the stone ground as the light poured into the cave.

As Timo's eyes adjusted to the brightness, he recognized the figure to be Dark. He had two duffle bags on each shoulder and one backpack strapped behind him. Timo followed Dark's gaze to find that he was glaring at Zara, but her eyes didn't meet his. After a few moments had passed, Dark looked away and decided to speak.

"I've sent word to Rory that we'll be moving on now. We need to collect supplies and equipment from Damien's booth, and we can't fall behind or the portal will close." He sighed. "We've already lost so much time here, so we better move fast if we want to make it back to the Chateau on time. No more delays." He tossed the two duffel bags to Marcus as they exited the stone archway.

"Sir, yes, sir!" Marcus mock-saluted.

"Would you quit that?"

"Sir, no, sir!"

"Let's go," Zara said dismissively, darting past them.

Leaves crunched and twigs snapped under their feet as they took another hike into the forest, but in another direction.

From her pocket, Zara fished out what seemed to be a single lens detached from an eyeglass frame. She held the top and bottom edges with her index finger and her thumb while holding it out in random directions.

As soon as a swampy green orb with a black diamond center — which strangely resembled an eye, of sorts — appeared in the lens, her arm remained in that position and she started toward the direction where her arm pointed. Their group followed through without question.

They were led to another glade where a lake sat in the middle. Silver water reflected the soft, warm rays of the setting sun.

"Hurry it up, Zee, we literally haven't gone all day." Dark interrupted Timo's thoughts.

Timo looked over at Zara to find that she was sticking out her arm in all different angles again.

She answered without tearing away her gaze from the lens. "Yeah, yeah, hold your" — she turned her head towards Dark, smirked, and said a single word that somehow agitated him even more — "horses."

The black diamond inside the swampy green orb appeared on the lens Zara was holding. She was pointing it toward the lake and was now walking toward it — walking into it, as if she were going down a stairway.

Dark sighed and followed her down the lake. Marcus was right behind them but he stopped in his tracks and looked back at Timo who was frozen on the spot.

"Come on, pal. You gotta use those legs at some point."

Timo shook his head to get out of his daze but said nothing.

"Don't worry, you won't drown." Marcus said, dragging Timo by his wrist, leading him down the mysterious hydro-stairwell.

As they completely descend into the lake, Timo found himself in a crystal labyrinth, Marcus still tugging at his wrist. With mirrors for walls and floors, he could see a thousand versions of him staring back with the same puzzled expression.

"Where are we?" he questioned.

"I told you we wouldn't drown." Marcus smirked.

"Let go of me! Where are you taking me?"

"Don't wander off now." Marcus said as he dropped Timo's wrist. "You don't wanna get lost in here, now."

"And why is that?" Timo scrunched his eyebrows.

"See that thing Zara's holding out like a phone with no reception?" Marcus pointed at their front, where Zara and Dark were leading the way.

"Yes. What of it?"

"That's our ticket outta here." Marcus snapped his fingers. "As long as that crocodile eye is on that lens, she'll be able to lead us through the portal and out on the other side."

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

Their shoes clomped on the crystal pathway as they turned a left. Then a right. Then another right. Wherever they turned, he always saw his reflections.

But he knew all too well that they weren't him.

One of them wore a pristine white lab gown with a stethoscope around his neck; Timo's untamed blond hair could be compared to his neat, waxed hair, as a doctor should have. In another reflection, Timo's muddy shoes were clean and polished. He even had a smooth tuxedo to match with a signature smile, one Timo knew he wouldn't be able to perfect even if he tried. In all of these reflections, Timo was a different person, but their actions mimicked each other.

What did all these reflections mean? Why were there different versions of him everywhere he turned his head?

Timo froze.

Standing still, all he could hear was his loud breathing. The clicking of other footsteps disappeared.

Rushing towards the next fork in the road, he had only heard his own footsteps echoed by the drumming of his heart.

Slowing down, he veered right, hoping it was the way they went.

A beam of white light shone at the end of the corridor. Timo quickened his pace, squinting at the brightness.

Could that be the portal Marcus was talking about?

He could only hope before he found out. 

[Word Count: 1896]