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This is a list of locations that can be found in Shadows of The Forgotten.
[Raven's Nest - Otium 18, late afternoon]
Luckas sighed, holding back a laugh. They had been doing this for a while now; Lily had found him the moment he arrived in the Nest and been following him around ever since, chasing him for a bit then standing in front of him, staring for a few seconds, then yawning vigorously. After some time of making the girl chase him down for this; with no explanation as to why whatsoever, Luckas finally stopped trying to get away and just sat down by the oak, compliant, watching as she stared at him for long periods of time and then let out another exaggerated yawn, Stalker joining the girl in her yawning and eventually just curling up beside Luckas and taking a nap. Finally, Lily threw her arms up in the air in clear frustration and stormed off. Luckas was intrigued, so he jumped to his feet and went off after her.
Lily hadnât gone far, she was standing beside an amused looking Jason, arms crossed and a severe expression that was a clear imitation of the one Jess would give the children at bedtime. âIt doesnât work!â
âThereâs nothing wrong with the test, Lily.â The boy responded as if not wanting to explain anything more than that.
âNuh-uh!â Lily protested. âI did just like you said and it didnât work at all.â
âOkay...â Luckas snorted a laugh. âWhat is going here? What was that all about with the yawning and why are you two arguing?â
âItâs an empathy test,â Jason explained.
âAn empathy tes-...â Luckas cut himself off, a look of understanding spreading across his features slowly. âI see.â Luke sighed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. âWell, it doesnât mean something is wrong with the test, Miss Lily... It just means I didnât pass.â
The girl shook her head stubbornly. âThatâs not right. Because youâre not mean so you should pass!â She argued.
Luke arched an eyebrow at the girl. âIs this an empathy test or a meanness test, hm?â He questioned playfully. âListen, kid, it doesnât mean I donât have any empathy. I just have... a lot less of it than most people. So your test wouldnât work on me because tests are made for regular people. You understand? Either way, not having empathy doesnât necessarily mean a person is bad. It means itâs easier for them to do bad things because they wouldnât feel bad about them.â
âBut I think you have lots of empathy! You do nice things all the time.â Lily argued. âYou tell us stories, and you help Jess with Danny even if you donât really have to... And you make Miss Ess smile all the time... and stuff...â
Luckas snickered. âDo I? Huuh...â He mumbled, scratching his head playfully as though he hadnât actually noticed these things before. âWeeeird.â Noting the girlâs confused expression Luckas sighed crouching down to her level. âListen, Little Miss, Iâm nice to you because I like you, yes? I like Miss Ess... and Jess is just very, very, bossy, you know? Itâs easy being good to people you like. Good people are good even when itâs not easy. Thatâs something I canât do.â
Lily frowned a bit as she thought about Lukeâs words, making a face as if she had tasted something bitter. âAre you saying that to be good you have to be nice to people even if you donât like them?â
Luckas laughed at the girlâs expression. âNah, Miss Lily, thatâs not what Iâm saying. Iâm saying that good people donât do bad things to people just because they donât like them, or because they can. They would feel bad if they did.â He asked, standing up straight and waiting for her to nod in response before starting to walk back the way he came, purposely keeping his pace relaxed, knowing that the questioning wasnât quite over yet.
âSo youâve done bad things to people just âcause you didnât like them?â Lily asked, following after Luckas.
âSometimes. More often than that because I could.â
âWhy?â
âWhy not?â Luckas retorted, his tone almost bitter, yet he halted and glanced at the girl with the corner of his eye, softening his next words. âThatâs what empathyâs for, Miss Lily. It tells you why not.â
âMister Luckas... Why do some people donât have empathy then?â The girl asked.
Luckas shrugged casually and resumed walking. âI donât think anyone knows, Miss Lily. Some people say that you are either born with empathy or not. Others think that people learn empathy from their parents when theyâre still babies and that if something really bad happens then, or if they have no one to teach them, they never learn. Nobody knows which is true, though.â
âMy Mommy and my Da taught me then!â Lily stated proudly. âYou didnât have a mommy to teach you?â
Luckas snorted slightly. âNot really.â
âIs she in Heaven like my mommy?â
âNo,â Luckas mumbled. âNo, sheâs... Sheâs alive, but... She wasnât a very good mommy. See, she didnât want to take care of me or my brother; so she gave us away to some bad people.â
âLike the bad people taking children away now?â
Luckas frowned deeply but kept his tone relaxed. âYou heard about that, huh?â
âWe hear lots of things. Jess says weâre not supposed to, but...â
âI see,â Luckas smirked, a little bit amused. He stopped walking as he reached his spot by the oak and was greeted by Stalker lazily getting up from his nap to lick his hand. Luke scratched behind the wolfâs ears and sighed, unable to lie to the girl; even about this. âYes, those people were something like that.â
âHow could she do that?â Lily asked, clinging to Stalker as if he was a giant teddy bear and peeking at Luckas from behind a cover of black fluff.
âShe had no empathy; not for us anyway.â Luke shrugged, sitting down by the tree and forcing a smile that was rather unconvincing. âYou shouldnât worry about that, it was a very long time ago.â
âWell, you know what? You have lots more empathy than she did.â Lily stated firmly. âSo you didnât need her to teach you anyways.â
Luckas shook his head but agreed with the girl, not wanting to extend that conversation any more than necessary. âI suppose youâre right Miss Lily.â Luke went silent for a little while before smiling wickedly at the girl. âYou know what, I could really use some tea right now. Should we have some tea, Miss Lily?â
Lilyâs eyes lit up in excitement as she vigorously nodded. âOkay! Wait here, Iâll be right back!â She exclaimed, running off towards the Captainâs cabin.
Luckas watched the girl wander off, his expression darkening considerably now that she couldnât see him anymore; a reddish hue lingering underneath the dark of his eyes.
------------
[Raven's Nest - Otium 18, early evening]
Luckasâ spirits had lifted considerably while having âteaâ with miss Lily. For the most part, he had let the girl talk his ears off about all the new people gracing the Nest with their presence and how she had tried to sneak a look at the Queen but was caught by Jess before she could manage a peek. Luckasâ interest in Ella or Jakeâs prisoners was barely existent and his only addition to the conversation at this point was to stress the fact Lily should absolutely not go near any prisoners under any circumstance. The girl rolled her eyes at him but agreed. After a while, Jess came by to break up their play date and Lily gathered her things in a hurry to join the other kids for supper, telling Luckas he could keep the shiny paper crown sheâd given him to wear. It was a nice looking piece of sparkly paper, and Luke held on to it, even though he didnât quite see himself as a crown-wearing kind of guy.
It didnât strike him as odd that he hadnât seen Ess since he arrived in the Nest, or the amount of drills the Ravens had been running lately. He knew better than anyone that all hell was going to break loose soon enough. It only made sense that the camp be this busy. While usually Luckas would have made it a point to find her, even if just to see what she was doing, this time, he decided to just wait by the oak and enjoy a quiet moment. Those plans were almost immediately thwarted by a loud sneeze and an annoyed whine.
âHey, Tala...â Luckas sighed. âI know, I forgot to change, I smell wrong. Just deal with it, alright? I had a rough couple of days, I just want some quiet.â
Tala let out a short bark, and continued sniffing and prodding Luckas, whining in protest to his scent and when it became clear to the wolf that the man wasnât going to anything about his âconditionâ, she took action herself, persistently rubbing her fur against the manâs clothes face and hair.
âUgh, Tala, no, stop it,â Luckas complained, shoving the wolf aside and getting up on his feet. âFine, for fuck's sake, Iâll go wash up.â He muttered, retrieving a clean set of clothes and the boots Ess had given him from his travel bag and starting towards the river. âIâm not one of your pups, you know? Just because you stopped trying to bite my face off doesnât mean I have to listen to you.â
Tala barked in response, following after Luckas and still sniffing at his heels.
âKnock it off,â Luckas mumbled, glaring at the wolf. âYou couldnât just cut me a little slack for once, could ya? Noooo... â He continued to mutter at the wolf under his breath as they reached a more secluded area in the outskirts of the camp. He nudged Stalker, the wolf tracking ahead to make sure there was no one currently at the water pool. It was unlikely, but seeing as some of the women in the camp often bathed there heâd rather not risk it. The wolfâs short howl told Luckas that the area was clear and the man continued on, annoyance still clear in his voice as he mumbled to himself. âAs if I didnât have enough to worry about... No one would even notice if you didnât make such a big deal every time... bloody wolf...â
Luckas was quick to strip naked and get in the pool, feeling a bit of shock from the cold water as he sunk in and exhaling sharply as it subsided. The idea of bathing in the Nest was unappealing to him for several reasons, but most of all because if anyone so much as glimpsed the mark on the back of his shoulder he would be done for. âDo you have any idea, the risk youâre making me take? Hm? Maybe you are still trying to kill me.â He muttered at Tala, resting both arms on the edge of the pool and glaring at the wolf. Tala responded with a snort, inching closer and taking a whiff of Lukeâs hair before licking his nose, seeming satisfied that he was clean. âYeah, yeah, Iâm watching you.â He chuckled as the wolf wandered off, most likely to find Ess.
When Luckas returned to the Nest, once again thinking of just going back to the Oak and relaxing. Once again, his plan was immediately thwarted when he spotted Clayton stalking this man along the camp, the boy looking very determined and scared out of his mind at the same time. It took Luckas half a glance to know that man was far from the innocent victim he was making himself out to be. Luckas gestured for Stalker to hide and the wolf immediately disappeared in the woods. Luke then walked straight to Clayton and grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt. âWhat, if I may ask, do you think youâre doing?â He snapped.
Clayton winced, eyes widening at being caught. âUh, I...â
Luckas pulled the boy further away so that he was now standing between him and the stranger. âYou donât go around shoving your hands into peopleâs pockets like that! Whoâs been teaching you this stuff?â
âIrvin did, but...â
âIrvin is an idiot. Which is not surprising considering the idiot in charge of his training.â Luckas snorted, softening his tone a bit when he realized Clayton was just about to start crying on him. âListen to me, Clay; you do not prey on people blindly like this. Just because they look distracted it doesnât mean they are. And if theyâre pretending to be, you have to ask yourself...â He glanced at the man. â...Why?â He let go of Claytonâs shirt. âIf you want to practice, practice on the guard. Youâre not ready for this, do you understand?â
Clayton nodded slowly. âOkay.â
âOkay. Now go find Jess, go on. You should be going to bed by now.â
âOkay, I will. Thank you, Mister Luckas.â Clayton smiled, peeking at the stranger for a bit and waving. âBye Mister Creepy Man!â
Luckas snorted a chuckle as the boy ran off. âSo... Mister Creepy Man...â Luke muttered, now taking a good look at the stranger and immediately recognizing his face. âMind telling me what your plan was with the kid? Because there're only two kinds of people I know who would willingly lead a child to reach into their pockets, but seeing as youâre Captainâs friend Iâll be kind enough to assume you are neither.â
Evin hadn't left his commandeered hut since he'd arrived. Keeping his eye on Ella was his top priority. However, in the Nest, he keep know that there was a certain level of safety. He could leave the cabin for a short while and while most of the previous Black Guards didn't know him, Evin knew them all too well. He'd tasked some of the better guards to protect the hut before leaving the cabin's sight. It would give him a chance to take a look around the camp and to keep up with the goings on around camp.
He'd only just left when he heard soft shuffles scuttling behind him. Evin didn't indicate at all that he knew he was being followed but continued on with a little more caution. He slowly circled around himself, taking note of his tracks on the ground as he walked by them. It was a kid. A younger one, at that. Evin relaxed. He led the kid on a wild chase through the camp until eventually finding a rather secluded place to stop. Rather irritated, he took his shoe off, shaking it as if there was a rock inside. When he felt rummaging through his pocket, he gently chucked his shoe over his head.
âOuch!â The kid yelped.
âI don't know what you look like. Make sure you keep it that way, kid. Drop the string behind me. You can keep the copper pieces.â Evin said with a stern tone.
The kid scuttled off again, but not before he heard him shout, back a farewell to Evin. Am I really that old?
Then a younger man walked up to him. He looked no older than twenty with deep-set black eyes and black hair which seemed to partly cover his face.
âI have a hard time presuming that you walk around this camp and don't at least know my name. I'm Evin. Now that you know my name, you can use it.â
Luckas crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Evin with an eyebrow raised. âI know your name, sir. Mister Bana. Mister Evin. Mister Ev... J-Bear has some other names for you, I could use one of those as well.â He shrugged lightly. âSo, yes, I can use your name. Thereâs a great many deal of things I can do, in fact. Just because I can, though, doesnât mean I will.â
Luke unfolded his arms and ran his fingers through his hair, noting it was still damp from his impromptu bath. His smoothed his locks and picked the shiny paper crown miss Lily had let him keep earlier from his pocket. Unfolding the hat and placing it over his head. âThere was one person I sometimes... Sometimes... Called by name,â he said, casually. âSometimes I called her Lena. Most times I just called her Evil Bitch. We had a complicated relationship, but in my defense, she didnât seem to mind that. She did mind what you called her, though. She didnât say it but she minded, and you knew that she minded... Yet you did it anyway.â Lukeâs eyes narrowed at Evin and sparkled red for a moment before his posture relaxed. Once again he shrugged at the man. âYou did it because you knew that she minded and I think, hey far from me to judge, but you know... At the same time, youâre one to talk when it comes to how people address you. Mister Assassin Man.â Luckasâ face scrunched up for a moment as he thought over the name. âNah... Mister Frowny Man? Mister Frowny Assassin Man? Mister Crankypants? Hmmm... Iâm a bit off my game today, but no worries... Iâll find one that suits you soon enough.â
Eyes glossed over as Evin listened to this man drone on. He wasnât even sure what the black-haired little brat was saying, but Evin indulged him the opportunity to continue talking. Evin wouldnât have liked to say it, but he felt above this sort of condescending conversation from total strangers. He replied with the only thing that seemed dignified the conversation, âokayâand he moved on his way, towards what seemed to be the smell of some freshly cooked rabbit.
âIâm glad you agree,â Luckas said as he continued wandering off after Evin, eyeing him as though trying to make out what kind of person he was. After a few steps he whispered under his breath, it was a soft command, simple, one that might go unnoticed to someone naturally prone to tripping over their own feet, which was what Evin ended up doing. He caught himself, but Luke didnât mean to cause a fall, only slow him down. He used the manâs misstep to run ahead of him and get in his face, looking into his eyes and catching a glimpse of the freshest memories on his mind. âYou seem preoccupied, Mister Grumpy Man... You worried about Little Ella? Is she still not done playing puppet to that idiot? I told her I could help her, but she said ânoâ. No. âCause of the kid I guess.â Luke smiled. âAlways took her for a wimp, but even I have to admit thatâs commendable. I donât think anyone would fault her for wanting an easy way out in this case.â
Evin jumped to life at the mention of Ella. He grabbed Luckas by his shirt and pushed him backward. Luckasâ breath escaped him as he was violently backed into a tree. A dagger pressed against his throat with another one flashing from a hidden pocket in Evinâs coat to hold what seemed to be Luckasâ dominant hand against the tree. Any struggle would likely end with either Luckasâ throat cut or his hand pinned to the tree behind him, or both. âWhatâs your game with Ella? Who are you? What do you want from her?â He said through a stiff jaw. âAnd itâs Evin.â
Luke didnât seem to care much for being roughed up. That was really a daily occurrence, or almost, at this point. He let out a small chuckle at the manâs response. âWhat could I possibly want from her? I did her a favor. Someone needed to explain what this was. She thought she was still alive. Understanding takes away the fear, or so I hoped.â Luke gave a half shrug, careful not to move too much. âI was just curious, if you donât want to tell me how sheâs doing, thatâs fine by me.â
Evin let up his death grip on Luckas. He backed away a few steps and allowed him to compose himself in whatever way comforted him. Evin still felt in control and with a dagger in his hand, he could rest assured that should this strange fellow try to attack, that he wouldnât have the jump on Evin. Luckas hadnât revealed anything about himself, yet. Evin could respect that on a certain level. It took one man to fear someone who had a dagger to his throat and didnât flinch but Evin wasnât that man. Someone who could look at Death--or the perceived threat of Death--and not for a moment worry of what may come of it deserved respect. In fact, someone of that composure almost demanded it. Sean may have decided to address it and Perry, he knew, must have feared it. Evin was even thinking about it right now but this stranger in front of him seemed to be familiar enough with it to hold it with little regard.
âI wouldnât know how Ellaâs doing. Itâs rather difficult to speak with someone who canât speak with you. How you managed to speak to her would be a mystery. Iâm a smart man. I have my suspicions.â
Evin put away one of his daggers, pivoting it through his fingers without a thought before tucking it away through a seem that almost seemed to disappear when his hand came back in view. âYou still havenât told me who you are.â
âEh, my name is Luckas. Just Luckas.â Luke gave a long moment of thought to the question he was just asked and then shrugged yet again. âThat doesnât quite answer your question, but... Who I am is an awfully convoluted mess Iâm sure you have no time or patience to figure out, sir.â He calmly stretched, trying to work some stiffness out of his body, his eyes not leaving Evin though he really wasnât worried. âAnd Iâm a telepath. I talked to her that way, but I doubt heâll let me do it again. Heâs really annoying for a dead man. I mean, I could enter their mind, sure, but that doesnât mean heâll let her talk. Heâs in control for the most part.â Luke grinned, mostly at himself, not voicing what thought prompted the shift in his expression just yet. âYou know, Jakey-Bear doesnât seem to like you much; what Iâve seen of his thoughts before I got bored with it at least, but... You are a smart man. A crankypants, but smart. Iâm sure if you look, you could find a way to talk to her. Iâd be rather bored if I was stuck with that idiot and waiting for death. Little Ella should definitely appreciate the visit.â
Evin didnât like riddles. He didnât like the idea that people would beat around the bush when they knew the answer to his problems. Evin wasnât even sure what the problem was. Luckas did. He knew the problem, the answer, and likely the means to by which to accomplish every task that would be faced in looking for the answers. Did Luckas want to tell Evin any of this? No. Not by any direct means, that is. He looked down into the dirt and shuffled his feet. âYou mustâve been telling the truth when you said you know Lena,â Evin muttered mostly to himself. Looking back towards Luckas, he said, âI donât understand what youâre saying.â
Luckas blinked, seeming momentarily confused at Evinâs statement. âOkay, maybe youâre not as smart as I thought. Iâll draw you a little picture then.â He snorted, gesturing with his right hand to a point right behind Evin. âEasy, champ,â he mumbled, carrying on speaking as though thereâd been no interruption and not giving another thought to the large black wolf that was now sniffing at Evinâs boots. âThe necromancer responsible for Little Ellaâs state is in control of her... well... their... consciousness. Itâs a bit of a collective mind type thing, I guess. So even if a telepath can enter her, their, mind... Thereâs no guarantee to speak with her. Thatâs one issue there. The second issue would be that even if I could talk to her I couldnât form a link between her mind and yours so that the two of you could speak. That said, there is someone I know who can and for what I heard heâs somewhere in this camp. The manâs name is Simon. I donât know what interest heâd have in helping you communicate, but he could.â Luckas shrugged. âLike I said, though, youâll have to look around. I donât know where he is.â Luke snorted a chuckle as he watched Stalker poking his nose at the assassin for a few more seconds before coming to his side and sitting, he scratched behind the wolfâs ears in silent praise. âI think, maybe youâll find him easier if you look for the giant white wolf Jakey Bear had following their asses around camp. I guess the purpose of that would be keeping the mad king from... I donât know... Drooling on someone. The man is pretty much a potato at this point, I figure. If you find him, tell him I said hello.â
A telepath that could link communications. Evin had never heard of a telepath that could do that. He knew Lena couldnât do that. She never revealed it to Evin if she did. But what would Evin gain from linking his mind to Ellaâs? Was there a purpose to it all? Could he do anything to free her from her death grip? Probably not. Evinâs eyelids stiffened slightly. He retracted his lips into his mouth and looked away from Luckas for a moment. Letting out a heavy sigh, Evin looked back at Luckas and the wolf. âA potato and a white wolf. Sounds like it will be easy enough to find. Thanks.â Evin turned around to walk away. Despite not looking at Luckas, he made sure to be hyper aware of his surroundings as he wandered off. As he was about to pass behind a tree, he turned around. Luckas wasnât there anymore. He wasnât far. âYou may have been helpful to me, but I swear: Some memories arenât meant to be explored. If you cross me, I wonât be kind.â
Luckas snorted a laugh at Evinâs threat, poking his head from behind a tree just long enough to issue a reply. âBuddy, I have better things to do with my life, but... if you think that little threat would stop me doing anything, you clearly donât know who youâre dealing with. Besides; donât thank me, Iâm not doing this for you.â
That said, Luke âdisappearedâ behind the trees once again, glancing at Stalker as he started to finally head back to the oak. âHate to agree with Lena on anything, but he is a bit of a self-entitled brat, isnât he?â
================================
[White Shadows Camp - Otium 16, late night]
It took Annie a good while and some considerable effort to calm down Emily. She had to administer a tranquilizer to get the girl to settle down and after a few moments of uncontrollable sobbing sheâd fallen asleep. Once the girl had calmed and was asleep, Alistair peered into the room to check on what was happening. Finding an uncharacteristically agitated Annie pacing around the tent like a beast in a cage. âAre you alright?â he asked.
âI donât know what to tell that kid, Alistair. What can I tell him, really?" Annie blurted out, ignoring his question entirely.
âYouâre not allowed to repeat anything youâre told, but what youâve seen...â Alistair trailed off, watching Annie closely as the younger healer paced back and forth in front of him. âI know she might not want her brother to know the details, but it might be easier to make him understand the situation if youâre a little blunt.â
Annie stopped walking and turned to face Alistair. âWeâve dealt with cases like this before, but Emily is complicated. I canât know what she would want, I canât just ask her what she wants without...â She snorted a laugh. âMom would know how to handle this better, Iâm no telepath, I donât know how mental damage like this actually works. As if Luckas wasnât bad enough,â she muttered, rubbing her eyes. âTelling Irvin about things she doesnât remember seems... Wrong.â
âFrom an ethical standpoint, maybe, but itâll be easier on them both if heâs prepared for what will happen when she does begin to remember everything. Because it will eventually come back.â
Annie heaved a lengthy sigh, her eyes trailing from Alistair to the sleeping girl. âI suppose youâre right. Her memory is coming back faster than I expected and sheâs not taking well to the idea of remembering.â
âI could talk to him if you want. I know this wonât be easy to say.â Alistair offered.
âNo, Al, sheâs my apprentice, Iâm responsible for her. Besides...â Annie trailed off, her voice fading into a pained silence.
âYouâre the only one whoâs seen the state she was in.â Alistair finished her sentence with a nod. âI know.â
âKeep an eye on her for me, have someone come get me the moment she wakes up. Do not leave her alone, not for a second, Al.â
âYes, Your Worshipness.â
Annie laughed at the manâs teasing. âShut up.â
âAh, see? Pretty boy over there is not the only one who knows how to make you smile.â Alistair chuckled.
âAaaw, Al... Donât tell me youâre jealous of Darren, now? Youâll always be my favorite big brother.â
âNormally Iâd argue Iâm your only brother, but thatâs not quite true anymore is it?â Alistair quipped.
Annie laughed again, this time more softly, her expression more contemplative than amused as she wrapped her arms around Alistair. âYou know, Iâm happy you came back. You didnât have to, but Iâm glad you did.â
âEh, anything for you shorty.â Alistair smiled, patting the top of Annieâs head.
âIâve told you to never to call me that, Al,â Annie complained, breaking the hug and give him a forceful shove. âWay to ruin the moment, jerkface.â
âHeh, sorry, kiddo.â Alistair shrugged. âYou know me, I canât handle all this emotional stuff.â
âMhm,â Annie mumbled, giving her brother a playful look of disbelief. âJust keep an eye on the kid for me,â she instructed. âI kept Irvin waiting long enough and Iâm sure heâs worried sick.â
-------
Annie traced her steps back to where she left Irvin. The boy hadnât moved a muscle from where he was standing, his eyes empty and focused at some random patch of grass at his feet. This was already shaping up to be a difficult conversation, but he looked so utterly lost it was actually painful. She sighed softly, walking towards him and placing her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention. âIrvin? Can you come with me please?â
Irvin nodded in agreement and Annie led him to her tent. Once inside, she sat him down and made some tea, giving the both some time to gather their thoughts. She pushed a full cup into the boyâs hands and sat across from him. âEmily is going to be okay, Irvin. She was just a little bit rattled. I gave her something to calm her nerves, sheâs sleeping now.â
âThis is my fault. Itâs all my fault. Iâve been so focused on... Worthless shit... I didnât even look for her. I just left her with him. Stupid of me to think heâd be able to care for anyone.â
âYour brother?â
âDid she talk about him?â
âNot really, Irvin. Emilyâs memory is... Not the most reliable right now. When she first got here, she couldnât even tell me her name. She still has no recollection of where sheâs been in the past months or how she got here.â
âJake and I ran into Alan; my brother, at the Blackpond Ball. He said he sold Emily off to pay a gambling debt. That he hadnât seen her in months. I never should have left her with him. Even if she ended up in the dungeons with me she would have been safer.â
âYou donât know that,â Annie reassured. âYou couldnât have known any of this. Itâs not your fault.â
âHow long has she been here?â Irvin asked, staring at his cup of tea and wincing at the realization his tea was now frozen solid.
âEmily arrived here while I was in Blackpond for the Ball. When I came back, I was informed of her situation by the healers I left in charge in my absence. She was confused and terrified. I had to drug her in order to conduct just a simple physical examination and it took days to get her to speak to anyone. In hindsight, sheâs made incredible progress in the weeks sheâs been with us.â
âWas she hurt? How did she lose her memory?â
Annieâs head lowered and she stared at her untouched tea for a few moment before answering. âHer memory was tempered with. Iâm not sure how exactly, but her memories were blocked, locked away. She wasnât hurt when she got here, but... All signs indicate that she had been hurt, a lot, wherever she was.â She took a sip from her tea and heaved a deep breath. âEmily had bruises in several stages of healing, scarred lashes, healed fractures... She showed signs of severe abuse.â
Irvin grimaced, taking a long deep breath as he concentrated in reheating his frozen tea for few seconds, taking a short sip of the, now warm, liquid. âAbuse?â He questioned. âWhat kind of... Was she...â He shook his head, trying to find words that didnât seem as horrible. âDid they?â
âYes.â
Irvin dropped his cup of tea, a choked sound escaping his throat as he stared at his hands. The confirmation sending a stabbing, agonizing, pain through his heart. He never asked Jake what had happened to Alan, but if he was still alive; he wouldnât be for much longer. âShe doesnât remember any of it?â
âNot yet. She will.â Annie sighed. âLike I said, her memories are blocked. Itâs possible that the trauma is whatâs keeping them from coming back fully. Emily herself says sheâs afraid to remember and that fear is hindering her recovery, but... The mind heals, Irvin. Those memories; those events, they wonât be locked away forever. They will come back eventually.â
Irvin hid his face in his hands for a few moments, his voice coming out muffled. âIs that why she reacted that way? She said... She said I was dead...â
âShe was probably told that you were. Sometimes where there are gaps in a memory the mind will try to fill in the blanks; treat statements as fact.â Annie reached for Irvinâs shoulder in an attempt to comfort the boy. âI know this is difficult to hear. All of it. But Emily is healing, sheâs been adjusting well here and, once she wakes up and the fog starts to lift from her mind, sheâll be happy to see you.â
Irvin sighed. âYou think so? I donât want... I donât want to makes things worse for her. If me being here, if seeing me, is hurtful in any way I can just...â
âYouâre her family. She needs you. You being here is not going to make anything worse, I promise.â
âI abandoned her. I let this happen. What if she hates me? I canât...â Irvin shook his head, unable to properly finish his thought.
âYouâre alive. Youâre here now. Sheâs not going to hate you.â Annie smiled at Irvin. âWho knows, maybe youâll both heal a lot faster together.â
As if on cue, a healer called out to Annie and entered the tent. âIâm sorry to intrude Annie, but Alistair asked me to warn you.â
âEmily woke up?â
âSheâs on her way over, I donât think heâll be able to stop her.â
Annie chuckled. âIf sheâs well enough to get past Alistair, thatâs a good sign in my opinion. Thank you, Elora.â
The woman was barely out of the tent when Emily stormed in, she still looked shaky, but a lot more lucid than she had been in quite a while. Irvin jumped to his feet at the sight of his sister and the girl stood for a long moment staring at him before rushing in his direction and wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. âYouâre real,â she spoke, choked laughter escaping amidst her words. âYouâre real... Youâre really here...â
Irvin was momentarily at a loss for words, returning his sisterâs embrace and watching the girl sob against him for nearly a full minute before he managed a word. âYou remember me?â
Emily nodded. âMhm... I... Iâm still a little confused, but... I remember when you left and Alan said the guard had caught up with you. He said...â She shook her head. âI should have known he was lying. Iâm so sorry.â
âNo. No, no, no... Ems, it was my fault. I shouldnât have left you. I wasnât thinking.â
âIrvin, I donât care that you left.â Emily broke their hug and looked up at her brother with a wide smile. âIâm just happy youâre alive.â The girl then frowned as she finally stopped to get a good look at his face. âWhat happened? Did someone hit you?â
âWhat? Oh...â Irvin reached for his bruised cheek and snorted a laugh. âItâs nothing, donât worry about it.â
Emilyâs eyes narrowed for a moment in a severe glare, but she continued to smile at her older brother, pulling Irvin by the hand. âCome on, letâs go get something to eat, I want to know where youâve been the past year.â
Irvin shot Annie a slightly panicked look at Emilyâs sudden excitement, but let himself be dragged along anyway, seeming as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
--------------------------------
[White Shadows Camp - Otium 19, early morning]
âI still think itâs funny... Youâve been with the Ravens all this time, Annieâs cousin was training you, youâre pals with Darren and no one realized your missing sister was right here all this time.â Emily sighed, giving Irvin an amused smirk as he helped her change a patientâs bandages; noticing that he was looking quite queasy from the process. âI canât help but think that me telling everyone my brother was dead might have gotten in the way a bit.â
âThatâs not your fault, Ems.â
âI know.â She shrugged. âThere, all done, sir.â She smiled at the injured mercenary and led Irvin out of the examination tent.
âAny more gruesome head injuries before breakfast?â Irvin asked, frowning at his sister. âI swear that guyâs brain was showing.â
âNo, it wasnât.â Emily laughed. âIt was a nasty wound, but if his brain was exposed he would be a potato right now. Not to mention itâd be smelling a lot worse.â
âYou know what? Forget breakfast.â Irvin shuddered.
âWuss,â Emily teased, bumping against her brother as they walked towards the center of the camp. âWell, Iâm hungry and itâs gonna be a busy day. Theyâre all busy days.â
âYou really like it here, huh?â
âI do. Itâs good... Helping people. And Iâm good at it. Annie said I can be a fantastic healer if I want to.â
The pair walked up to one of the tents were some healers were having tea and picking at an assortment of bread, fruit, and cheese. Emily smiled and greeted them by name before helping herself to some fresh fruit.
âIâm glad,â Irvin said, helping himself to a roll and biting into it.
âOh?â
âMhm. You seem at home here. Thatâs good. Thatâs... The closest any one of us has gotten to one.â
âWhat about you?â Emily asked, looking at Irvin with concern. âYouâre clearly not cut out to be a healer.â
Irvin laughed. âNo... No... We know what Iâm good at, though, donât we?â He smirked.
âIiiirv...â Emily scolded.
Irvin snickered. âI donât know, sis. The Ravens were good to me, but I donât think I can go back now. Not... Anymore... So I guess for now I hang around here? At least I get to spend time with you. Even if that means dealing with exposed brains now and again.â
âAaaw, youâd do that for me? Thatâs so sweet.â Emily smiled. âJust donât slow me down. And donât puke anywhere, Iâm not cleaning it up.â
âLove you too, Ems.â Irvin rolled his eyes at her, finishing his breakfast roll and shrugging. âAnd I wonât make any promises on the puking thing.â
=====================================
[The Desert - Otium 19, midday]
Indraniâs eyes followed the horseâs every move with an intensity reserved for a lioness guarding her cubs. She could remember as though it was only yesterday, the day she took Mirage from her previous owner; a scrawny, mistreated, ugly thing. One look at that poor excuse for what should have been a majestic animal and no one thought sheâd ever amount to anything. âItâd be kinder to put the poor thing to rest,â that had been Jacksonâs say in the matter. Indrani wasnât having it. It wasnât something she wouldâve argued with normally; prolonging an animalâs suffering for your own selfish pride was wrong and she knew that, but she could tell Mirage was different. There was something in the mareâs eyes that told Indrani she wasnât ready to give up just yet and she was more than determined to see her through.
It worked out in the end. Not without a lot of time and effort from the both of them, but it worked out. The horseâs faded sickly coat was no less gray, but it had grown shiny and speckled in white, her mane long and silky, her body had filled up with muscle and fat. Mirage wasnât what one would consider a prized specimen by usual standards, but she was healthy, strong, and the fastest mare in all of Valcrest without question. Indraniâs pride and joy.
A soft, near-inaudible, whistle blew past the womanâs lips, causing the horseâs ears to twitch ever so slightly. Mirage turned and trotted towards the fence to Indrani, the woman smiling softly as she stared into the animalâs dark eyes. âThere she is...â Indrani whispered, chuckles escaping her as Mirage nuzzled her hair and neck. âSomeoneâs been a stubborn girl, I hear. Hmm?â she smiled, calmly waiting for the mare to finish her âgreetingâ before pressing her forehead to the the animalâs and letting out a soft sigh. âThings got a bit too frightening for you, I reckon. I donât blame you, girly, I was pretty scared too...â
âWhat are you doing up and about? Youâre supposed to be on bed rest; Annieâs going to kill you if she finds out.â
âIâm fine. It barely hurts as long as Iâm careful.â Indrani snorted, turning to face Allison as the assassin calmly leaned against the fence beside her. âHow come youâre still here?â
âWell, you still have injured people who need helping and Iâm in no hurry to go back to Newhaven.â Ali shrugged. âI honestly donât think Iâm very useful there anyway. Crys just wants me away from Blackpond.â
âThat may be her way of protecting you, but I doubt sheâd place you where youâre not needed,â Indrani spoke, calmly petting Mirage between the ears.
âEh, it doesnât matter.â Ali shrugged.
âNo? Iâd think youâd want to be more involved with your clanâs activities. Itâs not like you to be this... Apathetic... Are you alright?â
Ali snorted a laugh as Mirage started to sniff and prod her hair with her nose. âIâm alright, Iâm just... Really tired, I guess.â
Indrani calmly caught Aliâs hand midway to petting the horse and forced it down. âWait,â she told her, smiling at the questioning look the archer shot her. âHorses are very sensitive animals, you know. They enjoy giving and receiving affection, but... They canât do both simultaneously. If Mirage is being affectionate with you, if sheâs giving, the way to show affection in return is to be still and receive.â She released Aliâs hand and smiled. âI think this is one of my favorite things about horses. They experience every moment, however small, with all of their focus; the whole of their beings. Itâs a lesson for humanity, really... To honor the one youâre with by simply allowing them to love you.â
Ali stood there silent at Indraniâs words. They made sense, in a way. Everyone she knew, at one point or another, pushed their loved ones away out of love itself. For protection, out of guilt, fear of the future, or the past, she wasnât sure. What sounded like such a simple thing the way Indrani said it, really wasnât. To just allow yourself to be loved for the duration of a single moment. âWe make such a great team, you and me...â Ali smiled. âIâm apathetic, youâre melancholic... Neither of us is quite like they should be right now. Which, begs the question; how are you doing?â She asked, calmly waiting for Mirage to turn her muzzle away from her ear and petting the horseâs neck. âJackson was a bit worried yesterday.â
âIâd rather not talk about it,â Indrani muttered.
âListen, Iâm not going to pretend Iâm sad Sean died. I canât. And I honestly donât think heâs even worth your grief, but... Youâre my friend. And if you need to talk, Iâm here to listen. At least, Iâm here right now.â
âI was stupid. I canât stop thinking about how stupid I was. I canât stop thinking that if Iâd seen things for what they were right from the start, none of this had to happen.â Indrani sighed, slouching into the fence and letting out a groan. âI know thatâs not true. Or at least the truth is not as simple as that, but... He was my friend. I still wanted to save him even after all the little ways he managed to hurt me. Even now that heâs gone. A part of me still thinks that if I could reach out to him... I could fix this. And I canât. I couldnât help Sean, I canât help Dastan... I can barely stand even less help my clan now... Iâm...â
âYouâre not useless, Indi, youâre just broken. Trust me, because Iâve been; a lot, this doesnât last forever. Right now, though, maybe itâs time for you to just be still. To just live the moment and allow yourself to feel this. Thereâs nothing wrong with that.â
Indrani shook her head. âI just... Iâm so tired of failing the people who need me.â
âYouâre the only one who thinks youâve failed, Indrani.â
Indrani let out a bitter laugh. âNo, no Iâm not.â She tugged on the pendant hanging from her neck, the sigil of Effort. âMy people believed in honor, in loyalty, you die if you must, but you never betray your duties. Not once. Not for any reason, but I...â
Ali shook her head, utter amusement in her expression. âYou canât change the things youâve done and punishing yourself for them now helps no one; not yourself or your clan.â
âDastan shouldnât have put their lives in my hands after everything.â
âYour brother is a lot of things. A lot of them. But heâs not stupid, Indrani. If he left the Crimson under your leadership is because he trusts you more than he trusts himself right now. If you want to honor anything, honor that trust.â
âYou do realize I acted against your people while you were with us, right?â
âThat doesnât matter. Even if you hadnât, we werenât going to just sit here and move on with our lives. Things were going to turn ugly one way or another, sooner or later, and if anything; I understand you wanting to shield your people from it.â She sighed. âJust donât ever bring this up with Evin, okay? You might invoke his wrath and then who knows whatâll happen.â
Indrani laughed. âOh no, we wouldnât want that. We have enough explosions around here as is.â
âI hear Annie almost lost her patience with Dastan and his firework experiments before Jakeâs birthday.â
âI wasnât exactly happy about them myself, but he was excited about something for a change. He hasnât quite been himself since...â She silenced for a moment. âI donât think heâll ever be the same again now, but... You know...â
âI know. I donât think any of us will, though. The past three years have been...â Ali cut herself off, a pained groan escaping her as she doubled over, leaning into the fence and clinging to the wood with both hands.
âAli, are you alright? What...?â
âIâm fine,â Ali mumbled, letting out a sharp breath. âItâs alright, it... It already passed.â
Indrani was unconvinced, staring at her friend with concern in her eyes. âHow long have you been having symptoms like this?â
âIndi, Iâm fine, really. Donât worry about it. Weâre all sick, itâs nothing new at this point.â She slowly steadied herself, forcing a few deeper breaths.
Indrani shook her head. âThis was not ânothingâ, Ali. Wh-...â She stopped talking, the realization suddenly hitting her. âThis is why you stayed behind, isnât it? This is why you just let Crys push you to Newhaven... Thereâs no way you would just accept sitting on the sidelines five months ago, but now...â
âIndrani, let it go,â Ali warned, glaring at the commander. âJust... Let it go.â
âWhen do you plan on telling them?â
âTelling them what?â Ali muttered. âWhat do you suggest I tell them exactly? âOh, hey, my nervous system is slowly going to shit and injecting me with unbearable, excruciating, pain to a point where soon enough Iâll be complete and utterly useless until I finally drop deadâ; is that what I should tell them? Because I donât know... It doesnât sound like a good idea to me. I donât want to waste whatâs left of my time trying to endure everyoneâs pity or, Twins forbid, guilt over the fact they canât help me. They canât help me, Indi. What could I possibly say to make that any easier?â
âMaybe they canât save you, Allison, but they are your friends; your family, these are the people who love you. If youâre in pain, if youâre afraid, theyâre the only ones who can help you.â
Ali snorted softly, pushing away from the fence. âI donât want that kind of help.â Her eyes softened for a moment as she watched the horses running about inside the fence. âI just want to feel like myself for as long as I still can. I know itâs selfish, but right now I feel like I have that right. So, please, just... Let it go.â
==================
[Newhaven - Otium 19, early afternoon]
Ryan had argued against Donovanâs decision. He didnât see a point in reclaiming the Inn considering the state Newhaven was currently in. They would need to start recruiting as soon as possible; sure, but the way things were in the city, prioritizing this now felt to him like a waste of energy. The Alpha felt differently, however, and in this case, the Alpha had spoken. And so Ryan entered the establishment, alone, hauling a bag of sand over his shoulder. The commotion that had taken place at the bar had ended by now, but about a dozen rebels remained, some of them still suffering the effects of their celebrations.
âHuh. I might not even need this,â Ryan mused, dropping the bag of sand, the fabric splitting open and spreading its contents to the floor at his feet. He walked to one of the men who was sprawled on the ground amongst empty bottles and broken chairs, crouching to the manâs level and slapping him hard across the face. The man groaned in pain and looked up at Ryan in confusion, muttering at him to âpiss offâ. Ryan slapped him again; harder, and the man seemed to wake up fully this time.
âWHAT is your issue, mate!?â
âYour sorry ass on my floor is my issue. So why donât you and your pals drag yourselves out before I decide to take matters into my own hands?â
âYour floor? Pffft... Havenât you heard buddy? We own this city now.â
âI was hoping Iâd get some kind of smartass response like that,â Ryan smirked. âGives me a good excuse to do this...â He grabbed the intoxicated man by the collar and landed a punch to his jaw so forceful his head was knocked back into the floorboards with the impact. Ryan then proceeded to drag the unconscious man out the door of the bar.
Once he stepped back into the Inn, all of the other; far less intoxicated, rebels were standing at attention with weapons in hand. âOh, fellows, thatâs not a good idea,â he smirked. âDo you know where you are right now? This is a neutral zone for my clan, youâre disrespecting that.â
The only one of the men who seemed to be actually fully sober took a step towards Ryan, scoffing at his words. âListen here, little pup, we took over this city; all of it. The Wolfpack doesnât hold the same amount of influence it once did and youâre outnumbered, so I suggest you walk out of here with your tail between your legs.â
Ryan sighed softly. âNo blades, Ryan... We shouldnât be killing off civilians, Ryan... Thatâs not the impression we want to make right now, Ryan...â He mumbled, pulling two fighting sticks sheathed at his back. âIâd advise against what youâre about to do, pal,â he warned. When the rebel ignored the warning and charged at him, Ryan very calmly dodged his attacks as if they were nothing, striking at his hands to make him drop his blades. Once the first of the men was unarmed, the others, in a moment of sheer stupidity, decided to charge Ryan as a group. There were only ten of them, and out of those ten, only two were fully sober. The Wolf could easily handle them on his own, but he wasnât going to waste any more time than necessary.
Ryanâs eyes irradiated a golden light as the sand he had previously spilled on the floor started to move and split into eight identical piles, each pile rising from the ground and forming into an exact clone of Ryan; from the tip of his boots to the fighting sticks in his hands. With the clones weighing in heavily in his favor, the ensuing confrontation took no more than a couple of minutes to be resolved and ended in a pile of groaning wounded rebels who Ryanâs clones proceeded to drag outside the Inn without the least bit of care.
Ryan sheathed his weapons and took a quick look around the upper floors, the basement and the tunnels underneath the bar to make sure there were no unwanted guests left. Once certain that the place was cleared he walked outside, finding Sheila standing in front of establishment watching with an amused expression as the clones dragged the semi-conscious men out of the bar.
âHeh, wonder how much those White Knights would be willing to pay us to clean up the castle for them,â she mused.
âI donât know and I donât care,â Ryan answered. âDonovan says, and I agree, that weâve let ourselves get roped into their problems one too many times. Weâre here to deliver a message and leave; nothing more.â
âYes, well, with how often we need to keep rebuilding this place, we could use the extra income.â
Ryan chuckled. âOh, relax, if itâs not on fire we can manage it. Iâll come by later and give you a hand cleaning up.â
âOh, come on now, Iâm sure the Alphaâs Second has better things to do than help me clean. I can handle it by myself.â
âEh, I just have to haul this trash back to its source. Shouldnât take too long,â Ryan said with a shrug. âIâll help while Donovan is tending to his side of things.â
âEh... Shouldnât you back him up on this?â
Ryan snorted a laugh, idly poking one of the unconscious men with his foot. âI was ordered not to.â
âAnd I thought Sean was an idiot... That boyâs not going to survive a full year at this rate.â
âWho knows, maybe the kidâs on to something.â Ryan shrugged. âAll I can say is the kidâs being really intense about asserting ourselves in this situation.â
âDonât get me wrong, sweetie, itâs not a bad idea, I just feel his execution is a bit risky,â Sheila responded with a shrug. âThe way things have been, we lose another Alpha and thatâs it for the Pack.â
âYou donât need to tell me that, and trust me; Iâve made that point repeatedly, but the kidâs stubborn. Says he shouldnât need a bodyguard just go in for a chat.â
âThe only reason Sean survived a chat with that woman in the first place is that they were both too banged up from their own stupidity to have a go at each other.â Sheila pointed out.
âWell, we had no time to break her legs beforehand, so I guess Doni will have to be a little more tactful and a little less... Fletcher...â Ryan snickered. âRegardless, I know what I have to do.â
------------------------------
The doors of the throne room slammed open with the thundering sound of cracking wood. A thin layer of smoke permeating the air and temporarily concealing the figures crossing the threshold. Ryan and his clones walked through the fog and dropped the unconscious rebels in front of the throne, much to the dismay of a group of twenty heavily armed dumbfounded men. âWhich of you nimrods is responsible for this trash littering our Inn?â he questioned.
âYour Inn?â A man responded from his position on the throne. That enough would be grounds for execution, Ryan figured, but at this point, it didnât matter. The man wasnât that tall and didnât seem that much older than their new Alpha. He stood from the throne, his chest puffed out in a ridiculous display of cockiness. Ryan had to at least acknowledge the fact these people werenât stupid. They were competent enough to take over the city up to and including the castle. Still, if that was their leader; they wouldnât hold it for long. âI was under the impression the Pack had abandoned their bar. Again. You people arenât quite what you used to be.â
âWhat do you think you know, you pipsqueak, of what we are or used to be?â Ryan questioned, amused at the manâs words. âIâm here to deliver a message; stay out. We allow you to exist and fight your little rebellion because we donât care. Give us reason enough to care and weâll shut it down. Simple as that.â
âShut us down? You and what army?â The man opened his arms wide and looked around. âThere used to be one here, but they didnât manage to shut us down.â He sighed, shaking his head in amusement. âI see that you mean well, though, mate. Youâre carrying fighting sticks, bringing our men back alive... In your position, I see that you had no obligation to do that. I can appreciate that. So donât worry, weâre not going to give you any more trouble. You have my word.â
Ryan sighed. âThatâs good enough, kid, but for the record; you defeated half of an army that was already stretched too thin and poorly managed due to their Captains trying to run this dump of a town, which; good luck with that by the way. The fact that youâre considering yourself victorious right now is a great indicator that you didnât really think this all the way through. I give you a month to hold this place and Iâm being generous.â He smirked at the rebel leader, his eyes glowing as his sand golems collapsed back into useless piles. âAt least the moron who usurped our leadership managed to hold it for three and a half years.â
âCome back in five. Weâll be sitting right here.â
Ryan snorted a laugh on his way out of the room. âSure buddy. Sorry about the mess, by the way. Letâs just call it even.â
-----------------------------------
Newhaven Castle was nothing but a shadow of its former self. One could be fooled into believing the place was struck by a tornado if not for the sounds of fighting still echoing some of the empty halls. All but one section of the castle had been secured by the rebels, but they hadnât done the best job of setting up security as of yet. Their successful assault looked like one hell of a stroke of luck to Donovan and one that was bound to be short-lived unless they managed to put someone in charge who understood the art of war a lot better than this. Sneaking his way past the intruders had been easy, even in the sections where there was a higher concentration of them. Anyone not in Guards uniform was assumed to be on their side and Donovan was able to simply stroll past their defenses unscathed.
Once the young Alpha reached the upper floors, however, things changed rather abruptly. The third floor of the Castle was silent compared to the rest, pieces of furniture and doors pulled from their hinges were piled in order to barricade the halls, leaving only one narrow path available. âClever,â he whispered, âvery, clever.â
âIsnât it?â
Donovan didnât have the time to turn around and check the source of the sudden voice in his ear, the split second he had available was used to dodge an expertly aimed blow to the side of his head, the sound of the wooden baton connecting with the stone wall beside him rang painfully in his ears. If it had actually hit him, he would have been out cold instantly.
The boy spun around, grabbing his bow and using it to block the next flurry of blows aimed at his body. He could now barely make out the form of a woman clad in black leather armor as his attacker and assumed she was part of Mageriaâs Guard. âHey... Hi... Excuse... Me...â he started, barely dodging a blow aimed right at his face. âCan you... Not... Please...â He sighed, dropping the bow at his feet and raising his hands, eyes closed as he braced for an impact that never came.
âOy, boy, are you dumb? Did I get your head at some point there?â She taunted.
Doni opened his eyes to the sight of one the batons held still less than an inch from his face. âMy sister made this bow for me before she died, Iâd rather damage my face than use it for a fighting staff any longer.â He muttered.
âYouâre a bit too quick on your feet for a rebel.â She pointed out, lightly poking him between the eyes with the baton.
Before he knew it, something coiled around Donovanâs neck restraining his movements as another woman spoke behind him. âDonât fight like no rebel either.â
Donovan briefly attempted to glance at this new person restraining him from behind but felt the pressure tighten around his neck at his movement, so he kept his eyes on his first opponent instead. âYou donât fight like some prissy Knight either...â He retorted, tilting his head to the side so he could look past the weapon blocking his vision. âAlthough I have the feeling you held back a little. Not sure if Iâm grateful or offended,â he added with a playful smile. âSo, Miss...? Is your captain around? Iâd like a word with her if itâs not too much trouble.â
âOh? So youâre dropping in for a bit of chatter, are you? Suuure... The middle of a rebellion sounds like the best time to be doinâ that.â
âThis isnât the middle of a rebellion, technically speaking. As superior as you are in skill, the rebellion outnumbers you greatly and for what I hear of your Captain I donât see her going all out on those idiots considering that in the end of the day theyâre still civilians. What is the point of vowing to protect the people and then putting them down for daring to dethrone a dead Queen? Iâm assuming the reason you took so easy on me is that you planned to restrain me without using lethal force, but since doing so with every rebel currently roaming the castle is a foolish endeavor at best, your Captain will be forced to either make peace with the fact you canât hold this place, or... Well... Make an even bloodier mess of this whole thing and then make peace with the fact you canât hold this place.â
Donovan felt the pressure tighten around his neck just a bit. âYouâre too much of a talker for someoneâs whoâs here uninvited.â
âSophie; thatâs your name right?â Donovan questioned, still unable to see the woman standing behind him. âIâm Donovan Fletcher.â
âSuppose youâre not going to explain how you know my name, Donovan Fletcher?â
âNot unless you make me, but... Weâd both be wasting our times and we both have better things we need to be doing. I just want a word with your Captain, and Iâll leave.â
Sophie seemed to be looking to her companion for direction now as the baton-wielding blonde give a small shrug and she responded by pushing Donovan forward towards the end of the hall. After a few steps, he halted. âMy bow...â
âIâve got it.â
Doni relaxed at that and allowed himself to be dragged along.
âFletcher?â Sophie questioned. âAs in...?â
âSean was my brother,â Donovan answered.
âWas?â
Donovan shrugged in response.
âAh. My sentiments.â
Donovan chuckled. âItâs commendable that youâd say that considering the shit he pulled on your squad, miss...?â He snickered when she still refused to give her name. âCome on, you know my name now. And Iâm going to keep asking.â
âItâd be a bit hard to ask questions with a broken jaw, pretty boy; just a fair warning,â she said, pausing for a moment. âAnd itâs Sham; not âmissâ. I really ainât no prissy knight.â
âNoted.â
Sham walked ahead of the other two as they turned a corner, Sophie held Donovan back as she entered a room at the end of the hall. After a couple of minutes, she poked her head out and gestured for them to follow her inside. Sophie unraveled the object from around Donovanâs neck and he saw that it was a whip. âLittle early in our relationship to be bringing out the whips, donât you think?â
Sophie snickered. âPrecious. I definitely never heard that one before.â
âI try.â Doni shrugged.
The room they entered was completely void of any furniture save for a table and two chairs. On the table was a map of the castle and a half bottle of rum, a weak flame flickering in the fireplace was the only source of light, casting odd shadows on the bare walls. Sitting in one of the chairs was a blonde man Donovan immediately recognized as Captain Thomas and across from him a woman with graying red hair he concluded to be Mageria Talsheir.
Sham briefly whispered to Mageria, placing Donovanâs bow in her hands. The captain shot the young Alpha a long inspecting gaze, her expression stern for a moment before letting slip a small trace of amusement. âWhen I told Crystal Rivers I was sorry she lost her mother, I actually meant it. I donât know what to say to you.â
Donovan smiled at the woman. âThatâs alright, Captain. Iâm not exactly here to exchange pleasantries.â
âWhy are you, here?â Thomas spoke up. âNot to be rude or anything, kid, but in case you havenât noticed, we have a bit of a situation. Not the best time for a diplomatic chat, if that is in fact what youâre after.â
âYes and no.â Donovan shrugged. âIâll be quick; we have just cleared our Inn of your rebellion. Iâm assuming that whichever way this goes itâll be over soon, so we are taking the extra care to warn both sides that regardless of who wins, Newhaven would do well to continue respecting our boundaries.â
âYouâve come all the way here, infiltrated the castle, so you could stand face to face with both Knight Captains and tell them to wipe their feet before standing on your threshold?â Mageria asked, arching an eyebrow.
âPretty much.â
Mageria tilted her head to the side, her eyes piercing through Donovan like daggers for a split second, despite the amused smirk playing on her lips. âAdd a couple of innocent hostages and I can see the resemblance.â
Donovan chuckled at the womanâs response. âI guess thatâs a fair assessment,â he agreed. âThe case is, and I think we can both agree at least on that, if both our people knew their boundaries a little bit better, neither my clan or your city would be in the state they are in right now,â
âI donât exactly see how we could have ignored an explosion in our throne room, any more than you could have ignored the bounty on your heads.â
âMaybe not, but we could both have acted smarter and maybe, just maybe, my clan ridding your city of a psychopathic killer posing as a royal might have turned out to be a good thing.â
âHold on, what?â Thomas interrupted, glaring at Mageria with an expression mixed between shock and outrage.
âItâs a very long story, Tom.â The woman answered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. âTo cut it short, the King was being impersonated by a killer and that was the man the Wolfpack killed. Of course, none of it could ever be officially proved, so we just allowed the public to assume the Wolves responsible had been executed.â
âAnd we donât know what actually happened to King Stephen?â
âThe only man who could answer that question was buried under his name, so unfortunately no one will ever know.â
âWhy was I never informed of this?â Thomas demanded, heaving an exasperated sigh and seeming to lack the energy to be properly enraged by being kept in the dark.
âHonestly? Krander had just gone off Twins know where, you hadnât been appointed Captain yet at the time this all happened, and after it was dealt with no one wanted to ever bring it up again.â
Thomas looked from Mageria to Sham and Sophie; neither seeming surprised in the slightest with the information. Sham gave a slight shrug as her eyes met Thomasâ. âJake was there,â she told him. âThat boy gets a bit too chatty with a few drinks in âim. Most of the Blacks know the story by now.â
Donovan shrugged at the two Knightâs exchange. âNonetheless, Iâm not here to bring up history. Well, at least not after this.â Slowly, the boy reached into his coat, very aware of the fact Sham had her eyes on him all the while theyâd been talking. He pulled out a small leather bound book. âSomething like this has never left our camp, Captain, I expect you to appreciate that,â he said, offering the book to Mageria. âAs you know, Evin Bana set fire to the clan records before the exile, but, Sean got his hands on a few files and hid them elsewhere before that happened. Iâm still uncovering all his hiding places, but I found this in one of them. It concerns you.â
Mageria placed Donovanâs bow on the table, leaning against it and placing herself between the young assassin and the weapon as she took the file from his hands. âConcerns me how?â
âJust consider it a show of good faith,â Donovan told her, not answering the question. âI said all Iâve come here to say and you have more pressing matters to attend so if I may have that back,â he nodded at his bow, âIâll be out of your way.â
Mageria stored the little bound book safely in her pocket and pushed herself away from the table, taking the bow and offering it to Donovan, still keeping a firm hold on the object when the Wolf tried to take it from her hands. The Captainâs eyes lingering on the two rings on his left-hand finger. âYou know, I was wondering why your new Alpha would send a teenager to meet two Knight Captains in the middle of a rebellion.â
Donovan smiled, holding the womanâs gaze. âHe didnât.â
âYour brother must have been desperate to appoint you as Second.â
âOh, Sean? He would never do that. In fact, my brother never appointed a Second-in-Command before he died. And see, where there is no Alpha, and there is no Second... The clan votes.â He smirked. âIâm not the first teenager appointed Alpha in our history, Captain, it shouldnât seem like such a shock. Trust, Iâm far more prepared for the job than your Queen was when she left our camp.â
Donovan stumbled back a step when Mageria abruptly released her hold on the bow. He snorted as he noticed the womanâs expression. âIâm sorry, that was uncalled for. I actually liked Ella quite a bit. It saddens me that she felt my brotherâs life was worth risking her own.â He calmly inspected the bow in his hands, checking if there had been any damage during his short fight with the baton-wielding knight earlier. The wood seemed unscathed, and Donovan let relief wash over him for a brief moment.
âHow old was she? Kate.â Mageria asked.
Donovan flinched at the mention of his sisterâs name. âSeventeen. We were twins, Katie was four minutes older than me.â His gaze seemed to darken as he looked at Mageria, sheathing the bow at his back. âIf youâd like to know how she died, you can ask your friend Evin when you next see him. Iâm sure heâll be able to tell you the story better than I could.â Donovan paused as an explosion was heard on the lower floor. He snickered under his breath and continued speaking as though it never happened. âNow, if youâll excuse me, Captain, I think Iâve already overstayed my welcome.â He unceremoniously turned his back on the Captain of the Black Knights and waved over his shoulder. âNo need to show me the way out, I can manage.â
---------------------------------
When Donovan reached the courtyard Ryan was waiting, the man holding a handkerchief to his nose and seeming quite exhausted. âYou overworked yourself, I told you to be more careful,â Doni scolded.
âI know, Iâm sorry,â Ryan mumbled starting them on their way into the city. âI told Sheila Iâd stop by and help with the clean up, is that alright?â
âIâll help her. Youâre going to get some rest. This clan has seen enough dead Seconds to last us a century.â
âWe shouldnât both be away from camp this long,â Ryan argued. âYou should head back.â
âNo. Weâre both resting here and you can head back tomorrow. Iâm going to stop by Blackpond.â
Ryan stopped walking and turned to Donovan âBlackpond? But...â His eyes widened for a moment. âBy yourself? Are you insane?â
âAre you really going to keep asking that every time I do something reckless? Because itâs going to get exhausting really fast.â
âDoni, youâre pushing your luck. Not a lot of people know who you are yet, but thatâll change soon.â
âYou worry way too much, buddy.â Donovan smiled, pushing Ryan to continue walking. âLetâs face it; if Crystal Rivers wanted me dead we wouldnât be having this conversation right now.â
============================
[Blackpond Inn - Otium 19 early evening]
âNo... No, no, no... You guys arenât listening, are you? STOP. NOW.â
The sound of metal clashing gradually fell into silence at Crysâ words. The recruits falling still like statues under the assassinâs blind stare. It had literally been the first time they had heard the woman raise her voice and, considering how these sessions had been when she was calm, they were understandably wary of what was about to take place.
âYouâre training to use real blades and not play swords.â Crys spoke, her tone softer now that room was silent. âHugo, Marc; front and center,â she commanded.
The two recruits shuffled forward side by side, looks of utter fright plastered on their faces. The tallest and strongest of the two wincing slightly when Crys unsheathed her sword and pointed it at his face.
âDo you see this, Hugo?â She questioned. âDoes it look like a toy?â
âYes... I mean, no... Itâs not a toy.â The man answered.
âIf you were fighting someone wielding a blade, the way you were fighting just now, you would have lost a limb or worse.â She scolded, resheathing the blade and taking a pair of training swords from the rack. âIâm going to tell you all one last time, this...â She struck at his left-hand blade. â...Is your sword and this...â She struck at his right-hand blade. â...Is your shield. And vice-versa. You attack and defend. At the same time. All of the time. Not one or the other; both. One slip, one opening, one missed opportunity, and itâs OVER. Are we clear or do I have to personally instill the fear of death into each and every one of you!?â
Marc opened his mouth to answer and was immediately cut off by a strike across the face. The man nearly spun in place with the force of the blow and stood swaying in place. Crys sighed. âThat was a rhetorical question, smartass. Now tell me, did that hurt?â
âYes,â Marc answered doubling over and spitting a few drops of blood onto the ground.
âGood. You should be glad. Because you know what? Death doesnât hurt. Death is slowly fading into nothing until nothing is all you feel, nothing is all you are and nothing is all there is. And if that thought is in any way pleasant to any of you, be so kind as to pack up and leave. Iâm not wasting my time on anyone with a fucking death wish.â
Silence lingered for little over a minute, the group of recruits careful to not as much as shuffle in place for as long as it lasted. âGood. Now get back to it. And get it right this time!â
âWhoa, Red, any more of that youâll be instilling the fear of Death on the Lady herself.â
Crys let a smirk briefly cross her features at the voice calling from the top of the stairs, her eyes remained stern however as she addressed her recruits. âContinue the exercise until I get back and if I as much as suspect any of you to be slacking Iâll break your damn ribs.â
Once satisfied that her people were committed enough to their task, Crys left them to it and climbed the stairs up to the back of the Inn, finding Dastan seated at the kitchen table. âWhat are you doing here?â She asked, smiling at her friend. âAnd who let you in?â
âYour little Guard Ginger let me in. He warned me not to disturb your training, but I had to take a little peek. Hope thatâs alright.â
Crys chuckled, finding the chair across from Dastan and taking a seat herself. âThatâs fine, I... Eh... Theyâre making progress, and I wish I could praise them for it, but theyâre just not ready for whatâs out there.â She sighed, standing up again and beginning to rummage the stove in order to make herself some tea. âAnd I say that like I even know for sure what it means, but I donât. I donât know what weâre up against. How am I supposed to...â
âBreathe, Red,â Dastan spoke up. The noise coming from the bar almost drowning out the sound of his voice. The place was packed with people and filled with cheerful conversation. No one coming in would suspect there was a very miserable group of assassin recruits working tirelessly in the basement below.
âI am.â Crys muttered. âI do.â She left the tea kettle on the stove to heat and sat back down. âYou didnât answer my question, though; why are you here?â
âEh... I thought I could hang around here for a few days if thatâs alright with you.â Dastan answered. âI had to leave. I just... I had to. And suppose I should go offer my assistance to the Ravens soon, but...â He trailed off in a sigh. âI think I need more time.â
Crys reached for Dastanâs arm and gave him a reassuring pat. âOf course. You can stay as long as you like. Just donât get into our stock, Iâm running a business here.â
Dastan chuckled. âDonât you worry about that, Red. I wouldnât want to ruin your fine establishment,â the mercenary assured her, taking out his flask and taking a long swig from it.
Crys snorted a laugh at her friend, getting up to fetch the warm water from the stove and fixing herself a cup of tea. âIn all seriousness, Dastan; how are you?â
âThatâs a complicated question to be asking right now, Red. Iâm.. Better, but that doesnât change much. It doesnât bring back the dead. Doesnât change the facts. Certainly doesnât give me any answers.â He took another swig and put the flask away, resting his arms on the table laying his head down. âI canât let this go unpunished, so I had to leave. Even if I could ask the clan to fight my battles with me, theyâre in no condition to do it. Indi and Jackson will take care of them while Iâm gone. However long that turns out to be.â
âYou do plan on going back, though, donât you?â Crys questioned, sipping her tea.
âSure. One way or another, everyone should go home one day, Red.â
âThat sounds far from reassuring, I hope you know.â
Dastan chuckled. âJust trying to be realistic, Red. We donât know what the future holds and all of that.â
Crys sighed. âYeah, all of that.â She agreed, sipping her tea in silence until the cup was empty. âWell, you ask Nicky for a key to a vacant room when you feel like getting settled. Itâs late and Iâm tired, so Iâm going to try and get some sleep.â She stood up and put the tea cup away before heading for the door.
âAlright.â Dastan agreed. âOh, wait, Red...â He called after her. âArenâtcha gonna relieve your recruits downstairs?â
Crys snickered. âI told them to repeat the exercise until I get back. If theyâre still at it in the morning Iâll know I scared them enough.â
âI dread to think of how you could possibly scare them any further.â Dastan teased.
âHopefully for them, weâll never have to find out,â she answered, waving over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen.
==============================
[Raven's Nest - Otium 20, mid afternoon]
âKeith...I just got word from Kyle...It's time.â Matthew pronounced his last words with a certain kind of ferocity that seemed to grab Keithâs attention. The man looked at his superior with a mix of relief and contempt, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
âWhat about the CaptainâŠ?â Keith asked, standing a bit taller now, Matthew having his complete attention, fully aware of what the man was talking about.
âWe are to carry on as if she can not be there. I do need you to go to the city and personally retrieve Sophie and Bran. No ravens, no discussing what this is about. Everyone will be briefed before we leave and not a moment sooner. Everyone is now on strict routine exercises and curfew for the next few days, until further notice. If anyone complains or is insubordinate, they are given latrine duties and will be cut from any consideration for the mission. Am I making myself clear?â
âYes, Sir. Crystal clear.â
âOh, before you leave..send Jacob my way will you?â Matthew firmly patted Keith on the shoulder as he nodded and trotted off to find Jake.
Jake was sitting by his campfire, shirtless and barefoot, a metal pot hanging over the flames emitting some nauseating fumes. The man seemed completely unaffected by the smoke, as toxic as it might have seemed, and was occupied with stitching a tear through one of the leather sheaths that usually held his needles; a wooden box containing several of said metal needles open on the floor between his feet and a series of vials were scattered across the ground surrounding him, some empty and others already sealed and filled with poisonous substances, and he was half-humming half-mumbling words to a song under his breath as he worked. Once finished stitching up the tear on the leather, Jake strapped the empty sheath to his left forearm as tightly as possible, examining yet again to make sure it was right, before removing it and starting to carefully pick needles from the pot with the aid of a pair of tweezers, placing them on the sheath one by one.
It was during this process that a loud cough alerted Jake to another personâs presence and he lifted his head to see Keith approaching him in a bit of a hurried pace. âNeed anything?â He questioned, pulling the pot from the fire, which caused the smoke to slowly dissipate, clearing the air just a bit.
âWhat the hell are you doing Jacob?â Keith asked, seeming to forget why he was even there for just a split second before shaking his head and regaining focus. âMatthew wants to see you.â
âWell, you didnât think I just bought these at a smithy did you?â Jake retorted, nodding along to the information that Matthew wanted to see him while finishing his task, quickly attaching the sheath to his arm once more. âWhere are you off to?â
âIâm going to stop by the city,â Keith answered simply. âYou go and talk to Matthew as soon as you can, itâs important.â
âHm.â Jake mumbled to himself watching Keith wander off again in a hurry. It didnât take much to notice something was up and so he hurried to finish replenishing his other sheaths, and fixing up the hidden blades in his boots that had been taken out for a new coat of poison as well. He hurriedly cleaned up the area to make sure nothing possibly
harmful had been left where someone could stumble upon it and went off to find Matthew, finding him in the training area. âMatt! You need me for something?â
Matthew had his back to Jacob when he approached, momentarily distracted barking orders at a group of men and women who were sparring. Rubbing his head in frustration he growled. âNo! No, no no. Again. Do it again, until you all get it right. Not one of you, ALL OF YOU. Youâve been lazy and we canât afford laziness. Zane, that goes double for you. Thereâs no time to rest, GET BACK TO IT!â Matt sighed, muttering about letting Jason set some of the Guard on fire to get them properly motivated and turned to face Jake. He coughed, his face scrunching up as he detected an awkward odor coming from the man.
âJake..what the hell did you bathe in today? That wonât last, will it? Iâm putting you in charge of something..and discretion and stealth are going to be a necessity. You up for leading about a dozen of us?â Matt reached into his pocket, not really elaborating much more, and handed Jake a small scroll that would normally be fitting a raven and closed the manâs fingers around it tight.
âDo not give this to anyone and read it once you reach Blackpond, specifically to Crystal Rivers. We are going to need all the help we can get on this one. Captainâs orders. Afterwards..burn it and do not discuss anything with anyone, understood? No one is to be trusted except a select few. When you get back, Iâm going to call a meeting..maybe in a day or so and Iâll explain more. Until then..â Matt lifted his head, glancing around to make sure no one was within earshot, most of his company occupied with relentless drills behind him, clearly unhappy with the physical stress.
âUntil then...you talk to no one, especially Essence. I know sheâs like a sister to you, but I need you to wait, ok? If you want to be the one..just wait..â He trailed off turning his back towards Jacob to watch the men.
Jake was confused, but only for a moment, nodding along to Matthewâs words and hurrying back to clear his camp and wash up before the trip. Whatever was in that letter sounded urgent.
==============================
[Blackpond Inn - Otium 20, early evening]
Donovan smiled as he reached the door of the Inn. It was early in the evening, but the place already had a small group of patrons chatting away and drinking at one of the tables. As he stepped inside he was approached by a tall man in his early forties who barred his entrance. âIâm sorry, but I must ask that you surrender your weapons. House rules.â
âSeriously?â Donovan chuckled, looking towards the redheaded man behind the bar. âSeriously, Nicholas?â
âBossâ orders, Little Fletcher; no tough guys with weapons,â Nick replied.
âIâm not giving you my bow,â Donovan warned.
âJust the quiver will suffice,â the man replied, watching Donovan carefully as he rid himself of his daggers and handed over his quiver. âThank you, sir, enjoy your evening.â
Donovan snorted a laugh. âSeriously, Crystal...â He mumbled under his breath. âSo, where is your boss, Nicky? Is she in?â
âSheâs in the office. Second floor, take a right, last door at the end of the hall. Knock before you enter.â
Donovan followed Nicholasâ direction and climbed up the stairs to the second floor, walked to the last door on the right of the stairs and knocked.
âCome in.â Crys answered from within the room.
Doni opened the door and walked in, closing the door after himself and looking around the office. âNice place you got here,â he stated. The inside of the office was simple. Just Crysâ desk, her chair a couple of more chair across from hers and a mostly empty bookshelf. The rest of the room was empty space, filled with random bits of gear. It was clearly in the process of being fixed up to the assassinâs liking, but it already seemed comfortable enough. âMind if I sit?â
Crys smiled at the young Alpha and motioned to the chair right across from her. âPlease. And what do I owe a visit this soon, Alpha?â
Donovan placed a book on the desk. âYou left this when we last saw each other. Your fatherâs journal? I thought youâd really want it, but you left without taking it.â
Crys reached out, her hand freezing as it touched the leather cover of the book, a soft sigh escaping her lips. âI did.â She snorted, and took the book from the desk, safe keeping it in one of the drawers. âIâll have to find someone to read this with me at some point.â She smiled and leaned back in her seat, her focus now entirely on Donovan. âThatâs not the only reason youâre here, though, is it?â
Donovan smiled. âNo, no it isnât. I think itâs time we have a little discussion about this place.â
âOh?â Crys smirked. âWhat about this place?â
âYou know what Iâm talking about, Crys. You appropriated this establishment, but it still belongs to the Wolfpack.â
âI donât think so.â Crys stated. âYour brother made a deal with Blackpond to have this Inn rebuilt. My death was part of that deal. To my understanding, if anyone holds any rights over something paid for with my blood, that someone is me. I was very sincere in my offer for cooperation, Doni, but there wonât be a negotiation here. Iâm not leaving.â
Donovan sighed. âI was expecting youâd say that.â The boy ran his fingers through his hair. It was one thing to stand in front of the Knights of Newhaven and keep his cool, but the possibility of this turning into an argument was something else entirely. âI know you understand my reservations regarding your people occupying this building. Jake, Evin... Allison... I donât want to see them step a foot near the Packâs territory in any way under any circumstance. And Twins know; as loyal as they are to you, you canât keep them under control.â
âTheir problem was with Sean, Doni. I donât see a reason why they would want anything to do with the Wolfpack now, but... If it makes you feel better, I can restrict access to the tunnels. Itâll take some time, but it can be done.â
âI would appreciate it if you could do that.â Donovan agreed. âIt may be paranoia on my part, but I just honestly donât want any more catastrophes where they can be avoided and the company you keep, Crys... Theyâre walking catastrophes. Every single one of them.â
Crys snorted a laugh. âThatâs why I like them so much. What is life without a dozen weekly catastrophes?â
Donovan leaned back in his seat for a moment and stretched, letting out a tired groan. âI donât know, but Iâd very much like to find out.â
===============================
[Blackpond Inn - Otium 21, early morning]
Jake arrived in Blackpond early in the morning. The city streets were still mostly void of life awaiting the first rays of sunlight. By the time he reached the door of the Inn those rays were already reflecting on the glass windows of the establishment, pushing through the cracks on the wood, announcing the start of a new day. Just as Jake reached for the door it unexpectedly flung open and a glossy eyed mercenary stared at him for almost a full minute as though trying to see him through a deep fog.
âJake!â Dastan exclaimed, opening a wide smile, pulling him inside by the shirt. âHowâs it going buddy!?â
âIâm... Okay... What are you doing here, Dastan?â Jake questioned, a bit confused to see the Crimson leader there and concluding he must have gotten into the stock at some point last night to be swaying in place like that. âIs Crys around?â
âIâm just... Hanging âround for a bit. I was helping the little ginger run the bar last night... This burly fella thought he could drink me under the table, but I show...ed... him...â Dastan hiccuped the end of his sentence and laughed at himself before pretty much falling over onto a chair. âI think I need to sit.â He muttered under his breath. âUh... I think Red was still sleeping. Least I didnât see âer yet today. Pretty sure she wouldnât mind you going up, so... Go on up... Iâm... gonna wait for the room to stop spinning and... Then Iâmmagotobed.â He announced, plopping his head down against the table top.
Jake snickered, closing and bolting the front door before making his way upstairs. He walked over to Crysâ room and gave a soft knock before pushing the door open. He took a quick glance into the room and saw that it was empty. âHm,â he mumbled, shutting the door and heading for the office door instead. Once again he knocked and cracked the door open, seeing Crys sitting behind her desk, fast asleep with head resting on a small pile of papers. Jake entered the room and approached the desk, looking at the documents spread out around the sleeping assassin and seeing just series of marks indented into the parchment, like codes. He reached out and touched the surface of one of the sheets of paper and smiled, feeling the markings on his fingertips. It was a similar code to the ones Pack used, but adapted. âClever girl.â
Jake sat in the chair across from Crys and slowly ran his fingers through her hair. âHeeey,â he whispered. âWake up, sleepy head.â
Crys stirred at the sound of Jakeâs voice, a lazy smile crossing her features as she reached out and caught his hand. âWhatâre you doing here, stupid?â She mumbled, heaving a sigh and pushing herself upright in her seat. âThis is not a comfortable sleeping position.â
âNo it isnât,â Jake agreed, gently squeezing her hand. âIâd love to say Iâm just visiting, but actually Matthew sent me.â
âOh?â Crys asked, seeming a bit more awake now. âIs everything alright?â
âIâm not sure. I have a letter Iâm supposed to read to you, itâs... All I know at this point.â
âAlright then,â Crys yawned, letting go of Jakeâs hand and lifting her arms over her head in a lazy stretch. âI need some tea and something to eat, so if you can read it to me in the kitchen Iâd appreciate it.â She smiled, standing up and walking past Jake out of the room.
Jake chuckled, following her outside and down the stairs. âSo, how long has Dastan been staying here?â
âA couple of days. I think heâs just... I donât know what heâs doing, but Iâm just letting him. Heâs been a help to Nicky and he actually managed to make people buy him drinks so heâs earning us money.â
âWhatever helps the guy heal, I guess.â Jake shook his head and they walked past the bar to the kitchen and he saw Dastan past out where heâd left him.
Once in the kitchen, Jake sat down at the table and watched as Crys started to heat up water for tea and rummage through the pantry. âSo? What does your letter say?â She asked, placing a loaf of bread, some cheese and jerky on the table.
âOh, letâs see...â Jake pulled the letter from his bag and read it aloud:
Miss. Rivers,
We have located potential hostiles within the city of Blackpond and what we believe to be a secret holding ground for captives; specifically children. We have gathered confirmation per an inside source and need to act soon if we are to retrieve that person alive as well as the otherâs being held against their will. This is connected to Asher as we found he is a major supplier of âcattleâ to this group, however he will not be found in the city as far as we know. We may have stumbled onto more than a brushfire. We believe the reason why no one has reported seeing something this large is because it is mostly held underground, beneath the city and we have only just discovered access points. Sightings of the symbol have been reported in numerous locations, specifically at access points to these tunnels, although it is unclear how to get to them. We believe there are powerful enlightened who are protecting these locations so you are to expect the worst and prepare for the unexpected. This should be voluntary only because of the danger it involves. There is little time to waste and an immediate response is needed only in reinforcements. Do not travel together. Paranoia is not overrated here as we believe we could be being watched. We must assume these lives have little time and request the utmost haste.
Mr Turner will be leading this Raid, Captainâs recommendation. We are trusting you to assist and in selecting the best team possible to make this a success.
Be safe.
-M-
Crys froze while pouring herself a cup of tea and cursed loudly when the liquid overflowed and spilled onto her hand. âFuck... Damn it!â
Jake jumped to his feet and took the kettle from her hands. âCareful, love.â
âIâm okay,â she sighed. âThis is just... Shit...â
âApparently, Iâm leading a raid.â Jake snorted. âThat is... Shit...â
Crys laughed at his response, shaking her head. âI canât go. I mean, if youâre leading this thing, itâs... Not a good idea.â
âDefinitely not. I mean, I wonât be able to keep Ess from getting involved and if youâre there too... I just canât.â
âOkay. So, other than myself, who would I trust with your life?â She questioned, going back to table and taking a seat.
âAre we going by those standards? Because that immediately rules out Evin.â
Crys snorted. âI could send Nicky and I could offer you five more. Letâs see... Irena, Randall, Stuart, Michelle and... Peter, heâs not as experienced as the others, but his enlightenment could be very useful.â
âYou heard Matty, though; they need to volunteer. Itâs a risky mission.â
âHe also said âchildrenâ. Trust me, theyâll jump at the opportunity to nail these bastards.â Crys sighed, parting the bread and offering Jake a piece. âYou need to eat better.â She scolded, taking a piece for herself and biting into it.
âI eat.â Jake argued, biting his piece of bread and chewing on it slowly as he mulled over his thoughts. âHmmph... how soon can you bring your people over?â
âDonât travel together, he said. Four days to get everyone ready, weâll take different routes and meet you there. You... Take Dastan with you when you go back. Once heâs lucid enough heâll want to take part in this.â
âUh... I... Are you sure? He looks pretty out of it right now and I donât mean the fact that heâs wasted.â
âTrust me.â
Jake sighed, pouring himself some tea. âI always do.â
Camp of the former Black Guard.
[Otium 18th, Morning]
Rita let her go. She watched Lamya walk out of the door and didn't do anything to stop her. It would be next to impossible to track her now. She'd let Rita find her if it was Lamya's desire. Now, Rita had one promise to rely on and a tip where she may find her. That was all she had to go from and there wasn't a reason to believe any of it. Lamya didn't believe in honesty. Honesty went against her code.
These thoughts of Lamya rushed through her head as she stood in front of the Blackpond war room. Alone; still, within the barren hallway that Rita had yet to decorate. No structure was in place for castle guards yet. The castle was empty for the most part, save for a motley crew of guards scattered along the castle's hall. This was one of many reasons why Rita and her war council had to have this meeting. Many things needed clearing up before Blackpond would be in working order again. Roles needed reassignment, laws needed rewriting, the nobility restructured. What Rita and her war council had in front of them was a difficult range of mountains the new rule had yet to surmount. It was what Blackpond needed. Rita took a deep breath before she pushed open the doors to let herself into the room.
A small council of five people were sitting at a table, pages tossed about the table with reckless abandonment. Each of the five stood upon Rita's entrance.
"Sit down, everyone. We're all equals in this room until we've established who the real leaders of Blackpond are. Let's get to it."
The room sat in silence for a moment, each person looking at one another for approval before taking their seats again. Rita found her seat and joined them at the table. Nothing she could do would prepare her for the long day of discussion that lay ahead.
The six people all looked around the room. Rita noted each expression and tried to make sense of where they were at. They were apprehensive. Some of them more than others. Some of them likely didn't want to be at this meeting, but they had no choice. Arcadius Trivelli, for example, was a military man, through and through. He wasn't much for diplomacy. The only time he felt comfortable sitting was when it was on the back of his spirited warhorse. Brute force in the face of adversity was his forté and while not always the answer, it still commanded respect.
After a prolonged silence Oswald Valkenburg was the first to speak. He was a patient man, choosing his moments with care. "What do we do now?" He asked. "The military campaign is over and the city is ours again. We fought, but we didn't place any thought on who would lead when this was over."
"Isn't that why we're here?" Brianna Westall said in reply. "To decide on a leader?"
Brianna was a formidable officer. She committed to risking everything to achieve her goals. Sometimes it scared Rita knowing how close to defeat Brianna would go in securing a victory, but she her methods never failed her. Some would call it crazy, but Rita saw it for what it was: abstract. For that reason alone, Rita saw Brianna's tactics as an asset.
"And I thought we were here to discuss religion. We can go beating around the bush all we want, but I think everyone in this room can agree. It's time to jump to the conclusion of this meeting. Rita will reject the idea vehemently for a couple of hours, but cave to it eventually. She's going to be our next Queen, it's only a matter of time before she realises this fact herself." Mayson Coffman proposed. He was the outspoken wit of Rita's army. Fun to have around but at times, a nuisance.
"I won't accept that. I'm not meant to lead a city. I struggle leading an army sometimes. The only reason I'm useful is because I can see the battlefield from a bird's eye view." Rita said.
"You took the city back," Oswald said.
"I was handed the city," Rita said.
"It doesn't matter, much, does it? Which one of us would be better at ruling the city? You were closest to the royals before the death of Rory. You would know better than any of us how this city should run." Arcadius said.
"I know next to nothing that went on in Rory's rule over the city. I was like one of you, an officer of Commander Hastings' army." Rita said.
"She's right, you know," said Korvin Strongwell, who had up until that moment, remained silent. "None of us are close to understanding how to run the city. With the fire from earlier this year, we no longer have the resources to learn for ourselves."
"You spend more time in that library than you do the battlefield. You're telling us that you've never read anything about City politics?" Arcadius asked flippantly.
Korvin edged his gaze towards Arcadius. Cool and collected, but direct with his intent. Rita shifted in her seat slightly. It was as if the room's lights had all flickered out at once. Although relaxed, Korvin was prone to bouts of energy that he would direct on his enemies. It was useful in battle but in a discussion, it was a deadly detriment.
"What an immense waste of time for a warrior to read of politics," Korvin said. Mayson scoffed but Korvin didn't skip a syllable as he continued. "I spent my time in the library reading through the largest collection of battle records known to Valcrest. Something a jokester such as you, Mayson, could find beneficial."
"Okay, let's settle down for a moment!" Brianna stepped in to defuse the conflict.
Oswald continued by saying, "let me get this straight. A group of assassins could run a city but we couldn't? I have a hard time believing that."
"This city wasn't a city while it was under their power. Their only means of political tactics were assassinations of any and all dissenters." Rita said.
"Surely that wasn't their only tactic. Why don't we speak to him; the guy that gave you the city?" Oswald asked.
The whole room looked to Rita. The suggestion was a promising one. One that could get insight into the workings of Blackpond from the people who ran it before them. They might have known more than the military leaders would. Surely they'd know more. Assassins had an air about them, making them look like they could achieve anything. That was the propaganda spread by the Wolves in their threatening days, which made them true shadows of any creed. All this told to her in the eyes of each of the five people looking at her for answers.
"After she gave me the city, she started to walk out the room. I told her that she wasn't going to leave this room alive. The crimes she committed against the city and it's people were too great to let pass. She turned around and before she could get another word out, I killed her." Rita said.
"Are you okay, Rita?" Mayson asked.
Rita looked down at her hands. She was grasping papers that were in front of her on the table. When she let go, the papers remained in their crumpled form, jumping off the table. Korvin and Arcadius rose from their seats and fumbled along the floor to grab the papers.
"I'm alright. My point is," she looked around the table, "she is no longer around. She can't help us." Both those statements were true. Lamya wasn't around and even if she were, she wouldn't be of any help. It was best to let the group believe she was dead than have them searching for the woman on their own. She hoped.
Briana chose this moment to interject. "It might be time for us to choose something new. Why not start with the six of us? We can rule the city as a collective. Making choices together, like we do on the battlefield."
"Because that worked well for us already."
"Enough of the unwanted comments, Mayson. The more people who are making decisions for the city, the better off we will be. We can shoot down stupid choices and discuss choices that don't have clear answers." Brianna continued.
"You suggest we vote on decisions; the six of us?" Oswald asked.
"Exactly."
"And if we split the vote?"
Brianna thought about it for a moment. "We have a seventh member. A swing vote."
"That sounds rather corruptable. The swing could side with one person on every issue. They'd become the de facto king or queen with all the power of the council."
"I don't know. What do you think, Rita?" Brianna asked.
"What?"
Rita hadn't been listening for the past couple of minutes. Her mind was elsewhere, looking down at the papers that she'd crumpled which Korvin and Arcadius did their best to decrease. Her mind leapt back to Lamya again. It was the same thing, over and over. She couldn't forget that Lamya was on the loose and what that meant for her and everyone around her. For anyone Lamya chose to cross paths with. No new thoughts were passing through her head. Not for the past day since she saw the woman last, but her mind fixated on it.
Now her lie made things complicated. She couldn't ask for help. She couldn't put Lamya on trial. Rita would have to settle things are her own, without the knowledge of her closest of advisors to help.
"We were wondering what you thought about us six making all the choices and voting on the matters. The only problem is that there are six of us and to have a single swing vote could prove to be disastrous." Korvin repeated.
"All we need is more than one swing vote," Rita said.
"Of course!" Mayson said.
"Shut up," Brianna said to defuse Mayson again.
"I'd say nine more people would be good. That would round us out to 15 people." Arcadius said.
"So a small council of 6 and then 9 more to make a large council of 15 that could vote when the small council is divided," Oswald said. "It sounds solid."
"Now comes to fun part," Mayson said with a sarcastic smile. "The fine details."
Mayson was right. The group sat in the room for the next two hours discussing how exactly this council system would work. They decided on how long each term would be. How the council would elect a new member when the term was over. They decided on who might fit the bill to be on the large council. By the time they finished, each member felt confident that the city was now in competent hands.
[Otium 18th, Midday] Raven's Nest
Jake had been told about Evinâs presence the day of his arrival but decided to keep his distance at first. They hadnât actually spoken two words to one another in a long time, but as of late, he was constantly running into the man wherever he went. It made that silence heavier for some reason and, even though Jake didnât know what heâd even have to say to Evin in the first place, he felt compelled to break it. He thought about what good could come of that, he thought it about it most of the night as he watched over Essâ sleep, he thought it about it during his morning drills... And he had no idea. Matthew had made a comment about it maybe being a good idea having Evin there, but when Jake asked what he meant the man said theyâd talk about it later, that it wasnât time yet. Something in his words made Jake uneasy, but he pushed it aside for âlaterâ, not much else to do about that. Jake had learned a long time ago that it was impossible to trick any information out of Matthew.
After lunch Jake left the mess hall and made his way to the little storage shed Evin had holed up in, knocking on the door and not awaiting a response before going in and closing it behind his back. âYou know, there might something to be said about you kidnapping the queen, but... coming to think of it... Not the first time you stole the kid, is it? Thatâs not that surprising to me, but... You being here is, though. Never considered this to be a place youâd run to, regardless of how much you may trust the Captain.â
The storage shed Evin had found was an adequate space for living. He had managed to create a small bed for Ella using a broken table and some torn fabrics that he'd found. And while his hair was now covered in cobwebs, he had managed to occupy his time by organising the space to provide him with a little more space. The space, while cramped was just enough for Evin. Hardly enough for the monster hijacking Ella's body, though. In Ella's waking hours, Evin would listen to the constant complaints of the living conditions. It was hard to imagine that this person was skilled enough to do anything let alone steal a dying girl's body.
Evin was just about to use the new space he'd acquired to work out and train when he heard footsteps outside his door. A sudden dread raced through him. He'd have done his best to avoid it, but he knew that coming to the Nest, he'd be bound to face it. Before Jake even revealed himself, Evin seemed to know exactly who it was. He knew that the two of them could only go on avoiding each other for so long. This had to come to a head at some point. That point was now.
âThank you for the reminder,â Evin said in reference to Ella. âWhen first I stole her, she was practically dead. This time, she's a corpse. I'd rather she be in my hands than in the hands of a young, headstrong resistance leader, though.â He paused to see if Ella was still sleeping. âI don't run from anything, Jake. I'm not like you. I came here because I couldn't tell you the first thing about birthing a child. I figure that it'd be best that Ella's child be born in the arms of my friends.â
âI find that hard to believe,â Jake spoke with a shrug, leaning against the wall beside the door and staring at the man a mix of amusement and veiled contempt. âNot that youâre nothing like me; that is much clear, but I highly doubt you donât run from anything. Iâm pretty damn sure that running into all the things you do on a regular basis is nothing more than a way to escape something. I can just picture you setting off explosions out there as a way to drown out your own thoughts.â
Jakeâs gaze softened momentarily as he looked at Ella. The girl was gone. He had to remember that. Crys had said she was still there; weak, fading, but there. Even so, there was no saving Ellaâs life. He didn't know the girl well, but if she was still enduring all this, he had to acknowledge; she was tougher at her core than she would ever be given credit for. âAnd then what?â He asked. âIâm assuming this child has a father, no?â
âThe only thing I ever ran from is my best friend and I swore I'd never do that again. If that means I'm running from my true, cowardly self, then so be it. I don't drown out my thoughts. Some people I know might drown problems, but that's not me. I let my thoughts out. I'm honest with my feelings and I express them and I feel like my actions reflect that nicely.â Evin's gaze narrowed. He thought for a moment if he had ever punched Jake. He knew he'd done so in training, but that was hardly worth anything. A good punch, without warning or any real reason. Just bottled up frustration with the boy. While pleasurable, it would accomplish nothing. Evin relaxed just a little, placing his hands in his pockets as there was no better place to keep them contained.
âFor all I know, the father's died the night I kidnapped her. That's a question for another time.â Evin closed his eyes and let out a loud, audible sigh. âDid you just come here to trade insults or is there a reason for this intrusive visit?â
Jake chuckled at Evinâs question. âInsults? Whoâs insulting who here?â He asked, smirking at the man. âI am, whether either one of us likes it, the highest ranking Raven in this camp, Evin. So Iâd consider you dragging kidnapped dying royalty in here to be much my business. Especially now.â He quietly rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling an all too familiar sting of pain behind his eyes. âPardon my intrusion, however. Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything?â He asked, lowering his hand and crossing both arms over his chest. âAnd surely, youâre a shining example of emotional stability; my apologies for implying otherwise. I honestly donât know what could have given me that idea.â
Jake shook his head as if realising the amount of sarcasm that had come out of him at once and mentally scolding himself. âI donât think itâs ever too early to start asking some questions. Who knows, if more questions were asked three years ago, maybe this kid wouldnât have ended up where she is now; wherever that may be.â
Evin restrained himself for long enough. He did his best to contain himself when around Jake most times, but he could only hold back the seething anger he felt for so long. His eyes sparked a shining black and like a flash, his fist connected with Jake's jaw. Time raced back to its regular pace and that's when Evin began to feel the pain. It was more intense than usual. He keeled over as if he'd been punched in the gut himself. It was only after a few moments that he began to feel the pain in his fist. The punch wasn't proper. In his anger, he'd forgotten his technique. It was a dirty, street punch like none other that he'd given to someone. The pain he felt in his hand was satisfying in a way peculiar to Evin, but the pain in his stomach was disturbing. Reality seemed to snap back to him.
âWe both want the same things yet somehow we devolve into this. You're a real ass, you know that?â
There was no time to react. Evinâs fist had connected before Jake could process what was happening and still; he couldnât say he didnât see it coming. The assassinâs punch had pushed Jakeâs head against the wall behind him and left him with a lingering ache in the back of his head as well as his jaw. It wasnât what Jake would call a proper punch by any means, but he would still be feeling it for a while. âDid you always want to be a Wolf, Evin? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Knight. I thought knights protected people; I wanted to always be able to protect those around me.â Jake mumbled, sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor, rubbing his temples. âI never wanted to be a Wolf. Dani was one of two people I admitted that to at the time of my expulsion. She knew that I only came back; the only reason I would ever, was because Crys said she needed me...â Jake snorted softly. âAnd Iâm always going to wonder, if part of the reason she sent me to Newhaven was to give me a way out, or if she just outright used me. Likewise, Iâll always be the one who killed her... Youâre always going to be the guy who cut off a piece of my ear... Some things simply cannot be mended for the sake of any greater good. They are what they are.â Jake sighed. âRegardless, I meant what I said; about the kid. Itâs not too soon to think about it, especially if the fatherâs gone. Ellaâs mother put her in that orphanage to keep her safe. If not for The Shadow; for us, it might have worked.â
Jake went on about his life as if it were important. As if the fact that he chose to be a Knight was important. As if killing Dani was important and as if a superficial loss of his ear garnered importance. He was right, these were all things that couldn't be taken back. He spoke as if fate was a factor in all this. However, there was no merit to fate. âThey are what they are,â Evin repeated.
âI never had the chance to not want to be a Wolf, Jake. I was a Wolf the moment that I was born into the camp. It wasn't something that I wanted or even something that I didn't want, for that matter. It was who I was. Through and through. Ella was the same. She was a Page and the Page family is royal. From the moment of her birth until her unnaturally long death, she's been royal. Hiding her in an orphanage didn't change that fact. Disguising her as a Wolf didn't change that either. And in the end, her death wasn't a consequence of any of these events. The events that happened in that ballroom lived in their own little world, Jake.â
âPawns will be pawns... and Kings will be Kings... Like little pieces of a chess board, right? You can tell yourself that all you want, Evin. The world can tell itself that all it wants. I see how thatâs reassuring. To strip choice from the equation, take away responsibility...â Jake laughed softly. âIf Ella was always a Royal and nothing would change that, then why bring her to the forest, to begin with? Why train her in the first place if she was never going to truly be a Wolf? She was already a royal then, the only difference was no one knew. Dani said she had potential then. So, when people did know, did she change? Did all that potential die? I donât want to throw this in your face, but I find it amusing that Sean was the one who fought for her to stay. And Iâm not saying that would have been better, but Iâm saying it was still an option.â Jake sighed, pushing himself to stand before the task became too difficult, swaying a bit in place. âYou do what you have to, Evin, or find someone who will... I admit itâs not my business; not one bit, and this wonât be one of the many things keeping me up at night.â
âThis girl was passed around her entire life. She went from castle to orphanage, back to the castle, to the dungeons, to the Wolves, to another dungeon before finally, she found her way back to the castle. Only once did she ever have a choice in the matter of where to go. Ella could have stayed with the Wolves. She could have chosen to go off and live a normal life, too. If she wanted to, she could have. I was her mentor. You know what happened to Owen. Did you just expect me to leave her with the man whoâd just admitted to attempting to kill Crys? I gave her to Ria and then Ella chose to go to Newhaven instead of the desert. Ella was like the daughter I nev--â
âHow sweet.â The young voice of the girl who Evin had thought was sleeping said. âYou didnât kidnap Ella to keep the baby safe, did you? You just want to hold onto your precious baby girl a little longer.â
âNow is not the time to be aggravating me.â Evin retorted.
âOh, or what? Youâll hit me like you did to the jackass over there? Iâd dare you to punch your precious little pregnant girl.â
âEvin, might not be able to, but I would, so I suggest you shut it.â Jake warned, not seeming at all fazed by the interruption and continuing to address Evin as though âEllaâ had never spoken. âI understand the facts, Evin. And thatâs exactly the point. Ellaâs life was mostly driven by desperation; her mother left her out of desperation, we dragged her to the forest to save her life, the White Knights were after her in some desperate attempt to restore order to Newhaven... By the time she had any choice, how was she expected to know what she wanted or who she even was? However there is a chance here to do for this child what was never done for her and, if there truly is no longer a father, maybe you and Captain should discuss this amongst yourselves. If anyone cared about that girl as much as you, itâs her. Think about it.â
âAre you suggesting I raise the child? Iâm too old for it, Jake. Riaâs close to being too old for it. Hell, Iâm nearing 38 now. When that childâs matured, Iâll be nearing my 60âs. As stressful as my life is now, I couldnât do it. We couldnât do it.â Evin said. Then he chuckled. âWho knows, I might not even make it past next month with all things considered.â
âItâs amazing that you brought me all this way without a plan,â Ella said, the tone mocking.
âThere is another reason Iâm here,â Evin said, ignoring the fact that he was being mocked. âIâm following leads on a person. He goes by the name of Wyatt. Seems to have been involved with Xypher in attempting to remove Ria from Newhaven. He also seems to know that Iâm looking for him. Following me in bars, assassinating people who may have known about him. It almost reminds me of Perry in a way. It almost scares me how similar they are.â
Jake was silent for a few moments, a goofy look of amusement spreading across his features as he was clearly trying to imagine Evin and Mageria teaming up to raise a baby. While he managed to burst out laughing he did chuckle briefly. âLook, all Iâm saying is that when a child loses both parents it should be up to their closest family to decide their fate. Whether or not the childâs mother was Queen shouldnât change that. The fact of the matter is, you and Captain are the closest to a family this kidâs gonna have, so whatever is decided, you should at least decide together.â He shrugged.
Jake continued to ignore the necromancer, Evinâs mention of the name Wyatt peaking his interest. âWyatt? Thatâs odd. Ali mentioned meeting a Wyatt at the ball in Blackpond. She described him as a redhead teenager, said he was in the company of this blonde couple and the woman seemed to be trying to kidnap Donovan. She distinctly remembered warning Ryan about them.â
Evin was interested, but not captivated by Allisonâs encounter with a Wyatt. The description didnât seem to fit what he was looking for. A teenager wouldnât have the influence or skills to do what the Wyatt Evin was looking for could. The Wyatt he was looking for was a killer who had a way with words. That much, Evin could infer. How common of a name was Wyatt? He couldnât think of any other Wyattâs that he knew. The thief, Lionel likely used the name for himself because of its obscurity.
âIâm not sure if itâs the same Wyatt, but Iâll keep it in mind.â
Evin looked over to Ella again for a moment. She was twitching. It wasnât an uncommon sight. Every once in awhile, the host would seem to disappear into Ellaâs body and then the convulsions would start. Evin wasnât quite sure what was going on but figured he wouldnât worry himself over it too much.
âHe canât hear us right now,â Evin said, motioning to Ella. âIf you want to say it⊠or anything for that matter, now would be the time.â
âItâs probably not the same, no, but maybe this person has some connection to your Wyatt. I mean, itâs plausible the man isnât working alone. By your own comparison, Iâm still not convinced The Shadow didnât have people backing him. Impressive as his manipulative skills were, no one impersonates a king for that long without someone noticing.â
Jake stared at Ellaâs twitching form, pondering Evinâs words. Some things were probably best left unsaid. Left alone. Buried. He sighed. âI went by the Wolves camp while they were preparing Sean for burial... I did promise him Iâd return his knife after all... The clan seems to be falling behind Donovan now. Iâm not sure whether itâs official yet, but... Suppose heâs just as good a candidate for Alpha as the next guy. The Pack and I will likely never be in good terms again, considering what Iâve done, but for the rest of you, the animosity hopefully died with Sean.â
Evin nodded his head at Jake. It was true, Seanâs death marked the end of many things to many people. To Evin, it marked the end of his connections with the Wolfpack. Everyone who kept him to the Wolfpack was either dead or had defected. Everything that Evin had built his life on was now completely unaffiliated with the Wolfpack. All his friends, companions, rivals, and associates were now bigger than what the Wolfpack had become. âI see cooperation in the future for the two of us. As long as you can keep yourself from killing my good friends, I think we can make this work. The past did die with Sean. I think itâs time to start anew.â
Jake couldnât help but arch an eyebrow at Evinâs words about the past dying with Sean. It sounded unusually optimistic to him coming from Evin, but he wasnât going to bring that up or argue the manâs statement. Thereâd be no point. He just nodded along instead. âThat seems fair, I guess,â he answered calmly, rubbing his aching jaw as he took his leave.
------------------
Simon didn't bother wondering too far from where Jake had left him. There wasn't anything that he was after in the Raven's Nest. Simon's goal was singular. The campsite was just a resting spot until the opportunity arose and he was in no particular hurry rise. Nothing rushed him to complete his task. As long as he had the dagger, Simon didn't have to worry. His only worry rested with the wolf.
Simon didn't dislike dogs. He wasn't so sure about wolves. That wasn't what bothered him about his new companion, though. It all came down to Simon's pride. To have to be babysat by a dog brought Simon back to childhood when dogs would be used as a way to ensure Simon's safety from himself. When mother couldn't bother to take care of him, the family dog was always there to make sure Simon was safe. Now, many years later, Simon found himself in a similar position before. The only relief being that in Simon's metaphor for treating him as a child, Jake was Simon's mother. An amusing thought, but meaningless beyond Simon's headspace. The worry of the dog in itself was a meaningless thought which meant Simon could continue on, not caring for his predicament.
It was a spacious little area which Simon had been brought. By all means, one could almost call this encampment a town. It functioned much like any other town, except for the limitations to who may enter said camp. It was a military base before anything else, less involved in their previous obligations to Newhaven than before. Their obligations were elsewhere, now. Where they were, Simon couldn't discern from his limited view. He could have slipped into the various people's minds as they rushed by him. Maybe they could give him some insight. Did he care for insight? What would it gain him? It was possible that he'd gain nothing but at the same time, it was possible that he gained valuable information. It was also a waste of his time. What else would I do with my time?
Simon was right. There wasn't anything worthwhile to do in the camp. With the risk of a misstep resulting in a face ripped apart by a wolf, Simon preferred to stay on the safe side. It would be straightforward to get away with slipping into other people's minds unnoticed. The use of Simon's enlightenment was unassuming on most occasions.
There was a large rock propped by a tree. He ushered Rick to stand by the rock while Simon sat against the rock. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he'd become attuned to the thoughts of the people around him. Most prevalent were the thoughts of Rick, deprived of logic and filled with depravities Simon preferred not to focus on. Broadening his thought, he started to catch glimpses of the people closest to him. A woman who was looking for her husband. A man who couldn't grasp the concept of swimming in the nearby river. Children hoping no one would catch them sneaking into the armoury to get a close look at all the interesting weapons. A conversation where two were dancing around the real talking points. And a mind all too familiar.
Simon snapped out of it. All the intrusive thoughts around him disappeared. He leapt off the ground, searching his surroundings for a specific face. The wolf growled, looking up at Simon with teeth bared and hair at attention. Simon settled back into the rock but didn't take his gaze off the wolf for one moment. While keeping a close eye on the wolf, he started to focus his thoughts again, looking for the familiar thoughts again.
It didn't take Simon long at all to focus back into the thought. To find where it was coming from wasn't all too difficult, either. He was just across the river and a couple dozen feet away from the person he was looking for.
"I never expected to find a mind so familiar to me when I ended up here. How did you end up here?" Simon asked the mind.
"I was kidnapped." The mind replied. "And you?"
Simon thought about that for a moment. Why would the Ravens feel a need to kidnap the queen from Newhaven? It wasn't a particular matter for him.
"I found Rick, but I also ended up finding the Black Knights. I have something now I've been put on quite a tight leash."
"You're going to give it to Vorso like you were instructed?" The mind asked.
"No," Simon said
"So you'll give it to Lamya?"
"I wouldn't give Lamya my socks."
"This isn't the smart thing to do, Simon. You're just going to abandon the Conflict like that?"
"The Conflict has never been a single entity. We are just a group of opportunists. Vorso, Lamya... you."
"I'm winning the war for Blackpond. I'm the closest thing to the Conflict's original purpose than anyone in this group is."
"Don't play me that way. I know more about you than you can ever comprehend. I know what you want better than you do." Simon said.
"I want Blackpond to win the war."
"Ella's an interesting woman. There's an interesting chapter about her in a book stored away somewhere in the White Shadows' archives. Myths of Medicine. You went to the archives that one time when Rory had us do reconnaissance, didn't you? How old were we again? Fifteen? Do remember what chapter it was? Don't hurt your brain, I know you don't but if you want, I could unlock that memory for you."
"You know, I never liked you."
"I know. To be frank, I don't care what you do. I don't care what any of you Valcrestians do as long as you aren't getting in my way."
Simon cut off the contact with the mind. Paying attention to reality again, he looked across the river to where the mind had come from. It was a small supply shed. From out the door, Jake walked out into the open. He thought about playing with Jake. Invading his mind and asking him why the Queen was in the camp. He decided against it. There was no need to provoke Jake anymore than he was already.
He looked back down to the wolf that was before him. Not having a particular need to provoke it, either, he decided to go off to find some food.
[Otium 18th, Evening] Blackpond
Rita looked around the room of Blackpond's new council. All fifteen members were now in the room. Present to hear what they were being offered. She knew some of them may reject their position and it was their right to do as they please. Every one of the people in the room was once a member of Rita's army. Most of them were competent generals and officers but there was an unlikely few that had been faceless soldiers to Rtia a short time before. They'd only had their chance to join the Large Council by recommendation of the new Small Council members who'd helped iron out Blackponds new political structure. It was important to have a mixture of people unknown to all of the Small Council Members. It allowed for diversity of opinions and was something Rita hoped would be beneficial to Blackpond's success from this point forward.
"We've spent the entire day discussing at great lengths what needs to be done to make this work. I can't guarantee that it will work and I'm sure we will run into problems but this is how things are going to be. The Small Council will consist of the six people who have been in discussion over the past ten hours. Those people are Oswald Valkenburg, Korvin Strongwell, Mayson Coffman, Brianna Westbrook, Arcadius Trivelli, and Ritania Lavoie-Hastings. The rest of you will sit on the Large Council if you so choose. Feel free to leave. We will find a replacement. If you wish to stay, we'll be discussing what your roles shall be in this new government."
[Otium 19th, Midnight] Not far from Blackpond
Dominic sat upright in his bed. He had been staring at the wardrobe in the corner of the room for what seemed like an hour now. It's bland features started blending into the wall as Dominic drifted in and out of conscious thought. For brief moments, he would be interrupted by the sound of Conrad or Wyatt turning in their sleep only to be drawn back to the corner of the room where he would continue to mindlessly drift through his thoughts.
There was no reason that Dominic was doing this. He was tired, but couldn't really sleep. He thought maybe it had something to do with Ella or possibly with the thought of Newhaven being crippled from the inside by revolutionaries. That wasn't the reason Dominic had trouble sleeping, though. He had moments like this before. Moments where he knew that he was facing a certain level of danger. It was the night before a battle. He'd only experienced it when he was certain that he was going to fight. This time, there was no sign that a fight was near.
"You can't sleep either?"
Dominic jumped to his feet but sat back down when he saw Wyatt adjusting himself upright in his bed. "No."
Wyatt didn't reply. He just stared back at Dominic. He supposed Wyatt expected him to continue his thoughts. Dominic went back to staring at the corner of the room, but he continued to look back at Wyatt who was just staring at Dominic. No real expression was on his face and he didn't seem at all willing to continue the conversation himself. Dominic let out a sigh.
"I've this feeling in my gut," Dominic said. "Can't place my finger on it."
"Do you suppose--"
"I can't place my finger on it."
Wyatt sluggishly slipped out of his bed. He walked into Dominic's vision, jolting Dominic out of his trance with the wall in front of him. "I was going to ask, do you suppose that it has something to do with the fact that even if you reclaim Ella from her assassin captor that she's practically dead anyway? At least, by all accounts, it sounds like she's a dead girl walking."
"No." Dominic paused for a moment but remembered that attempting to end this conversation was just leading to more anxiety. He continued. "I didn't become a knight to save the queen. I did it to preserve Sun and Moon's vision when they created Newhaven."
"And you know that vision?" Wyatt said.
"I wish I knew the exact answer to that. Have you ever felt that there is something bigger than you that you must achieve without knowing how to get there?"
"Long ago, yes," Wyatt said.
"You're just a kid. No older than Ella, at least. What would you know about, 'long ago'?" Dominic said.
Wyatt rolled his eyes at Dominic like anyone his age might do to someone undercutting their thoughts based on their age. Dominic didn't want to get into an argument with a kid over something like this, so he just avoided the question altogether. "I just know that Sun and Moon had a vision. If they didn't they wouldn't have created Newhaven to begin with. I'm fairly certain that Newhaven isn't nearly what it was like when Sun and Moon created it. Valcrest isn't anything that it was then, I imagine."
"I suppose you're right. That's what you're gut is telling you?"
"It has nothing to do with that. You asked me if it had to do with Ella and we got on this tangent. Like I said, I wasn't sure what my gut was telling me when you started this conversation and that fact hasn't changed in the last five minutes that we've been spent talking." Dominic said.
"Sorry. Does it have anything to do with the group that's been following us since we left Newhaven?"
"What?" Dominic asked.
"The five men that have been following us. You haven't noticed them. I don't think they're after us if that's any consolation. If I were to make a guess, I'd say that they're after something like us. Maybe they're hoping we'll lead them to it? I'm not sure, but that's what I'd do if I were them. They'll likely try to get the jump on us just before we reach our goal."
Dominic had gotten out of his bed while Wyatt was talking. He'd walked over to the window, next to Conrad's bed. Just a dirt path. What did he expect at that time of night? Across the road, there was another house not unlike the one that the three of them were staying in for the night. Dominic caught a glimpse of something on the roof. He peered towards it and then another movement caught his attention. A curtain in the window across the way ruffled a bit as a hand pushed open a window. He then caught a man coming from around the side of the house. He opened the front door. from behind the shadows of the door, Dominic caught a familiar flash. He ducked as the window he'd been staring out of shattered. A thud behind him. The wardrobe behind him splintered and a crossbow bolt stuck itself deep into the wood. Dominic looked back up through the window. He just caught a leg crawling through the window from the house across the way.
"What the hell is going on!" Conrad shouted. He'd already gotten out of bed, hardly clothed and brandishing his weapons that he'd left leaning against his bedside table.
Dominic didn't reply. Another crossbow bolt came flying through the window. This time, it whizzed just past Dominic's ear. He rushed out of the room, to the ground level where he'd left his weapon. Conrad followed not too far behind. Dominic didn't bother to check to see if Wyatt had followed them, too. Dominic busted through the door. Two men were standing there. Waiting for him. Dominic brandished the tip of his blade directly at one of the men in a threatening stance, but he didn't strike. He had more honour than to strike an unarmed opponent, even given their threatening nature.
The man didn't flinch. He stood there, almost stoic. "I don't mean to be so threatening. I only wish to show off my group's talents. We aren't after the queen and we aren't after you. We're after a man whose betrayed our cause and it just so happens that he's gone in the same direction as your queen's abductor. Would you at all be opposed to a tentative partnership?"
Dominic looked behind the man. His attackers had dropped all their weapons and slipped out of the shadows. He then looked back at Conrad and Wyatt who were just behind him.
"I'm not sure what you're angle is," Dominic said. He was weary of these men for good reason but it wouldn't be the first time that a Black Knight had worked with dubious and deceitful people. He'd already picked up Wyatt, who still wasn't too clear about his motives. "I suppose we can at least talk about it. Come in."
City of Blackpond
White Shadows Camp, Otium 16th, Evening
Darren had been watching in mild shock, the exchange between Irv and Emily, along with a few others that paused to stop and stare. Once he realized he had been gawking like a trout fresh out of water, he quietly encouraged the others to disperse as Annie escorted Emily away from the spectacle. To think, his friendâs sister was here all this time right under their noses, but wasnât that the irony of this land? Much to be seen if one knows where to look.
The blued eyed man approached Irv from the right, placing a firm yet reassuring hand on Irvâs shoulder. âYes...sheâs safe. Itâll work out, Guy, I mean..just look at my mom and Jake?â A slight smirk peeked out from the corner of his mouth as he let out a long sigh, casually pulling Irv along to sit. The kid looked pale and he wasnât sure if he felt disorientated from the shock of the discovery that his sister was indeed alive and well, only to have her convinced her own brother was dead. Darren snorted, âValcrest...the land that tears people apart and tosses them back together...while the Twins watch us in meaningful silence..â he trailed off, unblinking as if some philosophical realization had sudden dawned on him. It was unclear to what he was thinking but his eyes reflected a sort of peace, however fleeting. âIt could have gone much worse, Irv. Be thankful and give it time. Weâll figure it all out. Itâs...Itâs just like what my mom said the first time we met at the ball...Things or life never goes as expected so we improvise. Either way it will hurt but it heals...we will heal...Emily, WILL heal. Sheâs in good hands here, Irv.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ravenâs Nest, Otium 17th Late Afternoon
Muscles strained, back and feet sore, Essence had settled beneath the oak in the spot Luckas normally occupied. Within seconds she had fallen asleep in sanctuary from the beating sun, the dayâs training taking a higher toll on her than normal. Her subconscious was beckoned into the warm waters of memory, her dreams seducing reality into a place most unexpected.
Bathed in darkness, it were as if she simply had her eyes closed, but she wasnât afraid to open them. She didnât fear or question where she was, only swimming into a peaceful calm; not even startled when she felt something brush her shoulder in a tender gesture. There was no surprise, only acceptance when she felt a pair of lips touch that same shoulder, trailing to meet her own lips. In that moment, she felt no sickness at the closeness of her company, instead she trusted every move the person made. Her pale cheeks flushed at the intimacy she had always feared and when she opened those eyes, they were met with a familiar pair glowing a fierce red in the shadows. Ess smiled, reaching out towards the darkness, her caress soothing those dangerous eyes to a cool grey.
Essence gasped, the pleasant dream tearing away from her when she awoke with a violent shudder. Her entire face was a deep shade of red and as her eyes searched her surroundings to reassure she was indeed still alone. Wiping a bit of sweat off her brow, her legs wobbled as she stood, leaning against the oak for support. Her vision was a blur as she wandered off towards the river where she squatted down to splash water on her face. A few moments of indulging in the icy sting and she seemed convinced she was awake, the dream beginning to fade leaving behind a tingle along her neck that reminded her of the soft petals of flowers grazing her skin.
She itched at her skin, rubbing beneath her hair as if to confirm there was nothing crawling on her and once satisfied, Ess changed course to where the horses grazed. As she approached Shockwave, the horse turned from his meal to stare at her curiously, stamping excitedly in the dirt when she paused in front of him.
âDonât look at me like thatâŠâ Ess mumbled, glancing around as if she meant to dodge prying eyes, but the only people around were across the tiny meadow brushing their own steeds. She slid her hand over the horseâs muzzle, gently patting him along his forehead and over his ears. The animals snorted in approval, leaning into Ess and resting his chin just past her shoulder in an unusual embrace.
âMiss Ess, Miss Ess! Look at me!â
Ess startled turning about so that her horseâs muzzle hugged her cheek. At first she didnât see where the tiny voice of Lily was coming from and the girl giggled at her, riding up from behind on a small palfrey led by Aiden who held the reins. The young girl was practically bouncing in her saddle from where she sat, proudly staring down at Ess with the biggest smile.
âOh my,â Ess laughed, âwell look at you Miss Lily. When did you graduate from the pony..what was her name?â
âButtercup! And just today Mr. Aiden said he would teach me how to brush emâ and feed emâ properly without getting my fingers snatched, too.â Lily looked over at Aiden, her smile fading some as she shot him a pouting scowl. âYou let go now, please? He listens to me real good! I want to show Miss Ess, please?â
Aiden quirked a brow as if he were pondering the request before walking around and handing Lily the reins. âOk, but you remember what we talked about, yes?â
âWho you talking to? Buttercup or Lily?â Ess snorted.
âIâll have you know, Talon, I did nothing to influence Buttercup. Miss Lily is learning to bond and gain her trust all on her own. And that was the pony, if you recall. This is Cinnamon. Isnât that right, Lily?â He patted the horse on its side.
âThatâs right!â Lily took the reins in her hands, making sure she had a firm grip but leaving plenty of slack. She puckered her lips and whistled, a soft beckoning as she barely leaned to the right, Cinnamon walking in a circle to the right. Two times around and Lily leaned to the left, leading the horse in the opposite direction. Once he came to a stop, Lily lifted the reins and the horse stepped backwards a few paces.
Aiden clapped in approval, bowing low towards Lily. âMy apologies, you remembered just fine. Go right ahead and take him for a walk.â
As Lily wandered off someone called for Aiden in the distance, the man groaning in annoyance. He waved towards Keith and nodded, âHey, Talon...you think you ca-â
âNo problem, Iâll keep an eye on Miss Lily.â Ess smiled, patting Aiden on the arm and catching the manâs stare so that she awkwardly turned away to trot after Lily. âYou better not keep Keith waiting.â
Aiden simply stood, as if purposely moving slower in defiance to the âcommandâ, watching Essence while he left the fields until she was out of sight. Ess found Shockwave by a bucket of grains, stuffing his face. He noted her approach by the twitching of his ears, his one eye facing her, staring until he had finished his meal and finally lifted his head to nuzzle her hand.
âCome on, letâs catch up to Miss Lily, hm?â Ess hoisted herself onto her horseâs bare back and lightly tugged on his mane in the direction of Lily, Shockwave taking off in a burst of energy until he was side by side with Cinnamon.
âLook at me! Look at me!â Lily beamed proudly, bouncing in her saddle.
âI see, I see.â Ess laughed, enjoying as several minutes passed in silence, the two girls trotting away from the fields and along the path to the edge of camp where they turned around. It appeared Cinnamon was now more following Shockwave around than letting himself be directed by the young girl. As they circled the outskirts of the camp, they slowed to a walk, Essâ gaze locked onto the back of Lilyâs head, her mind drifting in the silence until Lily and her horse came to a hault. The young girl looked up at Ess which broke the woman out of her trance, a small concerned frown marking the girlâs features.
âMiss Ess, when do you know if killing someone is ok?â
Ess lulled Shockwave to pause beside Lily, her brows furrowing in a perplexed manner. âWhat? What are you talking about Lily? What brought this on?â
âI just donât get it. I donât get how someone knows when itâs ok. Like with war and bad people and then thereâs you and Mr Luckas, Maga, Mr Aiden, Miss DeidraâŠ.Mr JakeâŠâ
âLily...itâs never ok to kill someone, technically, but people do it. People give reasons and either care or donât care about their actions. In war, it canât be avoided. Itâs part of what people do to survive too. They donât want to necessarily kill the person they are fighting but if they donât defend themselves, then they could end up dead.â Ess sighed, her eyes trailing between Lilyâs somewhat confused gaze and the horses.
âIs that like what Maga says about us having to learn to protect ourselves but we donât have to fight like she does?â
âYes..and no. Lily, there are people out there who kill others for no reason or because they want what they have..â
âLike money?â
â..Sometimes...or people..or land. Sometimes people call it justice or revenge, like if someone hurt Maga, you know the Guard wouldnât put up with that.â
â..Theyâd kill that person?â
âMaybe...or lock them up forever. It would depend what may be more hurtful to that person and we would want to make sure they donât get to hurt anyone else again.â
âSo..if they donât feel bad about killing, then they are ok to kill?â
Ess coughed almost choking on her own words as she tried to answer the young girl. She wiped at a line of sweat that was beading along the back of her neck and shook her head. âItâs never that simple, Lily. There are times I have felt bad and times I have not. Do you think Iâm a bad person who deserves to die because I have killed people?â
Lilyâs eyes bugged and she shook her blond locs furiously from side to side, âNoo! Youâre nice and play with us kids and take care of us..and and..â
âLily..not everyone in Valcrest may think as you do. Do you see why thatâs not an easy question to answer?â
The girl went to speak and then just answered in a silent nod.
âSo, Iâm going to tell you what I told Mr Jake a loooong time ago when we were kids. You need to make your own choices and decide if you believe if someone is good or not. Sometimes they can be both, as you will learn as you grow. Your gut..that feeling you get when your tummy hurts or feels full when you havenât eaten, will help remind you when you should be wary of someone or not. Not everyone may agree with how you feel, but you should always agree with yourself and donât change your mind because of someone else. You understand?â
âI ...I think so. Like Mr Aiden...him and Mr Luckas donât like each other but we like them both. I wonât stop being Mr Aidenâs friend just because Mr Luckas doesnât like him and stuff.â Lily began chewing on the end of her blonde braid in thought. âI donât want to kill anyoneâŠ.â
Ess smiled and shrugged, âWell, thatâs your decision. Darren thinks like that too, you know. People in the White Shadows do too. Some people see all life as important and with their part to play. Some people believe everyone has a right to live and some people donât.â
âWhat do you believe?â Lily mumbled, still chewing on her hair.
Ess tapped her heel into Shockwaves side, the horse walking forward, Cinnamon automatically following in step. âI believe in listening to my gut, and if I make the right or wrong choice, it is mine to live with. I believe those who harm others, for the most part, should not be allowed to continue to harm them.â
âDo...do you like to kill them?â
â..Lily...I donât think we should be talking about this anymoreâŠâ Ess began, trying to lead the horse further ahead of Lily, the young girl digging her heels into Cinnamon so that the horse trotted forward and was now ahead of Ess.
âDo you?â
â....Lily..â
âDOOO YOU?â
âSometimes.â
âWhy? Does it make you feel better?â
Ess had to take a deep breath, remembering that it was a child talking to her before she answered. She knew the kid just had a million questions and was trying to understand, but it was a lot for someone her age to grasp, no matter how smart she was.
â..Sometimes...for a little while, but you know what happens?â
âWhatâŠ?â
â..It will leave an emptiness inside you. That good feeling will go away. You have to remember that killing someone, who may have killed a person you loved, will not bring them back.â
â...But it will stop them from killing other people you love. Or someone else loves.â Lily had turned the horse around so that they walked circles around Ess, Shockwave snorting and stamping in response. Ess hadnât even noticed they had stopped again, the woman watching Lily in amazement, the image reminding her of those first moments with Jake. She frowned, remembering how one day, Lily may not feel the same way and all that sweet innocence would be gone.
âMiss Ess?â
The woman smiled, âYes Lily?â
âI...I heard Mr Aiden talking to Maga long time ago...about Mr LuckasâŠâ
âOh? You know you arenât suppose to listen in on peopleâs conversations, Little Miss.â
âI know...Iâm sorry, but...I donât get why Mr Aiden says Mr Luckas will end up hurting you. I donât think thatâs true.â
Ess chuckled. âI donât think so either. Tell me though, what do you think Lily?â
âI...I think Mr Aiden thinks Mr Luckas is bad, but I donât think that. But I still donât get why he thinks that.â
âWell...I think sometimes people say and do things when they are upset or scared. Lots of times those things tend to be mean but not true. Kind of like when Clayton teased you about your hair that time when he was just mad you had a toy he wanted, remember?â
âOh, so heâs jealous?â
Ess snorted, âPossibly, but I can only give my opinion on it. Mr Luckas is...a complicated subject that I think we should drop. Itâs rude to talk about people anywho. You should just ask them about it if you really want to know what they think.â
â I dunno, I donât want to make them mad. Jess says some things are not our business.â
âOh, Iâm sure they wouldnât be mad, but Jess is correct. However, you will get away with most questions because youâre little. Just remember you wonât get away with as much as you get older.â
âWhy not?â
âBecause kids are cute and adorable and want to learn about everything.â
âBut, what if I stay cute and adorable when I get big? Maybe they will still answer my questions?â
âI have no doubt about that, Little Miss, â she giggled, âjust be respectful if they donât want to answer you, ok?â
â..Ok.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ravenâs Nest, Otium 17th Late Evening
Tala had been following Ess around for some time, the wolf even barking here and there trying to get the womanâs attention with no success. Essenceâs body was swaying side to side with each step, her legs shaky as if they may give way from her at any moment. At first, she simply crawled out of her tent and stood idle, her eyes closed. Slowly they peeked open and she shuffled forward, circling her fire pit in an apparent confusion before stalking off away from camp. For no reason at all, still in a dazed silence, she would pause, eyes closing once again for a few moments. Again they opened about half way, not a hint of glow to her empty stare as she would continue forward.
The next time she stopped, she was standing just outside Jacobâs tent, her eyes opening wide this time, as if she were awake, a pleading, angered scream suddenly erupting into the silence. Ess was no where conscious enough to even react to her wolfâs excited yelps and whines; even when Tala grabbed hold of her dress and tried to pull her backwards, she fought to rush forward.
Essence screamed in despair, her plea seeming to fall onto deaf ears. âStop it! Stop it Jake! Please..â
Jacob had his fingers clenched firmly around Luckasâ throat, squeezing so hard that his face strained to take breath, veins bulging in his forehead. Even though Luckas appeared to be smiling in some sort of amusement, his pale features were turning a grey-blue, unable to even gasp for air. Ess flew at Jake, punching him in the back of his head until he let go. Abruptly turning to grab Ess by the shoulders and using his body weight, he flipped her over his head. She was already turning onto her belly, scurrying to stand; this time the dagger in hand as she again lunged, slashing wildly across his chest which he dodged left and right, ducking low to ram his shoulders into her torso, knocking her down once again, the dagger skidding across the ground. Jake quickly pinned her down at the shoulders, his legs crossed as he practically sat on her to keep Ess in place. âGet off of me! I wonât let you do it...I wonât let you..â
âEss...heâs a liar...he hurts people for amusement...heâs murder and needs to be ripped from the world..â Jake spoke calmly, an eerie, icy glow staring down upon Ess. From behind she saw Luckas stand, fierce red eyes glaring down between Jake and Essence. â...No...no, no, no, no. I wonât let you Jacob.â
âThatâs right, JB.â Luckas sneered. âSheâll end up having to kill one of us if she doesnât want us both dead..â
Ess growled, feeling her body fall limp as defeated tears streaked her cheeks and fell across her ears. â...Iâd rather you kill me...â She whimpered.
~~~~
Essenceâs eyes began to glow, reddish tears streaking her pale skin as she awoke from her night terror, yet she wasnât sure what was real. It seemed she was still dreaming, feeling herself pinned down, unable to move still, yet the look in Jacobâs eyes was not the same. Ess began to sob. â..Iâd rather you kill me...â
Jake had been drifting in and out of an agitated sleep. Even in his most unconscious state, he couldnât say he had any rest that night and if he hadnât been so tired he probably would have noticed the movement around his tent a lot sooner than he did. As he was... All he could really grasp of what was happening was that he heard Essâ voice and when he got up to check it out she had jumped him; he had no idea why. He couldnât even tell if she was trying to hit him exactly, but none of the many things he shouted in his shock seemed to do a very good job of getting through. Finally after a bit of awkward struggling he managed to pin his friend down and hold her still, his shock rising as he noticed she seemed to not actually see him as if she was in some kind of a trance. Frowning in confusion Jake looked from Ess to Tala and then back to Ess as if he tried to think of some explanation; anything that made the slightest bit of sense. Before he could find one, however, she seemed to awake; which didnât help Jakeâs confusion, really. It only turned the manâs confusion into a small panic at her words. âWhat... Why...â He mumbled, quickly pulling away from her and shaking his head. âWhat are you talking about... You know... Iâd never hurt you... Why would you even say that?â Jake kept watching her with wide eyes, as if half expecting her to jump him again, somewhat unsure of whether he should try and comfort her, and overall just confused by the whole thing.
â...What happened to not making promises you canât keep, Jacob...?â She murmured sadly, an occasional sniffle interrupting her words. It took a moment for Ess to realize Jake had released her, her eyes searching her surroundings frantically as the fuzziness started to fade. She crawled back and in the opposite direction from Jake, wiping a few tears aside. âWhere...is...How did I get here?â A sharp pain struck between her eyes, startling her so that her head fell, her hands reaching up to support herself but hovering along her temples as if afraid to make the pain worse. Luckily it only lasted a few moments, the only traces of it were a few drops of blood falling from her nose, splattering across her faded, green, gown, where her knee would be beneath the fabric. â..Jake?...Iâm...sorry...I donât know....â Essence sighed, her eyes rising to meet her friendâs concerned blues. â..Itâs getting worse...â She stated, as if only voicing half of a thought, her fingers finally gaining the nerve to gently massage the bridge of her nose.
Jake sat down, watching Ess with a mix of concern and confusion in his eyes. He didnât understand what she meant about promises, but at the moment he was far more concerned about her confusion, and pain. Took him a little bit to collect his thoughts, but when he managed to think straight he moved to look for a flask amongst his things; he took the flask and a clean cloth and moved to sit beside his friend, offering the flask to her. âHere, take a swig, itâll calm you. Careful though, itâs... Strong stuff. For people who arenât allowed to drink, the healers do know what to do with some alcohol.â He said, forcing a bit of shaky laughter before heaving a sigh. âEss, what... What is getting worse? Were you hallucinating, dreaming, what? Are you in pain? Can I do something to help?â
Essâ hand trembled when she reached out to take the flask from Jake, slowly taking a sip which caused her to cough and laugh at the same time when she realized he wasnât kidding about the drink. âGee....Twins almighty, what...â She coughed again, taking a deep breath in through her nose, a funny whistling noise escaping her as she breathed. â..Man, where was this stuff when I had my cold? Clears up the lungs and such instantly.â Wiping at a dribble of liquid at the corner of her mouth she handed back the flask, nodding to signal she was all set with that. â...Nightmares Jake....nightmares.....and they are changing...well...having the same ones but others now too..and..â Ess groaned, knowing what she was about to tell Jake would not be taken lightly. She knew she should have mentioned what happened the first time she had an âepisodeâ like this, and probably should have at least told the Captain, but she honestly hoped it would pass; that it was a fluke. â...I didnât think this would happen again...a little while back...Luckas woke me up because apparently I was trying to stand in the open flames of my campfire.â Ess glanced shyly at Jake, a defensive look crossing her face. âI swear, I am not suicidal...I donât remember or understand why I would do such a thing. Itâs just..my nightmare...the one that repeats..always ends with me burning, strapped to an Oak tree that will, in turn, not burn.â Ess sighed, whispering her next few words. â...I burn so someone else doesnât have to..â
Jake sighed deeply staring at the flask in his hand before taking a drink from it himself, coughing a bit as the liquid burned its way down, causing his eyes to water a bit. Rubbing his eyes with one hand he nodded silently to show he was listening as Ess spoke, going over the little she had disclosed of her dreams a few times in his mind before replying. âYou shouldâve told me sooner, you know... Luckas isnât here all the time... What if you tried that again tonight instead of... Jumping me? Talaâs not enough to hold you, clearly.â He concluded, running one hand through his hair and glancing down at the flask as if trying to decide on whether or not to take another swig as he mumbled. âMaybe you should talk to a healer about this... Not just a medic, but one of the White Shadows... I donât know, seems like the best thing to do if itâs getting worse. You wouldnât want to hurt yourself. Least, I wouldnât want you to hurt yourself.â He sighed, eyeing the flask for a little bit longer before drinking from it, coughing slightly less than the previous time, but still quite a bit. Taking a long deep breath he set it aside as if not wanting to even think about drinking any more. âI havenât been sleeping much for, oh, I donât know... Think itâs been about two years since the last time I remember sleeping through the night. If I take certain herbs, or drink just enough, I can black out, but itâs not quite the same as actual sleep. First the healers said it was stress, but last they checked they admitted theyâre just not sure. Migraines started kicking in a while ago...â He sighed. âItâs either Iâm going nuts or somethingâs physically wrong with me. Same as yours in that sense. Either way, you shouldnât try and deal with it by yourself.â
âMaybe telling you sooner would have helped, but honestly you canât watch over me all the time, Jakey. Either can Luckas..â Ess sighed, thinking a bit more to that sentence but not voicing it except with a soft chuckle. Her amusement faded, an honest, worried look in her eyes as she quickly looked over Jake from head to toe. âYou need to make sure not to forget about yourself too and I donât want to feel like an invalid eith-...ah, Jake...I didnât hurt you, did I?â Ess nodded slowly, her gaze falling to Tala, mumbling into the wolfâs fur as she scratched behind her ear. âOh, I dunno, I thought you were doing a great job there girl..â She snickered, trying to distract herself from the idea of having to be examined and asked tons of questions by a healer, the idea somewhat unpleasant. âUgh...well...Ali did offer to take me back that way, to where I was born and to where my home once stood. Just one more reason I guess...and I suppose it canât make things any worse...so fine...â Ess rolled her eyes, an annoyed sigh permeating the silence that fell upon them. She had listened intently when Jake went on about his own lack of sleep and other curious symptoms, and after a bit of thought she spoke. âSo...either we are both going insane, we are both sick, or maybe we are insanely sick...â She smirked, âYou know...neither of us should deal with this ourselves. Jake, now that you mention migraines it makes me think of how the pains in my head are similar to those, except they are intermittent and brief, accompanied by my bleeds...among other things.â Essence scooted closer to Jake, playfully resting a chin upon his shoulder. â..We are suppose to take care of each other, I know this...and I am sorry I tried to beat you up again...I didnât mean it this time.â
Jake snickered softly at Essâ annoyed response to the idea of seeing the healers. He couldnât blame her, aside from Annie, and maybe Alistair, they could be quite obnoxious and intrusive. âWonât be so bad if you go with Ali, she knows how to avoid the pokers... And then there are the guys who like to test medicine on people too... Eh... You should probably just ask for Annie. Sheâs... I wouldnât say normal, sheâs Lenaâs kid after all, but sheâs less of a sadist than the rest, believe it or not. Not to mention sheâd know quite a bit of history too. Iâm pretty sure she could tell you about your village.â Letting out a long yawn, Jake nodded. âI think everyone gradually loses their sanity in time, so weâre probably just ahead of everyone else... Or the majority at least.â He played, although he couldnât completely hide the concern in his voice. There was something about sharing his problems with someone else that just made them all the more real to him. Maybe he should have worried a lot sooner, but he really felt like somehow he had no time to stop and think about his insomnia. Sighing softly he opened a small smile. âHey, itâs alright, I know you didnât mean to, besides... Iâd say not just anyone has what it takes to beat me up in their sleep.â He said, giving Ess a playful nudge. âBut not bad.â
Essence opened a warm smile, âLenaâs kid, huh? So...your cousin. Well, practically family, so I trust your advise. Besides she did send me a gift and I havenât even met the girl yet. But yea...no one else is allowed to poke at me...I may poke back and that would not be so wise..â Shifting her position she leaned over on her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around Jakeâs neck in a sudden hug, squeezing like she was afraid heâd disappear. â...You know Jacob, I really didnât realize how much I still needed my best friend until now..â Ess whispered softly. âI...â She sighed, unable to finish her sentence, instead changing the subject as she released her friend. â..Should try to get some sleep...uh...would it be weird If I asked you to keep me company? I really am not comfortable being by myself right now..â
Jake quietly wrapped one arm around his friend, a little caught off guard by how tight sheâd hugged him, nodding along to her words for a few moments before speaking. âYou should... Try and sleep some more, true. Iâll keep you company, sure. Whatever you need.â He smirked in amusement as he added. âBesides... Iâm not sure Iâm comfortable with you being by yourself either. I might have to start stalking you now too.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ravenâs Nest, Otium 18th, Late Afternoon
âWhat are you doing?â Ess chuckled, kneeling down beside Lily who was staring very intently at Puppy in a cold stone expression. She looked so serious and was silent as the grave as the large dog stared right back at her, his expression much more curious and adorable as his ears perked up at Essâ approach. When Lily didnât answer, Ess folded her hands in her lap and watched the two for quite some time. Ess felt like it had been forever and went to ask Lily again what she was up to, when the girl tilted her head back, her face stretching in a wide and noisy yawn. Essence quirked a brow, thinking that maybe the child had grown tired of this staring contest, absently stifling a yawn of her own. Puppyâs tail thumped happily over at Lily as he reflected her gesture and let out a soft whine, his jaws parting in a yawn of his own, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Lily broke her statue like pose and began giggling and tackled her fury protector in a massive hug, the dog covering the girl in kisses.
Ess snorted shaking her head. âLily...what are you doing?â She smiled in amusement.
âHi Miss Ess! I was trying an spearmint..â Lily giggled, when Essâ expression when dumbfounded.
â A what?â
âA spearmint! Jason said that he read that animals and people...who are good...sense someone is good and you can tell this by if yawning and seeing if that animal or person does it too.â Lily lifted her head proudly as if she were giving a lesson on morality.
âOOooh...an experiment.â Ess laughed and nodded, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she listened to Lilyâs explanation.
âDatâs what I said, Miss Ess. An exspearmint. And it worked. Puppy yawned when I did.â
Ess fell silent for a few moments, watching the girl lovingly play with the Wolfhound. Thinking over the girlâs words, she began to understand what she was doing, a warm smile touching her eyes as she quietly appreciated the girlâs intelligence. Lily had a pretty good understanding of what Jason had explained to her, but Ess was familiar with what the boy had read and knew it was still quite a bit over the young girlâs head.
âItâs to tell..if someone has Empathy, Miss Lily. Do you know what Empathy is?â Ess sang softly, reaching over to ruffle up Puppyâs fur. Lily looked up at Essence and tilted her head in curiosity, staying silent to politely wait for the woman to finish.
âUm..well basically itâs..for example...Letâs pretend you fell and hurt your leg and I found you. I would feel bad and sad that you hurt yourself and want to help you. Your pain I donât really feel, because Iâm not hurt, but I see youâre in pain and I want to help it go away.I would want to take care of you.â Ess reached over and lifted the girl onto her lap as she spoke, running her fingers through her hair to separate and braid the loose strands.
âSo...itâs wanting to help people?â Lily asked, quietly settling into Essâ lap.
âSometimes. Itâs understanding what someone else feels, even if you donât feel it. Sometimes you do feel it too.â Ess snorted, shaking her head when Lily looked back at her a bit confused. âOk..what if Puppy didnât yawn back, what did Jason say that would have meant?â
Lily was thoughtfully quiet as Ess twisted six small braids; three on each side of Lilyâs head, uniting them at the base of her neck where she began braiding those together into a much larger design. When Ess was finished, that was when Lily seemed to come to an answer.
âI think...it would mean that Puppy was bad. I think if someone didnât care about me then theyâd be mean. Iâm a good girl and I like making people stuff and helping Jason and the other kids and Maga. I was sad that day your hands hurt Miss Ess and you couldnât eat..so I helped. So..I have mapthy..â
âEmpathy..â Ess corrected, brushing a few hairs from her eyes. â..Yes...you do. and youâre right...those who donât..can be very mean..â
âYou have empathy too then.â Lily smiled.
Essence giggled, lifting her head as if to listen to a distant whisper on the wind, the woman slowly turning back towards the little girl with a gentle pat on her back. âWhy donât you go find out if Mr Luckas does too? Go play your game with him...but donât tell him why until after, ok?â
âOk!â Lily jumped up with a small burst of energy and went to run off to find Luckas. âMiss Ess?â Lily paused in step and looked over at Essence with what could only be recognized as confidence. â...You know what?â
âWhat is it, Lily?â
âMr. Luckas has to have empathy because heâs never mean to me.â
âIs that so? Well, you sure itâs not because he knows heâd get his butt whooped by a camp full of guardsmen and women if he were to be mean to you?â
Lily laughed, clapping a bit in amusement. âMaybe..but I donât think so..â
The Land of Valcrest
[Wolfpack Camp, Otium 16 - Afternoon]
âThe Pack laws are clear, Ryan. When the Alpha dies without appointing a Second, the clan votes.â
âThereâs no need to vote. Donovan is the obvious candidate.â
âHeâs a kid!â
âSo was Dani Rivers and she wasnât the Second when she took over as Alpha.â
âWith all due respect, Dani took over after all but a few full fledged Wolves had been eliminated. And the kidâs not Dani Rivers! Heâs barely out of training.â
âWe should call Crystal back.â
âSheâs not coming back, Lawrence!â
Donovan was literally standing in the middle of a divided clan. His expression was empty despite the repeated arguments towards his lack of competence. It had taken him a while, but he had found all that Sean had left behind in the Leaderâs Cabin. His brotherâs wishes were beyond clear, and if it killed him, Donovan would see them met.
Doni,
I trust no one else. Not only with this, but with anything. As much as it pains me to admit, Bana had a point in killing our Seconds all this time, because; look around you. Look at what the Wolfpack has become now. The shattered pieces of what we used to stand for. I know in many ways Iâve caused this, but if youâre reading this, then itâs out of my hands to fix it. Do you want to know what made Dani the leader she was? Crystal? Their willingness to open up and bleed.
I didnât appoint a Second in command because what the Wolfpack needs now is not someoneâs sense of duty. What the Pack needs is someone willing to bleed. Someone willing to pour their own life into a shattered group of frightened men and women and make it whole again.
What the Pack needs is a willing sacrifice
Donovan opened his eyes to the sight of the entire clan staring at him, awaiting the answer to a question he hadnât bothered to hear. The boy heaved a long sigh. âI donât want to be Alpha,â he stated.
The argument resumed following his statement, every voice in the clearing speaking at the same time in a mess of blurred words and discord. Doni let it go on for about a minute before putting both index fingers to his lips and letting out an ear piercing whistle. âIâm not done talking.â He muttered, once the act managed to silence the crowds. âI donât want to be Alpha, but I will.â
âWith what authority?â Lawrence spoke up, stepping out of the crowd to stand before Donovan, the man towering over the teenage boy with a menacing sneer curling his lips.
Donovan smiled calmly, stopping Ryan with a gesture as his friend seemed ready to make the Instructor swallow his words. Doni put his hand in his pocket and fished the ring Crys had given him. He held the object for the clan to see. âCrys gave me this after Sean died...â
âShe has no authority in the clan to appoint a new Alph-â Lawrence started, but was interrupted with yet another whistle from Donovan.
âLet me finish, will you?â Donovan snorted. He held out the ring in the palm of his hand. âI want you to look around you, Lawrence. I want you to look at this bunch of frightened, pathetic, broken, losers. At this pathetic excuse for a clan. These arenât warriors. These arenât Wolves; not anymore. Theyâre frightened children desperately searching for someone to blame. Like I said, I donât want to be Alpha. I donât want to stand here and say âthis is my faultâ, but Iâm willing. I will. Iâll take that burden knowing what it means. So let me ask you, brother, do you want to be Alpha? Do you want this ring? Because if you do; take it.â
Lawrence shook in his resolve immediately. The entire encampment fell into a stunned silence at Donovanâs words. The teenager standing alone amongst hundreds of trained killers, whom he had just called pathetic in about three different ways, watching as the older man slowly backed away from him as though Donovan had him at sword point.
âAnyone?â Donovan offered. His tone was calm, his outstretched hand perfectly steady as he held out the silver ring. âLast chance.â He stated, giving a few more moments. âNo?â Finally he closed his fist around the ring and lowered his hand. âCongratulations. Youâve all voted. Ryan is my Second from this moment forward. As for the rest of you; hold on to your ranks while you can. Starting tomorrow things are going to change.â
âWhat do you mean?â One of the younger actives questioned.
âI mean that Dani Rivers is buried. My brother is buried. And both left more than enough fuck ups to last a thousand lifetimes. Where power lies within this clan is only one of them.â
âYouâre changing the clanâs Hierarchy?â
âNot literally, but in a sense.â Donovan answered. The boy snickered at the apprehensive looks being shot his way. âItâs not a concern right now. Those of you not in charge of security tonight, take the day to rest. Breathe. While you can.â
The stunned silence resumed as the clan dispersed. Donovan turned around, heading towards the leaderâs cabin with Ryan one step behind. The clan didnât accept; even less trusted him, but for now he only needed them to listen, to follow. All else would come to them with time. Or so he hoped.
------------
[Ravenâs Nest, Otium 16 - Afternoon]
Jake was silent on the trip from Newhaven to the Nest. He wanted to get there as soon as possible and not dawdle on the way so he bound Rickâs wrists together and tied the man with a reasonable length of rope to Shadowâs saddle so that he was forced to keep up. For the most part Jake dragged the mad king behind him, uncaring whenever the man stumbled over his own feet. Why Rick was needed alive was beyond him; the King was barely functional, and even before that he was a worthless excuse of a man. Every now and again he shot a glance to Simon to make sure the man was following as well. As they drew near, Jake slowed Shadow enough that Rick could recover from his latest tumble and he could pay better attention to his unwanted company. âTell me one thing, Simon... Lamya; what is she to your little group? Iâve met her, I believe, twice... And the only thing that was entirely clear to me is that the woman is insane. Not like good King Rick here; no, but not one word out of her mouth is to be trusted. Iâd soon keep the company of a feral cat than someone like her.â Jake kept his eyes on the path as though not actually caring for an answer. âHow does someone like that get to be elite in the Blackpond military? That is how you all started, isnât it? It baffles me. Never took Hastings for a fool. An asshole and a drunk; sure, but not a fool.â
Simon could appreciate the silence that came with accompanying Jake Turner. From what he'd learned as a part of the Conflict, the Turners had a tendency towards stoicism. This was likely a result of the matriarch of the family. Helena Turner was a woman who only ever used her words when she felt there was something to gain from them. At least, that was the impression that Simon had got with the many scouting missions that Hastings had them take to the Healers. Her daughter might not have been the most silent of the bunch, but she was also a rebel in many ways through her childhood and even on into her adulthood. Jake, however, seemed to hold truer to Helena's image. That being said, Simon knew next to nothing about Jake besides what he'd gathered through adventuring his mind on the rare occasion that he could actually tap into Jake's mind.
The silence was suddenly broken when Jake chose to rant about Lamya. It was odd; well, not entirely. It was only odd that he would even choose to go on about this. It completely shattered the stoic attitude that Jake seemed so hard pressed to keep up. He may have seemed to be throwing away the question, but the verbal vomit gave away his morbid curiosity.
Simon thought about letting the question pass, letting it eat away at his psyche. It would have been fun, but he had no reason to keep the Conflict's secrets anymore. Simon's secrets were his own. They were the only ones that mattered.
âI'm sorry to disappoint you. I know some things about Lamya that you don't, but it only leads me to fear her even more. She acts like itâs all a game, but she speaks like her actions have no rhyme or reason. Even fighting to her looks like a game. She fights on a level beyond anyone else that I've ever met and it looks like a predator playing with its food when she really fights. I've never seen her lose a fight and I've never seen her take any of those fights seriously. Hastings feared her, Rory feared her, and clearly you fear her. If you don't, take it from someone who spent his life putting his trust in her: you should fear her.â He looked to see if Jake was even paying attention.
âYou spent your life depositing your trust in someone you fear? That is, literally, the saddest thing Iâve ever heard in my life. I think now I might pity you.â Jake stated simply, his eyes fixed on the path still. âI donât fear Lamya, Simon. Iâll admit that she invokes several different feelings in me, but I assure you fear is definitely not one. Even if she is all those things you say, and possibly more, she bleeds like everyone else.â
Jake pressed Shadow on, making the horse tug on Rickâs bindings; causing the man to stumble just because, returning to his silence for the most part. As much as Jake wanted to see Lamya bleed, as much as he believed the world safer without her, he genuinely didnât believe her to be worth him going out of his way when he was needed by his crew and his family. If the opportunity presented itself however, he would sure as hell take it. âIt is a sad thought... That a city like Blackpond would crumble like it did all in fear of one crazy woman.â Despite calling the situation âsadâ, Jake couldnât help the bit of laughter that escaped him at the sound of his own words. It sounded like a terrible joke told by a drunken bard. âOh how the mighty have fallen,â he snorted.
The horse moved on and so did the world. Simon ignored Rick as he stumbled to keep up. Jake's attitude towards the king was understandable. Rick was nothing more a vestigial tumour in Jake's life. For that matter, Simon was not much better. They were merely two men with intersecting paths on the journey that lead them towards whatever end they were fated to meet. The dagger was what held the two together and as long as Simon needed the dagger, he would find himself in close proximity to Jake. Or at least hunted by him.
Rick made another grunt. This time, Simon looked back to make sure he was alright. He didn't care much for Rick. At least, not beyond the utility of the man. It was his hope that Simon's encounter with the other telepath within Rick's mind would be an opportunity to gain a complete sense of obedience within Rick. Making Rick Simon's servant would have made his life a lot easier. The other telepath was more of a problem than Simon had anticipated, though. Simon had to scramble Rick's mind in order to even have a chance at salvaging any sort of complacency in Rick.
He hoped that Rick would make it just a little while longer, but Simon feared that Rick wouldn't make it much longer until the sickness overtook him.
Simon had held out on Jake for long enough now. âI've looked into the mind of everyone I've ever had a conversation with. I'm looking at your mind right now. I can't control it. It isn't even something I really want to do most times. However, this allows me to have a unique insight into people that I'm sure not many get the pleasure of having. Most minds are like an open book. Unless you're insane, that is. The insane are like a maze. If I didn't know the path through Rick's mind, I don't know what I'd do. Lamya's mind is different than even that. Itâs like she has no thoughts. No memories. Nothing. She may bleed like everyone else, but her mind is like no one else's and if that doesn't invoke any sort of fear in you, than I pity you.â
Jake snickered under his breath. âThe mind shuts down when you die, Simon. Everything shuts down when you die. And as you and I both know... Weâre all gonna die. Sooner or later. One way or another. Am I more pitiful than you for not living my life in fear of someone elseâs mind? For surrendering my time to people I consider worthy of emotions far more valuable to me than fear? Youâre surely entitled to your opinion.â He shrugged.
The rest of the trip was silent, but the Nest was not too far along the path and as soon as they crossed the borders of the Ravenâs territory the three men were greeted by a pair of large wolves; a lean, rust colored male and a white fluffy female. Kaya dashed forward and immediately started to circle Jake and Shadow, sniffing at the horseâs legs and thoroughly annoying the animal. Ward, the rust colored pup, remained seated a bit ahead down the path. Jake stopped Shadow before the horse decided to kick his fluffy nuisance and jumped down from the horse, letting Kaya thoroughly inspect him and lick his face and hands. âWhereâs your plush, Kaya? Did you leave it with Crys? Hm?â He asked the wolf, scratching her between her ears. âThatâs a good girl, yes you are... Such a pretty girl...â
Once the white wolf seemed pleased enough with the affection given she turned her attention to Jakeâs company. Her ears perked and her tail raising slightly, swishing from side to side as she approached them, sniffing. Jake allowed the wolf to explore freely as he untied Rickâs rope from Shadow and threw it at Simon as though handing him a dogâs leash. âKaya, come here.â He called. Kaya immediately retreated to stand at Jakeâs right, ears upright, her mismatched eyes staring up at him in wait of a command. Jake got on one knee and whispered to the wolf, his right hand pointing in Simon and Rickâs direction. Kaya darted towards the men, circling them both with a much more watchful demeanor; all her playfulness and curiosity now gone. âFor as long as youâre under my responsibility, Kaya is going to be stuck to your asses wherever you go in this camp. Sheâs the calmest animal youâll ever meet, but should you try and step one toe outside the limits of this camp sheâll immediately set off an alarm and hunt you down like rabbits. Another thing; there are children in this camp. You are to stay out of their path and most importantly keep Your Highness over there the hell away from them. Otherwise, you are free to roam. Consider yourselves our guests.â
-----------
[White Shadows Encampment, Otium 16 - early evening]
âAnnie...â
âHm.â Annie mumbled, acknowledging Emilyâs voice but not looking at the girl as she walked from the archive to the childrenâs ward.
âAlistair said that the man who died, the Alpha, that he was your brother.â
âHalf brother.â Annie corrected, glancing at the girl. âWe shared a father, if one could even say that; I havenât actually met the man. Why?â
âSo that girl who died, his sister...â
âYes.â
âIâm sorry. That must be difficult.â
âIt is. And if you tell anyone I admitted to that Iâll deny it.â Annie smiled at the girl and gave a half shrug. âI have a reputation too, you know.â
âI remember my brothers now.â
Annie stopped walking before reaching the childrenâs tent, the sound of excited chatter and Soraâs barks reaching them. âEnough to look for them?â
âThereâs nothing to look for. One of them... Well... He hurt me. The other died.â
âAnd thatâs all you remember?â
âI still donât know where Iâve been or how I got here. Do you think itâll come back? I... I donât think I want it to. If I try to think about it, I feel sick.â
Annie sighed. âI canât answer that with any amount of certainty, Emily. All I can do is try to help you; whatever happens. Though my mother would say that you shouldnât be afraid, that if or when the memory comes back itâs because you decided itâs time to deal with it.â
âThatâs... What Iâm afraid of.â Emily mumbled.
Annie gave the girlâs shoulder a firm squeeze. âWeâre all afraid of something.â
âI guess.â Emily half smiled. âI think... Iâm going to skip on story time this once, if you donât mind. Iâm not feeling very well.â
-------
Jet black splinters of formerly unbreakable stone crashed down upon the earth with such force that the very foundations of Valcrest trembled upon impact. The deafening sound of the explosion created by the shattering of Warâs dark armor combined with the Godâs angered roars to create a sound that shook the very soul of every human present in the battle field. The shards flew in every direction, engulfed in crimson fire, scattering throughout the land and embedding themselves into its very core. The warriors of Blackpond fell to their knees and the Knights of Newhaven stayed their blades, such was their shock at the sight. The battle fell into absolute silence as the fallen God, now stripped of his armor, lay fallen on the bloodied ground.
War had never walked the mortal realm without his armor and those who dared glance at his defenseless form described it as the image of a large man with skin pale as ash and hair as black as the surface of his helm, glowing red eyes widened in what could be fear or rage; or both as he continued to scream into the winds. If there were words spoken amongst the wounded Godâs roars, they were not in any language known to men.
Whether there were words amongst Warâs anguished screams; calling to her, or it was the screaming itself that drew her, is unknown. What those present knew for certain, what they witnessed, was the silent figure of a young girl draped in white silk, golden light emanating from her eyes underneath locks of dark hair. Peace was now walking amongst the stunned warriors; dirt and gore staining the skin of her bare feet as well as the hem of her gown as she crossed the battlefield towards her fallen Brother; her steps calm and persistent.
The young Goddessâ presence caused every soldier in her path to drop their weapons, the battle now forgotten, as they stood in awe of her. This was the closest Peace had ever ventured to the walls of Blackpond, the two siblings never before seen in each otherâs company since their arrival in Valcrest. It had been the peopleâs assumption that there was resentment between them, as there would sometimes be amongst human siblings, but the truth was that they knew nothing of Gods and their ways.
Peace appeared small, fragile, kneeling beside her Twin, but she seemed to have no trouble pulling the fallen God partially onto her lap, cradling his massive form in her arms in a gentle embrace. Peace spoke to her brother, her words sounding to the humans present as unintelligible whispers, her tone gentle and soothing. Gradually the fallen Godâs screams faded as though his Sisterâs words could somehow ease his pain.
A long time passed and soon there was no longer sound in the ravaged battlefield; no screams, no whispers, not even the breaths of those surrounding the two Twins were heard. Finally War closed his eyes and breathed for one last time, his form disintegrating into specks of golden ash, slipping through his Sisterâs hands and fading in the winds. Peace remained kneeled upon the filthy ground for a few moments still, her gaze rose to the skies and the trace of a smile could be seen briefly crossing her delicate features. At last she stood, and as calmly as she had arrived, she now took her leave from the battlefield; the blood and grime coating the previously white silk gown the only remains of the fallen God of War.
Annie looked around as she finished telling the story. There was absolute silence within the white canvas of the tent. Not the children, nor the apprentices had made a sound while the young healer read and silent they had remained once she had finally closed the book to end the story session. One of the younger patients had asked an apprentice earlier that day about death and whether or not there was an afterlife... The girl had been at a loss for words, which in these sorts of situation is quite understandable, and Annie decided that the story might be a good idea. It didnât necessarily speak of Death or the Beyond, however it spoke greatly of the act of dying; of letting go, and Annie believed it to be the most frightening part of the process. The most difficult even for adult minds to bear. She didnât ask the children what, if anything, they had learned from the story; she expected they would draw their conclusions and ask what they needed to ask.
âIs this why you give people who are dying a âblessingâ?â One of the smaller boys asked finally, breaking the silence. âIs that the same thing Peace was doing?â
Annie nodded, watching with the corner of her eye as Irvin stood up and left the tent in a hurry. âSome people think that if a healer prays; calls, to Her on their behalf then Peace will whisper to them and ease their fears. Others just want to hear comforting words, or simply not be alone when they die.â
âIs it true,â Kieran cut in, âthat you can only really feel at peace when you die?â
âSome people believe that. I donât.â Annie shrugged. âI think people expect things like Peace and happiness to be constant; absolute, and so they donât truly acknowledge the fact that these things exist already in their lives within moments. Death is only that, Kieran; one final moment. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. It doesnât have to be painful, it doesnât have to be frightening. It doesnât even have to be the end.â
âArenât you afraid to die, Miss Annie?â
Annie sighed at the young boyâs question. âWeâre all a little bit of afraid, Joshua, and no one really wants to die, but whenever Lady Death comes for me, I trust that Iâll be ready.â
--------------
âIrvin, we canât be here right now. We need to get to the White Shadows. You need to move.â
Jake grabbed Irvin by the arm and shoved him into the trees. âKid! Move! Now!â
Irvin walked the path for a few miles, but stopped again. âYou promised to help me get him! You said...â
âI said I would help you.â Jake corrected him. âThatâs what Iâve been doing. Itâs what Iâm still doing.â
âThatâs not the kind of help I needed, Killer! What I wanted; what I needed, was to make him pay.â
âAnd he will, Irvin. Thereâs no reason why your life needs to end with his.â
âThatâs not your decision; or your business, Jake!â
âYes, it is my business, Kid. It is my business because I started this. You want someone to hate, you want someone to punish with your own two hands, then Iâm here. I put the knife in his hand, I watched him breaking and I did nothing. I wanted someone to pay and I didnât care who else got hurt. I did. Me. You think you know what you saw, but you donât, Irvin... Forget who he is now, or whatever else heâs done, that day; on that one day, Sean was just another casualty; same as you. Iâm the bad guy in this story. And youâre in denial, because you think it takes the kind of person Sean is now to go that far, but it doesnât. Thatâll be you in ten years if you donât stop and reevaluate.â
Irvin shook his head, not wanting to listen. Jake was going to say something else, but stopped when he heard movement, lowering his tone. âWe can finish this later, right now we need to get going.â
When Jake tried to pull Irvin along with him, the boy pulled his arm from his grasp and punched him in jaw. Jake didnât even seem to feel the punch and responded by striking Irvin in return and then dragging him along the path by the collar. âSorry, Kid... We donât have time for this.â
Irvin had left the tent as soon as Annie finished with her story, not wanting to hear any more of it. He hadnât told Darren anything of what happened between him and Jake and only really agreed to come along to the story so he didnât have to talk.The bruise on the left side of his face was stinging still; not to mention his knuckles. The pain was a reminder of a lot of things he wished had never happened. He couldnât ignore it as well as he had ignored everything else for the past six years of his life. This was a bad idea. All of it. Maybe he would have been better in prison doing that psychotic redheadâs bidding after all; at least heâd be having fun. Irv sighed, walking aimlessly and not paying attention to his surroundings, purposely ignoring one of the healers as the man asked if he was alright, only stopping when he felt himself collide with someone at full force. âSorry,â he muttered, not sounding sorry in one bit, but stopping and turning to help the girl he knocked over; or so he intended, but when he caught sight of her he immediately froze in place. âEms?â
The girl looked up at Irvin with wide eyes, crawling backwards away from him and shuffling to her feet. âCanât be...â She muttered, rubbing her temples. âCanât...â
âEmily...â Irvin called, taking a step forward, but stopping when Emily retreated. âCome on, itâs me... Iâm your brother...â
âNo... Nononono...â She whimpered, turning her back to Irvin and wandering off as though trying to ignore a very persistent hallucination.
âEms...â Irvin called, starting off after his sister. âEms, stop, talk to me... What happened? Hey...â He ran a few steps to catch up to her and grabbed her wrist. âStop, please.â
Emily pulled her arm out of Irvinâs grip. âDonât... Touch me! Leave me a alone!â
âEmily... What...â
âYouâre not my brother!â Emily shouted. âMy brotherâs dead!â
Irvin flinched, not knowing what to say or how to ease his little sisterâs distress. âI... Ems...â He mumbled, once again trying to reach out to his sister only to stop in his tracks when she retreated away from him like a frightened infant, tears pooling in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.He didnât know if she was in denial, or if truly didnât recognize him, and he didnât know what to do or say to help the situation. âIâm not dead.â He spoke softly. âAllan lied to you, Emmy. They just took me to prison. I was fine.â
Emily shook her head, once again rubbing her temples as though it hurt her to think. âNo, no, no... I remember... I donât... I canât...â She groaned closing her eyes tight. âI donât know.â
Some of the children had run out of the tent at the commotion, someone had called out for Annie, and the rest of the healers were standing around almost as stunned as Irvin, not sure whether to treat the situation as though he was harassing the girl or as though it was a personal matter, only watching that it not escalate to anything possibly harmful.
âLook at me. Emily, look at me...â Irvin pleaded, âIâm right here.â
âWhy? Why are you hurting me? Leave me alone...â She mumbled, eyes still shut tight, hands clutching the sides of her head.
Irvin opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was staring at the distraught girl in complete and utter shock. He was only startled out of his stupor when someone walked right past him in a blur. Annie had walked a straight line to Emily, wrapping one arm around the girlâs shoulders and starting to lead her away. âDonât go anywhere. Iâll deal with you in a minute.â She spoke over her shoulder at Irvin.
Irv stood there until both girls were out of sight, finally hiding his face in his hands and letting out a muffled cry. The boy sighed, running his hands over his eyes and through his hair. âSheâs alive... Sheâs safe...â He whispered to himself, trying to take comfort in the fact even though the look in his little sisterâs eyes was causing him a searing pain in the pit of his stomach.
------------
[Blackpond Inn, Otium 17th - Morning]
âWhere are you going, Boss?â Nick called cheerfully, watching Crys head for the door of the Inn.
âNicholas...â Crys muttered, stopping and turning to face the man. âIâve told you not to call me that. I donât like it, alright?â She warned calmly. âIâm going to pay someone a visit. I donât plan on being away too long. If someone comes looking for me you tell them to come back tomorrow, unless itâs a friend; if itâs a friend you can let them wait if they like.â
âOkay... How am I supposed to know if theyâre a friend?â Nick questioned seeming a bit confused.
âBe a good judge of character, Nicky; thatâs what I pay you for.â Crys smirked, not waiting for the man to respond before leaving the Inn.
âI want a raise!â Nick shouted after her, snorting as the door closed. âYou donât even pay me anything, crazy woman...â He mumbled under his breath.
The Inn was rarely quiet during the day even when Crys was out, but on this particular day the recruits were training out of city with a couple of the other assassins and the place was completely empty aside from himself. So after a couple of hours of absolutely nothing to do, Nick started stacking empty bottles on the counter in the shape of a pyramid.
Essence had managed to âconvinceâ her wolf companions to remain outside the city, which was not an easy feat by any means. She didnât think cake would be a good bribe or if they would even understand, but nevertheless she promised it to them. Tala and Beo had managed to follow her every step of the way from the Nest to the desert and now to Blackpond. Ess had wanted them to remain in camp, but the wolves seemed uneasy and so she lost that small battle. She couldnât refuse the company though on the long ride towards the city, her heart weighing heavy from her visit with Dastan. Ess may not have known the man or his people long or very well, but she couldnât stop thinking about the party at the Nest just before the eclipse. She wanted to make sure to pay her respects and to make sure Dastan knew he had another friend in her, even if he felt he didnât deserve it.
Instead of going right back to camp the following day, she felt she needed some more time away; preferably around a female. The Captain was almost never around lately, Deidra was still off doing Twins knew what, and Ess started to feel a bit whelmed with the majority of male friends she had. Not that she didnât appreciate them, but she really needed a womanâs perspective on things and who better to understand her without even having to speak a word, than Crystal. So since she had never been to the tavern before and perhaps a small part of her hoped to run into Luckas there, she made it her sole mission to waste as much of her day as she could and procrastinating before she had to go back to camp.
Ess kept looking over her shoulder as she walked the streets of Blackpond, unconvinced that the wolves were behaving and staying to the woods. Still they were nowhere in sight when she reached the tavern and stepped inside. As per her habits, she was focusing her enlightenment to mirror a freckled skin teenager with chin length, brown hair, a small button nose and thin lips. She was dressed in black leggings, boots, sleeveless red shirt, and fully equipped to the teeth. Aliâs bow was strung over her back, the quiver of arrows at her right hip, while her left hip carried her relic blade. She simply smiled at the curious bottle tower that was being built, making her way towards the counter where she proceeded to unload several daggers across the bar top and carefully lean her bow along the counterâs edge beside her.
âAnything vintage on the shelf? Or maybe something sweet, handsome? Or am I interrupting your masterful puzzle you have going over there?â
Nicholas had climbed up in one of the bar stools and was placing the last bottle on the top of his tower when the door opened, breaking his concentration. The bottle slipped from the manâs hand and he managed to somehow catch it with his left foot and keep himself balanced on the stool. âTa-da!â he exclaimed playfully, kicking the bottle up in the air and catching it in his hand as he jumped off from the stool. His gaze quickly observing the weapons laid over the counter and the girl who just entered. âWeâre closed, love... You look to me a bit too young to be drinking anyways... If youâd like I could arrange for a glass of warm milk, however.â He offered with an amused smirk, placing the bottle gently on the counter and casually pulling a strand of dark red hair away from his green eyes. âAnything else I may be of help with, love?â
âClosed?â Ess purred, dropping a small pouch of coin next to a couple of her daggers. âClosed to paying customers? Since when?â She turned so that she was leaning one arm along the counter, crossing her legs in a dainty fashion so that her boot heel tapped the wooden wall of the counter. âSuch an interesting world we live in, where a person may be old enough to fight in a war; old enough to take a life, but not old enough for alcohol.â Ess let her violet gaze casually drink in the man before her, her smile extending from ear to ear. She eased up on some of her focus, letting her dimples show through her facade as her eyes sparkled devilishly at her current companion. âWould it help if I looked a few years older?â Ess shook her hair playfully so that tiny red curls materialized and grew from her brown locs. When she was still once more, her skin was darker, aged as if from too much sun exposure and yet she still chose to keep the same adorable freckles one could almost connect into an image similar to the constellation of the stars. âNow...about that drink..â
Nick snorted a bit of a laugh. âWell, I donât make the rules, sweetie, I just follow âem... Sort of.â He grinned, not seeming too fazed by Essâ face changing right before his eyes. âIâm going to be very honest with you now, Miss Essence... For future reference if youâd like to not cause anyone trouble...â The man started while pouring Ess a drink, his eyes flashing slightly as the glass floated away from his hand in the womanâs direction. âIf you hadnât been carrying Aliâs handy work with you I would have pushed you out the door by now for not stating your business.â He nodded towards the bow. âAnd Twins forbid it ever became known to Jake Turner that I denied his sister a drink... I have a pretty face, Iâd like to keep it that wayâ The man faked a frightful expression and chuckled. âI take it youâve come for our fearless leader? Iâm not sure when sheâll be back, but my instructions are that friends are welcome to wait.â Nicholas poured himself a drink and nodded politely. âDonât think weâve actually met though, have we? Iâm Nick, the Innkeeper, at your service.â Nick emptied his glass and took a rather exaggerated bow.
Essâ eyes brightened at the floating glass as it approached, happily gripping the drink and tossing it back. She took a moment to relish how the liquid seemed to satisfy and swell her thirst at the same time, before pushing the glass back over towards Nick for a refill. âI donât state my business to those I donât know, to be fair. For all I knew, you could have been a spy.â She snickered, letting a bit more of the mirage fade, giving way to more details of her true face. It was as if piece by piece, an extravagant puzzle was slowly coming together. âAnd I did tell you my business. Honestly, I just need a friendly face and since your leader is away, I suppose you will do until she returns. You do have pretty eyes.â Ess sighed, letting her fingers trail over her collarbone to find the leather tie to her necklace, her nails tracing the outline of the oak design. âNick, is it? Can you make anything float?â
âOh, but I am a spy. Whether or not I would spy on you, now thatâs a different matter.â He smirked, refilling both glasses and returning Ess hers by the same methods as before. âI hear youâve got your fill of stalkers by now however, so Iâll try to contain myself for you benefit. Iâm a gentleman that way.â
When Ess questioned whether he could make anything float, Nick once again emptied his glass and then climbed onto the countertop, standing on the edge, arms spread as though he was standing at the edge of a cliff. The man closed his eyes and over-dramatically stepping forward, opening one and peeking around as though surprised at himself when he simply continued walking as though standing on an invisible bridge. With a calm shrug the man sat down, still floating in thin air. âAnything.â He answered simply.
Essâ smile dwindled, thinking on how much Nick, who was rightly a stranger to her, knew about her. She stared at her floating glass a moment longer than intended before taking it in her hand, this time sipping her drink. â..I am still getting use to this..friends and family thing...but I donât think I like the idea of people I donât know, so familiar with particulars of my life.â Ess shrugged. âAt this point, whatâs one more stalker, really? My number one, black eyed friend though is quite the jealous type, so to not make trouble for you, I suggest not taking up that hobby.â
Essence looked up from her glass, absently swirling the liquid around in its tiny prison, her smile returning when Nick stood on the counter and proceeded to float in midair. Placing her glass down on the counter, she giggled, showing her appreciation by clapping at the display. âIâm a bit jealous, I think. You must be quite popular with the ladies, no? To literally sweep some sweet girl off her feet; to float away in someoneâs arms, safe from the worldâŠâ She rested her elbow on the counter, her fingers twirling and tugging at her loose curls as they further unraveled across her shoulders, letting her mirage disappear completely. âI bet youâre quite âlight on your feetâ when dancing, no?â Ess snorted at her subtle joke, her attention falling back on her drink.
Nicholas chuckled, slowly descending onto the ground and staring up at Essence with a sweet smile. âOh, donât worry now, Iâm very discreet. It is a part of my job to know things about people however. Iâm sure you realize Crys wouldnât waste a talented guy such as myself on simple bartending duties. Sheâs a smart lady like that.â The man winked playfully. âOh Iâm aware of your favorite stalker, Miss. Are you very possessive of him, though? I wonât lie heâs quite adorable, especially when he gets that confused puppy look in his eyes.â Nick snorted in slight amusement at his own words. Nicholas stood up and poured himself another drink. âI am quite an exquisite dancer, thatâs true. Perhaps Iâll attend your next birthday party and youâll see for yourself, hm?â
âI trust..Crystal, so I guess that will have to satisfy my concerns.â She stated simply with a shrug, finishing off her drink and holding out her glass towards Nick for a refill. âHow much are you aware of my stalker?â Ess cleared her throat, uncrossing and recrossing her legs to adjust her comfort. Her eyes flashed suddenly when Nick commented on how adorable Luckas was, her gaze trailing calmly around the Inn as if she were more interested in the decorating than the conversation. âI suppose I am just as possessive of him as he is of me, to be fair.â She squinted her eyes as if glaring at something in particular before returning her sweet smile towards Nick. âThe puppy look gets frustrating after a while; trust me. You wonât have to wait another year for a birthday party, if there is one that is. See, my birthday is actually in the Winter time, at some point. Jakey and I just have a tradition of sorts, I guess, to celebrate our birthdays at the same time. Next party then, youâll save me a dance?â
Nick chuckled, shaking his head as though slightly disappointed at Essâ statement that she was just as possessive of Luckas. âAll the good ones are taken, I swear...â He playfully complained. âHow aware? Well, he visits. So weâve met. Aside from that, Jake asked me to keep him under watch around Crys, as a favor, and told me he was a rather clingy friend of yours. I just... Sensed his tone... Mostly. He didnât give me any particulars.â The man shrugged dismissively. âHeâs not caused any form of trouble and is eventually fun to converse with. Crys seems to find his visits amusing. So I see no issue with letting him hang around here.â Smiling and bowing slightly Nick adopted a rather solemn tone as he promised. âI will save you my first dance of the evening, Milady. I give you my word as a gentleman.â
âAw, now Iâm sure I could introduce you to some charming and handsome bachelors. Not ALL the good ones are taken, but sometimes it does seem like that.â Ess snickered, winking at Nick. âProbably why Iâm attracted to the bad ones.â She seemed to relax when Nick briefly mentioned what he exactly knew about Luckas, nodding along slowly with his words. âLovely!â Ess giggled, standing to reach for the bottle and pour herself a drink. âMy son is an excellent dancer, but a girl can use a change of scenery. I donât think dancing is much of Luckasâ cup of tea; or perhaps it was the crowd thing. You know, I didnât even get to dance with my own brother.â Ess shook her head in an over exaggerated expression of disbelief. Pausing in refilling her glass she stared at Nick a moment, an amusing memory coming back to her as she backtracked on the conversation a bit. âYou know, I always wanted to fly or âfloatâ and Jakey knows that, and well funny thing, one day while we were sparring he went all invisible on me. Iâm getting better at finding him, but still need to work on it. Anyways, I heard him trip over something, who knows what, and leap at him, apparently clinging to his back so to the onlooker it looked like I was floating.â Ess laughed, sipping her drink. âYou know, it also looked like I was being bucked off an invisible horse too. Anyways, I will hold you to your promise Nick. And please, you can call me Ess.â
âTsk, tsk, those boys... You say neither asked you for a dance? Well, Iâm going to give them a talking to when I see them again.â Nick nodded at his own words. âI got your back, sister.â Nicholas winked playfully as he poured himself another drink. âHeh, Jakey... Jakey... Did he ever tell you âbout the time, a couple of years into his training, Sean dared him to make the wall he was leaning against turn invisible? The wall was to a girlâs bedroom... She was changing her clothes... So she screamed and called Jake a pervert for the entire camp to hear. Took months for people to forget it. He was furious with Sean.â The man snorted a laugh. âDani sat him down to talk about girls and boundaries, he said it was the most embarrassing moment in his life.â
Going silent for a moment Nick examined Ess with his eyes as if very literally weighing her. âYouâd like to float, Ess? That can be arranged.â He offered.
âAw, now donât be too hard on Luckas. I think he was in poor spirits that day and didnât seem to know about the party. I bet Jake âForgotâ to tell him about it. He really does dislike Luckas.â She snorted, some of her drink coming back out her nose as she laughed at Nickâs story of Jake. âNoooo...What? He never told me that, but I can see why. I didnât know Jakey could do that..hmm.â Ess coughed through a breath and refilled her glass once again, drinking half of its contents down. âI would have been furious too if I was Jake. Poor Jakey. He grew up with girls as a strong influence so Iâm sure that whole thing bothered him. So, I take it youâve known Jake for a little while then?â Ess smiled nodding towards Nickâs offer to make her float, her cheeks flushing slightly from embarrassment. âWell, how bout we save that for the dance, hmm? You and I Nick, I bet we could make some jaws drop.â
Giggling into her glass, her voice echoed , the sound of her laugh coming off darker than it was meant to. âBut Jakey..heâs always wanted to do the right thing, you know? First day I met him, he must have been about seven years old and me? Gosh, I must have been thirteen or fourteen and he witnessed something terrible happen to me. Even then, he tried to save me even before he knew me.â Essâ smile faded, her tone a bit nostalgic as she withheld her amusement with the change of subject. âHe could have been killed, but that was a day I remember that changed a lot for me.â
Nick shook his head laughing. âPoor Jakey. Think he was probably already interested in Crys back then, mustâve not been a comfortable situation, getting âthe talkâ from her mom.â The man sighed softly, still chuckling, but at the same time seeming slightly saddened by the memory. âIâve known Jake a while yes... We were the outlanders in camp at that time, me and my brother Justin arrived about a year and a half after Jake into the Pack, and Ali a little while after that. All other recruits had been born into the clan at that time. We didnât exactly hang around the same people back then though; oddly I only got to know the two of them better after the exile. Well, actually, Ali and Justin were friends, but Justin and I were not getting along at the time and then he... Died...â The man paused scratching the back of his head and laughing awkwardly. âIâm sorry, that took a bit of a depressing turn, didnât it?â
âI know what it is to lose family.â Ess nodded, giving Nick a playful shove against his shoulder. âHey, no apologies necessary. It was probably my fault anyways from bringing up death and stuff. Besides, us redheads are a bit erratic when it comes to emotions sometimes and we need to stick together.â She smiled softly, turning the conversation some in a different direction. âNick, how have you been feeling? I mean, you know...the sickness and all. Do you get nightmares or sleepwalk? I keep getting told to go visit the healers, but honestly, what are they going to do? No one seems to know what is going on, so just seems like a waste of their time. Probably why I havenât gone.â Ess turned her glass upside down, hanging it over her head as she turned her face upwards, mouth open to let the last droplets of the liquor fall onto her tongue.
Nick smiled appreciatively at Ess for her support, letting the subject rest there. The man leaned against the counter, wincing as the gesture caused the bottle tower to sway. It didnât fall, thankfully, so he seemed to immediately forget about it. âI havenât felt anything yet. Doesnât seem to matter though... One of the healer boys died a couple of months back without presenting any symptoms, he just... Had a fit and...â Nick stopped himself and chuckled. âDamn it, here comes the death and stuff again.â The man snorted slightly as if mentally scolding himself, but then shrugged. âI think theyâre asking people to go more to collect as much information on those afflicted as possible. Main reason why they canât figure it out is that it acts so differently from individual to individual... Theyâve been doing their best to alleviate symptoms as well... Maybe give some people a release from pain or a restful nightâs sleep here and there... Hasnât helped Jake much though for what I hear...â
âLady Death is not to be ignored so probably why she always has a knack for coming up in conversation, hmm?â Ess sighed, nodding along to Nickâs telling of the healerâs sudden death, Darren having been the one who had relayed that story to her. She went over the idea again in her mind that maybe it was sort of an obligation of hers to indeed visit the Healers, if even just to give them some feedback on what she was experiencing. No one could really make her sit there and be poked or prodded in an examination unless she trusted the person enough to endure it. Forcing a smile she leaned in close towards Nick as if to make sure no one else heard her, even though they were still indeed alone in the Inn. â..Maybe Iâll go, if not just to visit Annie at the very least, I mean she is kind of family. Maybe if there were some adorable Healers to stare at I wouldnât feel so awkward. Are there any sweets gentle enough of the eyes?â Her last words were more teasing, trying to mask the uneasiness the visit did stir inside her. Ess reached for her necklace at the mention of Jacob, all amusement fading, shifting her gaze back towards her empty glass. â..Itâs taking a toll on my brother and he just keeps piling more responsibility onto his plate and..I just hope...Iâm not the reason if or whenâŠâ She cleared her throat, a dry almost manic chuckle escaping her as it was apparently her turn to bring up death again. âStubborn bitch..â She whispered, shaking her head. âFor the most part, I tend to sleep better when a certain someone visits. I just donât wake up to EVERY noise or seem to have as many nightmares as compared to when I am alone. FunnyâŠâ
Nicholas nodded at Essâ comment about Jake as if disagreeing, but didnât say anything about it, and focused on her question about healers âOoh, youâd want Alistair. Heâs a piece of eye candy that man. A bit grouchy as of late, and itâs probably a bad idea to ask to see his scars, but he is a good looking man. Mhm.â Nick smiled reassuringly. âAnnie would probably want to see you herself though, you being family and all. Iâm sure youâll get along... Itâs nearly impossible to not like that kid.â
Nick pretty much stumbled into a bar stool, somehow managing to remain seated and not fall over, the bottles that were piled on top of the counter however tumbled over and crashed behind the counter causing the man to wince and then fall into a fit of giggles. âCrap. Crys wonât like that very much.â He chuckled. âWhere is she? Sheâs been out for hours... Said she was gonna pay someone a visit... Hope sheâs not getting into trouble somewhere.â The man shook his head, going behind the counter to pick up the broken glass. âItâs natural to sleep better when thereâs someone you trust around to check under your bed for monsters.â He stated casually.
âAlistair, hmm?â Ess waggled her eyebrows and chuckled. âIâll keep that in mind. Why on earth would someone ask to see anotherâs scars? That is a bit rude, no? If someone did that to me, Iâd probably show them, by displaying fresh ones on the one inquiring.â She smiled innocently, the color in her eyes strobing in bright shades of violet before falling dark once again. When Nick stumbled, Ess automatically reached outwards, as if she were going to steady the man, her eyes widening as the bottles came down with a crash. âAre you always this graceful? Should I be worried about letting you lead when we dance?â Ess stretched herself over the counter, lazily rolling over and off to the other side to grab a broom she caught out of the corner of her eye, quietly trying to help Nick clean up his mess. âYou can always say it was my fault for the bottles.â She played, giving Nick a wink, her smile only widening. âDid Crys have Kaya with her? If so, Tala and Beo may have found her. Just a thought because I left them outside the city. Iâm not very discreet with two wolves following me everywhere. Beo doesnât seem to get how to be inconspicuous yet, or maybe he just doesnât care. I forgot to ask him.â
Nicholas smiled in silent appreciation when Ess started to help clean up the mess of broken bottles, shaking his head at her offer to take the blame for it. âNo, I couldnât say that. It was my mistake after all. Iâm not allowed to play with bottles.â Nick smiled, and amused expression crossing his features. âCrys took Kaya to Blackwell yesterday... You should have seen the commotion in that manâs workshop, I thought he was going to explode. Today though she sent her off with the recruits to train. Sheâs really good at keeping them in line. Itâs almost the same as if Crys was there herself.â He arched an eyebrow. âWhy is it offensive to want to see a personâs scars? Iâd show you mine if you want.â He offered, giving Ess a playful wink. âI was clearly not being serious, there was no reason to overreact over a silly joke. People need to lighten up, is what I think.â
Nick moved to pick up a bucket and drop the glass shards into it. âI get it that I probably touched a nerve. In the end though, weâve all gone through some horrible shit in our pasts, I donât carry my anger around to throw it at people when they push my buttons; trust me, I could. I donât take kindly of others when they do it to me.â
At this point the door opened and Crys entered, stopping as soon as she crossed the doorway and frowning severely. âWere you making a bottle tower again, Nicholas?â
âIâm cleaning it up.â Nick sighed.
âItâs the third time youâve done this.â She scolded. âYouâre obviously terrible at it, and youâre breaking all my bottles.â
âTake âem off my pay.... Boss.â Nick smirked.
âDonât push your luck, mister.â Crys snorted, moving to sit in one of the bar stools and smiling. âEss, how fortunate to find you here. Have you been waiting long?â
Ess snorted, trying to imagine what kind of commotion Kaya caused when visiting Blackwell, a small ping of anxiety swelling inside her as she began to miss her own furry companions. She swept some shards of glass into a small pile and carefully picked them up to put them in the bucket. âHow can you not find it rude to ask something so personal of a question, as to an origin to their scars?â Ess glanced at Nick a bit surprised, but shrugged. âYou seem like a pretty nice guy Nick but perhaps I am just not a very nice woman. I donât try to mask that Iâm sensitive, but then again, I didnât kill Luckas when he asked me about this..â Ess smiled, pointing to the dark scar at her left cheek. âSo Iâm pretty sure I wouldnât unleash my demons on you either. Maybe itâs the manner in which someone asks then. Scars can be sexy, so maybe I take it close to heart just as I would with unwanted advances.â
Essence held her smile even after Crys entered, shaking her head at her scolding to Nick and his bottle tower. âHis tower was actually pretty darn adorable.â She giggled, dropping a few more shards into the bucket before hopping over the counter and seating herself next to Crys. Snaking one arm through Cryâs arm, she gave the woman a half hug before releasing her hold. âFortunate how? And no, I havenât been waiting too long, I donât think. Nick has been pleasant company, helping to pass the time. He is a redhead after all. I bet he could be part of the club, except you know, heâs a boy.â She winked over at Nick playfully, returning her attention to Crys. âI just came from paying Dastan a visit and I guess there are some new âwrinklesâ that have come to light, that I feel I need to discuss with someone who isnât my crazy stalker or crazy brother. But, where are my manners.. How have you been doing these past couple days?â
âI wasnât legitimately asking, but even if I was... Could always just not answer or say no. If someone wants to get offended fine, but thatâs not really my fault for trying to be playful. I guess Iâd just rather be judged by my intentions rather than my unfortunate choices.â Nicholas shrugged, picking the last of the bottle shards and dropping them onto the bucket. âWant a drink, Boss?â
âNo, Iâm good, Nick... And donât call me that; I wonât warn you a third time.â She scolded. âAnd perhaps you should make less unfortunate choices so people wouldnât judge you so harshly, just a thought.â
Nicholas laughed softly. âFair enough. I suppose I am responsible for my unfortunate choices after all.â He gave Ess an exaggerated bow. âLady Essence...â He snorted a laugh. âIâll leave you two to talk. Itâs about nap time anyway, Iâve got a long night ahead of me.â
âHave a good sleep Nick.â Crys smiled at the man as he awkwardly stumbled up the stairs. She turned to face Essence, chuckling as the man audibly tripped over his own feet and cursed quite loudly. âPoor boy, he shouldnât be drinking right now. Heâs been up for two days straight. Iâll probably have someone else take over the bar tonight.â Crys paused as if to make sure Nick hadnât hurt himself before speaking further. âI just came back from that Sam womanâs house. We had an interesting chat. I thought youâd be interested.â
Ess chuckled at Nick as he took his leave, smiling over at Crys. âI like him. He makes me smile. To be fair, I may have indirectly encouraged the drinking. I think we finished off an entire bottle.â Ess tried to mask a small hiccup, her fingers trailing over her daggers that were still placed in a somewhat orderly fashion along the bar counter. She slightly tensed, keeping her smile and light hearted tone when Crystal mentioned having a chat with Sam, the idea actually quite surprising to her. Internally she cringed at the name, her cheeks flushing a deep red as her eyes narrowed. âI take it you had a chat with Jacob? What did Sam have to say? I mean was it the kind of chat you had with Sheila?â Ess laughed, the tone dry and filled with a certain sense of hopeful irony.
Crys laughed in amusement. âNo, not quite like Sheila. We had tea and biscuits... and quite an unexpectedly civilized conversation. She avoided questions about her âassociatesâ and their businesses, but when I questioned her about child slavery she mentioned Asher as an associate of an associate. She advised me to ask Darren about his whereabouts. If they are, and I suspect they may be, keeping tabs on Asherâs associates you may want to let Darren know. She didnât say it but she doesnât sound pleased with the man at all. She said she would gladly hand him over to me and she meant it.â Crys ran her fingers through her hair and frowned slightly. âThere was one more thing that caught my attention. She told me a story that she claimed is the only she has of her mother, the... Story mentioned dragons traveling far from home to lay their eggs... Your fatherâs story mentioned a dragon egg, didnât it?â
Ess sat in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time, as she went over her conversation with Luckas the night of her birthday party. There were relevant bits of knowledge that she felt she needed to share with Crystal but she was honestly afraid of it coming off as betrayal of sorts, at the same time; not to mention how this would look if Jacob heard it. Finally she leaned in, lowering her voice to almost a whisper, even though they were clearly alone in the room. âI need to invoke a Sister-Sister confidentiality where Luckas is concerned, granted there is plenty Iâm not revealing but..â Ess let out a long sigh.
âJake told you about Sam and Iâs conversation, correct? That night, after I left you and Jakey, I had a long conversation with Luckas. Some things I was told in confidence and I canât break that trust...however, there are some things that should be discussed. I read Asherâs journal and there are specific mentions of his âassociateâ that has ties to his business and the fire at my village and my abduction; they are described in terms of a dragon. The symbol, Ali opened our eyes to, of the sword and eye, is in that journal.â Ess hesitated a moment, dwelling on what she should say and which she should keep private before continuing. âSam said to me, basically that she had Luckasâ memories erased and so I asked Luckas about it. He said, that Sam explained it as a precaution to protect him from her father, who is no longer alive. Something happened to Luckas, itâs not clear exactly, but he said Samâs father was working to sell him and his brother as weapons to NewHaven at one point when they were just children. I..donât get that because they were just children, right? How could they be weapons? Apparently that idea failed and he was going to have Luckas and his brother killed, which obviously was evaded. Which brings me to the rumors and things I read in Asherâs journal. I think Asher worked with Samâs father when he was alive. There are clues linking that idea, so it is possible. Asher clearly didnât like the person mentioned who took over when his associate âpassedâ...maybe if it is Sam, they were not seeing eye to eye on business.â She shrugged. âI donât believe for one second though she would just hand Asher over, at least alive.â
Ess ruffled up her loose curls that tickled her forehead and groaned. âWhen I was in the city before, when I killed Ian, I was in a place where Luckas was approached by a dark skinned man and I caught his name as Zeke, but Luckas was in a rush to get me out of there and soon after met up with me. He didnât want to answer questions except enlightened were not welcome in that establishment and that he was leading people to believe he was someone else. All of this really seems strange and may not look good, which is why I would appreciate your discretion on certain details with Jacob, until more facts arise.â Ess let out another long sigh, her breath shaky as if she was feeling nervous, tiny beads of sweat appearing at her brow. She bit through her anxiety, refocusing back on Asher once again, but in all truth to the matter, the idea of the man twisted her stomach even more.
âI really find it amusing that Sam wants to give up Asher when she just reminds me of him so much. It is in their mannerisms and how they both seem...territorial about certain things or people. Maybe thatâs part of the issue. Maybe, because what he is involved in is no longer a secret, she wants him disposed of. Maybe Sam is involved or maybe she isnât. Either way itâs bad for her to have it out in the air of her association with him. Matthew is the only other person Iâve told so far what I basically told you, except I left Luckas out of it. Matt says we are getting information daily now on this whole thing but wonât say more yet, just that we will be acting on it soon and to be ready.â
Essence stared at Crystal a moment, thinking back on her dad and the story of the dragon egg, a look of confusion in her tone. âWhat do you think the stories mean? Do you think they are related? Coincidence that Asher speaks of this associate of his as a dragon?â
Crys opened a reassuring smile, nodding in agreement to Essâ request for confidentiality. There was no reason why she wouldnât keep this between them. âI talked to Jacob about the talk you two had, well, some of it at least. When Aiden brought me the wolf armor designs I asked him about Samâs visit. I also talked to Mageria about it a while back.â She rested her arms over the counter and snickered somewhat bitterly. âThe womanâs dragon story, she said she believes it meant she would find her way home one day; to her mother. In that context the dragons would represent her family. It corroborates the idea that the Dragon in Asherâs journal is her father. Sam doesnât implicate herself in anything, but she doesnât hide her involvement either; that worries me a little because the woman is smart, undoubtedly. If sheâs not hiding this... It makes me wonder what she is in fact hiding.â
Crys rubbed her temples slowly as she paused, giving herself a moment to think. âAli first spotted that symbol, of the sword and the eye, branded onto the skin of the man who tried to kill her when the Wolves attacked the Crimson Shadows; an attack that Sean stated over and over that he didnât authorize. He was in Newhaven and his Second was away at the time. I believed him even if no one else did, because Sean would have never given an order like that and wandered off to do something else; he wasnât that trusting. The woman left in charge, who gave the order on Seanâs behalf, disappeared without a trace.... Now this... The eclipse, what happened to the Crimson... To Dastan. Itâs the second attack directed at the Crimson Shadows to happen in such strange circumstances. The first time it was Dastanâs arrival that ended the fight, this time he was incapacitated. According to Annie it would take someone extremely powerful to do all that killing using shadow manipulation, something beyond what Dastan would ever be capable of. And Sam kept talking to me about the greater scheme of things and how weâre all insignificant... If all of this is insignificant to her... What are we missing?â
Ess nodded along as Crys spoke, âWhat is the connection?â She groaned, palming one of her tiny daggers before twirling it between her fingers as she contemplated an answer to her own question.âThink about it. Two attacks on the Crimson and for what? Who is so adamant on wiping them out and why? What does someone gain from this? Territory doesnât seem like a likely choice there, but then reasons for war donât always make sense. Thereâs greed, power, or to diminish the opponentâs strength and allies.â Ess cocked her head slightly, glancing from her dagger to Crys and back. âDo we know if someone was responsible for Sean?â Ess sighed, tapping her nails along the blade of her throwing dagger. âDo you think any of it is connected; the attacks and the sickness? I feel like all of Valcrest is being picked apart, piece by piece. I just canât...Hm, if Sam is involved in any way and, like you said; she states we are all âinsignificantâ, then what would be the greater goal? To keep with this theme, if individually we are unimportant, then together..what would be significant?â Ess trailed off, mumbling ideas to herself, unsure of where voicing her thoughts would lead her, but she didnât feel anxious or stressed when she did so around Crys and it was a bit of a relief to not feel insane around someone when she rambled.
âThe Wolfpack doesnât want to look into Seanâs death too much. Theyâre afraid of what theyâll find, is what I think. A lot of people wanted Sean dead, but the circumstances... Whatâs on everyoneâs minds; the ones who saw the state he was in, is that he did it himself.â Crys gave a slight shrug of her shoulder, an unenthusiastic laugh escaping her lips. âIâd like to be able to say, with certainty, that it isnât the case, but Iâm not sure. Katelyn was very important to Sean and her death... We all knew that it would be the easiest way to destroy him. We just wouldnât go that far. Maybe I shouldnât have given him that much time alone with his thoughts... I could have just ended this. It could have been better that way.â She shook her head, an amused smile crossing her expression. âLook at me grieving for that guy I wanted dead... Then I complain when people call me soft.â She snickered. After a few moments Crys let her smile fade and went into thought. Things didnât quite make sense to her yet, but there was definitely something on the horizon. âI donât know what anyone would want with the Crimson, or hold against them, but... Weâll find out. One way or another. This wonât go unpunished.â
After another moment of silence Crys heaved a sigh and changed the subject entirely, wanting to distract herself from the sense of impending doom, even if for a moment. âDid Nick tell you I took Kaya to see Blackwell? She did a number on his shop, but he was interested enough on Aidenâs designs to not be completely furious with me. I have a feeling heâll make something good for the wolves. I also talked to him about some armor for Shadow, I assume youâd be interested in something for Shockwave as well, right?â
Essâ mind was temporarily overrun with ideas, theories, and speculations; however that was the problem: They were only âwhat ifsâ She didnât have to voice aloud what she was thinking, if in fact Samâs family was the referenced Dragon in Asherâs journal and what that could mean and how far their involvement would be. Perhaps the same people that were responsible for the Crimson were responsible for the burnings, but again, without proof it was just a theory.
Shaking a few curls over her eyes, Essence pushed those thoughts aside, listening to Crys talk about Sean. The woman really had little opinion of the man, granted she didnât like many of the things she had heard he had done to those she cared about, but she couldnât hate the man. To be truthful, she had little personal reason to. âI think it shows great character to understand an enemy and sympathize while not losing sight in oneâs own beliefs. I think that is a necessary quality for a leader to have, no?â Ess smiled over at Crys, âMy only experience around the man was at the ball and my impression was a good one, in my personal experience because anyone who disliked Ebony even for a fraction of a second, I had to hold a certain amount of respect for. Not to mention the woman tried to take a hit out on me, which failed miserably.â
Ess laughed, quirking a brow when Crys mentioned Kaya, nodding along to her words. âTurned the shop upside down, did she? Reminds me of the first time Stalker went to the bakerâs shop.â Her shoulders bounced in a small giggle fit, the thought reminding her she had to stop by there for the much promised cake for her furry companions. âGlad that didnât..disway Blackwell. So, the wolves and our horses will be badass looking and I have yet to acquire any armor for myself. Oh, the irony. I am not too fond of what was lying around in camp, maybe leather is just more my type especially if Iâm going to be playing with fire because I donât want to feel..restricted.â Ess playfully elbowed Cryâs in the arm. âWhat could be scarier than two redheads adorned in armor, riding their âwar horsesâ into battle with their scaled wolf companions by their side? Jake will be jealous.â
âAw, Jakey can always ride in the back with me, Shadow wouldnât mind... Heâll be scary by association.â Crys played, laughing at the thought of what Jake would say if he had heard her. âYeah I use leather armor when I do... Less restricting... Silent also... And it will save you in most situations. Itâs just generally better for us sneaky types... I honestly never understood how Mageria manages to move so swiftly with all that metal on her. Jake said he didnât mind re-joining the knights but heâs never going to wear that armor again. Although I suppose heâd have sentimental reasons to not want it anymore; besides it being heavy.â Crys snorted as if trying but failing to force a laugh. âYou know, Iâm really glad you two found each other. Heâs been a lot happier these past months, hasnât thrown himself in any dungeon cells or gotten involved in any other type of suicidal plans; always a good sign. Despite what happened at the party he really is doing a lot better now than he has in years. I hope you do realize that has a lot to do with you. Family makes all the difference when one is feeling lost.â
The way Crystal described the change in Jacob over the past couple months, brought back subtle memories of Jess from long ago. Ess wasnât sure if it was Crysâ words per se or her tone, but she couldnât help but think of Jessica. Silence lingered on for a moment, Essâ hand trembling a bit so that she lost her grip on her throwing knife, letting it thud upon the counter top. A sad smile parted her lips, Ess finally nodding to Cryâs words. âI appreciate you saying that because I do feel a sense of strength that I thought I had lost since he appeared back in my life. I was so afraid and so sure he would hate me or find me such a disappointment or even worse; be disgusted, but Jess was right. She told me long ago that the way he sees me would never change, even when he was old enough to understand what I was involved in and the type of person I was because she said, â..Love doesnât work that way..â And now, I think he wants to keep that promise he made to me so long ago, about protecting me.â
Ess tugged at a loose curl, pulling it out straight and releasing it to watch it bounce. She repeated the act over and over again as she thought, her smile widening. âJake was the first person to look at me and see me for who I was; for who I am. I do love him like family, but itâs always been stronger than that for me. How do I explainâŠâ Essâ eyes darted around the room as if searching for a clue on how to explain what she felt, her gaze darting back to Crys the moment she reached a conclusion. âFinding Jake again, was like finding a piece of my soul that I thought had been destroyed forever. Iâve..only felt like that a few times in my life. Finding Darren was another time I felt that way.â Ess purposely moved on from that aspect of the conversation, picking up her blade once again to twirl and attempt to balance it on itâs point upon the bar top. âI wouldnât be alive, I donât think, if Jakey hadnât come into my life. His presence always felt right as if he had always been there and so I use that as a comparison when it comes to trusting certain men.â
âHm...â Crys snickered, pouring herself a drink. âI see the hero complex started early.â She mumbled, her tone only half amused. Crys sighed, her talk with Sam still lingering somewhere in the back of her mind. âIâll tell you a secret, Ess. Well, itâs not that much of a secret, rather something I wonât admit to anyone else again if I can help it... All this time Iâve been angry, I wasnât entirely angry at Jake. Well, I was a little angry at Jake; he is infuriating as you know, but for the most part I was angry at myself. Otherwise I would have hunted his ass down at some point in the past three years. I didnât, because I started to ask myself how good we really are for each other and, as it turns out, that was a much more complicated question than I expected it to be. After all, love isnât a choice, love is absolute, you canât just decide to shut it down and walk away, but a relationship between two people is a series of little choices. Choices they have to make every day, commit to, and live with. When I looked back on our relationship what I saw was that all the things that systematically broke him down in the past five years happened as a result of my choices. I could tell myself I didnât know, but I did. Jake was better off in Newhaven, he was happier as a hired sword than as an assassin; working for himself... And the only reason he ever came back to the Wolfpack was because I called. I knew that was all lâd ever have to do to make him walk away from everything he built...â Crys emptied her glass and grimaced at the burning liquid. âBecause I needed someone to hold my hand. It seems like such a stupid reason now.â
Crys refilled her glass, but refrained from drinking any more right away. âI wasnât angry because I blamed myself for the past either; what would be the point of that? No. I was angry because if I was completely honest with myself Iâd have to admit that, maybe, together weâre incapable of making better choices. I had to admit that... That particular relationship... Needed to end.â She smiled, finally emptying her glass a second time and pushing it away. âAnd that... That is why when Sheila made it a point of throwing that fact in my face I reacted by trying to break hers... And then stabbing her in the hand. Not my proudest moment, but I canât quite say Iâd take it back.â
âPfft, well from what I saw, Sheila needed a good stabbing.â Ess chuckled, slowly shaking her head. âIt was intimidating though. Even I made a comment to Luckas saying as such. However, no relationship is easy. I think everyone that isnât out to destroy the person they love, thinks about it. Itâs the struggle that makes it all worth it. I had asked Jake If I was..to Luckas and he said probably and that he deserved it.â Ess snorted. âWhen is love enough.? Itâs likeâŠâ Ess let out a long sigh and reached for the bottle Crys was using to refill her glass, topped her off and filled one of her own. She swirled the liquid around the glass, nodding along to her own thoughts. âWe blame ourselves because we need something or someone to blame; right or wrong. Knowing is only half the battle, right? It always makes more sense in our heads...it isnât until we say it outloud do things start to become clearer. I swear..the men in our lives are like puppies because they always find their way back. People make jokes about how men will never understand women and itâs funny for me to think about especially with Luckas in my head, you would think heâd have all the secrets; even if trusting him turns out to be a disaster.â Essence smiled, draining her glass dry and playfully clanging it against Crys empty glass.
-------------------
Essâ visit had left Crys with a lot to consider. Not just about Sam and what she might be up to, but also things pertaining to past conversations theyâd had. The recruits were still out in the woods with Kaya, Nick had gone to sleep, and the Inn was dead silent. Crys retreated to her room, thinking of maybe sleeping a bit herself seeing as she had been struggling with it at night, but she found herself sitting back on her bed with her flute in her hands. She put the instrument to her lips and began to play a familiar melody, her index finger briefly touching the little wolf figurine that sat atop the flute, the gesture bringing a smile to her lips.
[5 months ago]
âThe most important things a person can say will always be the ones left unsaid, because there are not enough words to translate what goes on inside the human soul. The complexity of human emotion is not something simple words can capture. A personâs soul, and heart, will not be found in their words... It will be found in their silences, in those little unconscious gestures that seem so insignificant, yet reveal so much to those willing to pay attention. Life... You will find... Is in the details.â
The night was cool and pleasantly so, with only a slight, soft, breeze that seem to exist for the sole purpose of carrying on the soft melody of a wooden flute. As usual, Crys wasnât all too sure of where the music came from, except that it came from a place deep inside herself, a place too complex for words... It wasnât a sad melody she played, it was only soft... Soothing... And somewhat hopeful in its essence. It was peaceful, but it didnât bring the usual feeling of peace, it was peace with something more meaningful behind it, like the silences her father used to speak of. The memories were welcome, and comforting, and that was something she hadnât felt in a long time, not while looking back at what was past. Stretching her legs where she sat by a small fire pit she smiled quietly, interrupting the music and lowering the flute... Letting all sound fade to a comfortable silence.
It fell quiet, earlier than usual; Tala nestled with her pups, safe within the kennel across from the oak. A heavy weight still pressed upon Essâ heart as she stared upon the fresh plot beneath the tree, a few blue buds beginning to spring forth in a silent beauty. She didnât want to think of it, so she shut her eyes to absorb the sweet quiet except for the soft snores of the wolves. One, as always, did not wish to stay silent while the rest slumbered and almost on cue, Ess was prodded by a small cold nose. Opening one eye she grinned bending down to pick up the snow white pup. âCanât sleep again, hmm?â Ess whispered, pressing a firm kiss upon the wolfâs head. Picking up a tiny comb by her side, Ess began brushing the pupâs fur so that she resembled a white, puffy cloud. The pup cocked its head and yipped curiously, bringing Ess to a stop, straining to listen for what could have procured the wolfâs attention. A gentle breeze came in, carrying a lulled tune on its back. The pup turned to look at Ess before hopping away from her, standing beside the fire light; arching its head back she began to howl. Giggling at the sheer cuteness of the pup, brought Ess to her feet to wander away from the fire and through the shadows.
As the sound grew louder, Ess turned to wave the cub onward to follow her, a low whistle following which sent the pup on itâs heels in a clumsy pounce into the direction of the soothing music. So familiar it was that she began humming it, not realizing that she knew the next few notes before they were even played. The music seemed to die down the moment Ess and Talaâs pup reached another boundary of light. With a sigh, she waited to see if Crys would continue, remaining silent as to not interrupt her moment.
Crys had stopped playing as she felt she wasnât alone, not because the presence of another person was disturbing to her, but simply because she wanted to give her company the space to come closer and not feel intrusive. Sighing softly she leaned back, resting her back against a boulder she had padded with a folded cloak, her fingers quietly tracing the markings along the surface of the wooden instrument an appreciative smile crossing her features at the insane amount of thought and work that had gone into the object. Before she knew it more than a couple of moments had passed in silence and she once again brought the flute to her lips and continued playing, a few random notes echoing amongst the trees and slowly changing into another soft melody.
Stepping into the ring of light, Ess bent down to pick up the pup, ruffling up itâs fur to keep it silent. Gradually she knelt across from Crys, besides the fire, an insightive smile spreading from ear to ear as she stared in a timid awe when the melody changed to something she most definitely recognized. Her lips formed a childish pout in her confusion, not understanding how Crys knew the song. It was the very same Essâ father had sang to her when she was a child; the very same she was told, was passed down from family only. Running a few fingers through her curls she choked back a giggle, shaking her head, mouthing in silence her response. âJake...â Lightly tapping the wolf on the nose, Ess bravely let her voice sneak itâs way into the breeze that seemed to surround them. The calming tone and subdued grace that resonated in synch with the flute sent chills down her arms, gradually rising in pitch to form into words.
"Thereâs a little bird...
Somebody sent...down to the Earth to live on the wind...
Blowing on the wind...and she sleeps on the wind...
This little bird, somebody sent..."
Ess inhaled, a gentle pause before she moved to the next verse. The pup sat in her lap, wiggling to escape, which proved futile against Essâ fingertips. A sudden amused expression crossed her features as the wolf tilted her head back, releasing a low howl that coincidentally added a bit of harmony to the song.
Crys was caught a bit off guard when Essâ voice joined the sound of the flute; the words of the song unknown to her until that particular moment in time. Curiosity and amusement brought a spark of light to the womanâs eyes as she continued to play without a flinch, despite the feeling of surprise and childish delight that had worked their way past her moment of silent contemplation. As the song ended and slowly faded to silence, the silence didnât last for long as Crys released a small wave of laughter; her tone amused and cheerful as she spoke. âIâm impressed... You found a way to sneak up on me!â She played, sitting up straight and letting the flute rest by her side on top of its leather casing. âYou really sing well, Ess... And your little friend too.â She chuckled at the wolf pup. âIâm curious though. Never knew the words to this song, actually... Never knew there were any. It is a... Personal favorite though.â
The pup wiggled out from Essâ grasp, bouncing and stumbling forward towards Crystal, pausing inches away from her to stare curiously at the flute at her side. Essence smiled, her cheeks flushing to a light pink at the compliment. â...Well I donât sing around just anyone..and honestly it was you and the music that snuck up on me. I...love the adaptation youâve given it with that flute...I think..it truly brings out a certain..â Ess paused, quirking a brow in thought..âOh, whatâs the word...release..â She nodded as if satisfied with the term. â...I honestly didnât expect anyone to know the song but I assume you heard it from Jake? I know he knows the words.â The woman chuckled, crossing her legs out before her and leaning back against her palms for support. âOne of many family treasures I keep buried inside my soul. Jake was the first I shared it with. Itâs fitting you should know it too, I think.â
âFitting indeed...â Crys replied in a near-whisper. âI shouldnât be surprised by this, itâs pretty consistent with what Iâve known of Jake from day one... Always clinging to the past and yet running from it as if it was an angry beast. So hard to get him to understand that itâs just not healthy behavior.â She snickered softly. âWhat I mean is... He was constantly humming this whenever he thought no one was watching, but he refused to talk about it. If you sneak up on him on a quiet moment youâll see he still does it. Although, nowadays Iâm not so sure if heâs still aware that he does it, some things just tend to become a part of who we are in time, and then we simply stop noticing them. People as well... They become a part of you before you know it, and their habits become your habits... That can be a good thing, or a bad thing though... It depends.â She concluded, a slightly contemplative expression marking her features as if she was genuinely trying to decide which one it was. Slowly the expression shifted back to amusement, her hand reaching for the instrument at her side, fingers resting upon a tiny wooden figurine of a wolf that was glued to the top of the flute. âYour little friend is a music lover, I see... A natural born singer.â She smiled. âSensitive souls are drawn to music, it seems.â
âHmm..â Ess kept her gaze upon the cub, the memories of her friend from long ago bringing that familiar sting to her eyes. She sighed, âI..was so mad at him when I thought he had forgotten me; either purposely or by accident from the passing years. It shames me now, to hear how much I am still apart of him but comforting to know because itâs the same for with him owning that piece of my soul. I have his past and you hold his present and future.â When Crys reached for her flute again, the movement naturally attracted Essâ violet gaze, her smile widening at the tiny wolf upon the instrument. âAli make that for you?â She inquired, her fingers absently slipping into her pocket to retrieve her own little figurine that was given to her the day Ali and her met. For a reason unclear to her, she had kept it on her everyday since then; even hiding it in her hair when she had no pockets. Several moments of silence passed as she stared into the tiny wooden statue in deep thought. âThat tiny friend of mine is growing faster than Tala did. At least, as much as I can remember. Already at that stage where they start developing their own little personalities and stuff..â Ess giggled, âJust like children. Canât wait for the stubborn âteenageâ years. But...â Quirking her other brow she sat up leaning forward when the pup yipped up at Crys curiously. â..They are starting to fixate. This one, has a lot of spirit.â Clear amusement could be heard in her voice as she continued. âSomething, I remember you saying I should keep an eye out for. Clearly, all Talaâs pups are spirited, but..â She shrugged, falling silent. âItâs up to them. I would never chain down a free spirit. Itâs funny, how even the most ferocious creatures can be lulled or even hypnotized by the right kind of music; the right sound. As long as it speaks to them.â
âJacob...â Crys sighed. âHas a way of angering people who love him. Hopefully that habit hasnât yet become a part of him. Either way... The future is uncertain.â She smiled quietly. âAnd the present is still a bit too tense for my liking.â Another sigh escaped her, but Crysâ smile widened, welcoming the change of subject as she pulled the wooden flute onto her lap, nodding affirmatively to the question. âAli made it, yes. She says... Iâm unbearable when I donât play. I have a feeling sheâs right about that too. It is a great part of my personality, and I donât feel quite like myself without it. Apparently, not feeling like myself makes me bitchy... Go figure.â A saddened smile crossed Crysâ expression and faded as she added. âAmusing how I got my first flute because I was afraid to lose myself in other peopleâs feelings... It took me some time, but I discovered there is only one way I can lose myself... And other peopleâs feelings are the least of my problems... You know, that âyouâre your own enemyâ thing.â She snorted out a bit of laughter. âSorry... Iâm way too sober to be rambling this way.â
Setting whatever thoughts aside Crys let her attentions fall on the little wolf pup, a curious smile on her face as she nodded at Essâ words. âSpirit, yes... I remember mentioning it... At the stables. Shockwave, reminded me of Shadow a bit... Of course back then I thought I wouldnât see Shadow again. We should race them one day... It would be a fun exercise.â Staring at the pup, Crys tilted her head to the side in a curious gesture and once again lifted the flute, playing a few random notes, in no particular order although the sound in itself was pleasant. A delighted look crossed the womanâs eyes as the sound of the flute was joined by a short howl from the young animal. After a few more notes she stopped playing, lowering the instrument with a chuckle. âAdorable. We should start a band.â She stated playfully reaching out and ruffling the little wolfâs fur. â... And isnât it what we all want, really? Something, or someone, anything, that will speak to us in a different level? The world can be... A very lonely place sometimes.â
'The future is uncertain...'
Essence sighed, âIâm reminded of this every day..That and what we think we know is just another illusion.â Snickering she added, âI mean, so many people that I firmly believed were dead are now walking around Valcrest. Is the world coming to an end or something?â Pushing herself to her feet, Ess approached Crys and quietly sat beside her, giving space between them. Retrieving her flask at her side she giggled, lightly pushing it against Crysâ shoulder. âToo sober for rambling, eh I can fix that.â She played, offering her a drink. âNo worries though, I tend to have that effect on people, and who is to say I wonât do it back?â
At Crysâ mention of racing their horses, a strobe like glow lit up her eyes. It had been a while since she had gone riding just to enjoy the scenery and to appreciate all the little things she still loved. Ess knew it was very much needed and long overdue. âSounds like a plan.â A mischievous grin took over her expression. âCare to make a friendly wager? Perhaps, something the loser would have to do?â Reaching towards the pup, her smile softened. âYou know..I still havenât named these little guys yet. Thatâs not a very good Auntie of me. Guess Iâm leaving it up to them.â Ess shifted a bit uncomfortably, her tone remaining soft and upbeat. â..True, no one wants to be alone. I donât know what is scarier though: Never finding that something or someone that understands you better than yourself or finding it.â Her mind drifted, purposely shoving aside anything concrete that would start to form in ideas or thoughts. It was easier nowadays to trigger that link between Luckas and herself, little focus needed. In fact, if she reminisced into one of the many memories she now carried that involved him, it would trigger it; even if only for a second. Sometimes it was smells or sounds only, but she always pulled back immediately. Ess wasnât about to let one of the few things in her life that she could control, spin into chaos. Luckas didnât need to know how often he was thought of. â..Probably get me into trouble..â She mumbled under her breath.
Crys snickered softly taking the flask from Ess and taking a drink from it. âJust because something isnât real... It doesnât mean it canât be true. I mean, even if reality isnât what you believed it was, it doesnât immediately make it meaningless, because... You lived it, and I think that automatically makes it real, doesnât it? I personally believe that reality in itself depends on our perspective and so... Perhaps the people you believed to be dead were actually dead for as long as you believed them to be. I was dead myself and, I think... In many ways Iâm still dead... To a lot of people. To a few I will always be dead because they prefer it that way...â Taking another drink she chuckled. â... And not even close to drunk yet. Perhaps you should ramble a bit too, so I feel less crazy.â She played, an amused expression on her face as offered the flask back to Ess.
The mention of a wager brought back the look of curiosity to Crysâ eyes and she smirked, going into thinking for a couple of moments. âHmm... Always interesting. Although, if thatâs the case, maybe you should consider giving the blind girl a head start, huh?â She joked. âAlthough to be fair, I doubt that Shadow needs my guidance. You have something in mind to bet on?â Going into relatively silent thinking again, Crys played a few more random notes on her flute, a random and cheerful tune forming itself before being cut to silence as she stopped. âHmm...â She mumbled, tapping her chin with the flute as she thought. âI guess... Itâs scarier not to find it, although, might not be as painful. Depends.â Heaving a small sigh, she shook her head as if trying to push unwelcome thoughts away and smiled softly at the puppy. âSo, little friend... What shall we call you, huh?â
Essence opened a warm smile, taking the flask from Crys to guzzle a bit longer than she anticipated of the liquor. â...I..would like to think of myself as a great actress, when necessary...but for some reason my wits are lost as of late, more so than usual. I am trying so hard not to be ruled by my emotions...I donât even know if itâs possible.â Absently she ran her fingers through her curly bangs. âAt least for me..not sure about the rest of the world. It would be nice if all it took was belief to make something real; oneâs perception of reality. If itâs real or not, I tend to stay stubborn enough to make those beliefs a reality even if they are not true for the rest of the world.â Ess laughed, her tone hinting at a gentle memory; her own words tossed back into her face. âItâs like...the first day I met Jake..I told him something along the lines of always trusting in yourself because that may be all thatâs left in the end. You know I do believe that still, but I also learned itâs good to trust in others too, even though it has been one of the hardest things for me to do.â
Once again passing the flask back to Crys, Ess playfully bumped the womanâs shoulder. âThereâs a mini ramble for you, but if you want to know anything just ask. I am sure you have questions for me, no? I know I have questions for you. I feel..a bit lost now not really knowing who my little Jakey is now and yet itâs ironic how much I still see of that boy inside the âManâ.â Shaking her head in amusement she shrugged, âWe can race...Iâll even give you a head start.â Ess played. âAlthough I agree, left up to the horses it doesnât matter. I figure we can leave the bet open. Letâs just say Iâll owe you a favor and visa versa. Not that I wouldnât help out a friend if asked..â Glancing down at the pup, Ess ruffled up her fur in a gentle but playful gesture, quirking a brow as if she expected the cub to answer Crys on what her name should be.
Crys laughed in amusement as she took the flask and took another short drink from it. âEver consider the possibility that you may be trying too hard? The human heart is a wild beast, the more you try to restrain it, the harder it fights you. What I mean is... Sometimes people mistake trying to control their emotional responses with trying to control their actual emotions. They try to feel less intensely instead of training themselves to separate. Because thatâs certainly harder. What Iâm asking is... If you know which one you are trying really.â She took another sip from the flask before returning it. âMy father used to say that the only thing that makes our dreams fantasy is our unwillingness to believe in them. He was sort of a âanything is possibleâ kind of a guy. I find that a comforting thought, whether itâs true or not... Of course hearing stuff like that while growing up might have had an unhealthy effect on my level of stubbornness.â An amused smirk momentarily crossed her features as she sat her flute aside, carefully letting it rest by her side again and readjusted herself so that she was facing Ess. âWell... Iâm good with leaving the bet open... Itâs always nice to have your friends owe you.â She chuckled, resting her head against the cloak-covered boulder. âI have some questions, but Iâm honestly more curious about yours. As I might have mentioned, Jake has changed little from the day I met him. I mean, heâs not ten anymore, but basically still the same person in his best and worst qualities. At the same time, you tell me how much heâs changed... It makes me curious to know what is it you see and what confuses you.â Running her hand through the strands of her hair she mumbled a few things under her breath, momentarily putting her focus on the wolf pup, letting her fingertips slowly graze the animalâs fur as there was some sort of wordless conversation occurring between the two. Smiling back at Ess she continued to speak as if the pause had never happened. â...Well, maybe that was a question after all; what you see.â
Essence nodded here and there as Crys spoke, agreeing with all she said. It was insightful to hear someone speak to her the way Crys was. âSounds like your father and mine may have gotten along.â She whispered sadly, still holding her smile. âMy father use to tell me stories, preaching the same kind of beliefs but I lost hold of those for quite some time. It wasnât until the dreams became a reality and thus persevering into a darker truth...â Trailing off a moment as if to think over her next words she added, âI know I would rather have the truth, comforting or not than be blissfully unaware. I believe ignorance is what gets us killed. But, what does one do when those truths are indeed comforting?â Shaking her head, Ess snorted in amusement. âJake and I, even though parted for all those years, seem to subconsciously cling to our demons; to our past.â Heaving a shaky sigh, her smile faded. âHe never talked about me, but he never talked about Jess either?â Her tone was in question, half waiting for the answer she pretty much already knew. "The past is a tricky thing...sometimes it's etched in stone...and other times its rendered in soft memories...and if you meddle too long in deep dark things, who knows what monsters you shall awaken...and I think little by little I am finally making some sort of progress, but I worry about Jake. I donât want it to consume him like it did to me for so long. The sorrow, the emptiness. I did many things to fill the space; to avoid thinking of those painful memories while still clinging to them. So, maybe I went so long avoiding it all, that now everything hits me a hundred times harder. Maybe I do try to control my emotions because I was able to suppress and create new ones for so long.â
Glancing over at the fire, Ess stood to add a few more logs to the flames before settling back down besides Crys. âMy Jacob-Bear..â She whispered almost inaudibly. âI know innocence doesnât last forever and I think thatâs at the top of my list of what makes my heart break when I look at him. He still seems to talk plenty but not like he use to. He use to show so much more excitement and curiosity to know about everything and talk about anything. I was there when he lost his father. I was there with him and Jess.â A muffled groan escaped her at the memory before she spoke again. âJess looks like his mother...â A single tear trailed down her cheek through her painted smile. Clearing her throat she broke out of her straying thought and continued. âJake has been the same since you met him. I agree this Jacob can be quite infuriating, but tell me...What is your favorite attribute of my brother? What about him touches your soul?â Ess opened a slight smile, her eyes locking on the pup as she curled up between Ess and Crys.
Crys sighed quietly, closing her eyes for moment as if searching for something to say for an answer. Maybe it was about time to stop trying to just not think about the past anymore, she knew that was the one thing that would never solve her problems. Opening her eyes again she nodded slightly as if deciding on words, but let the silence last just a bit longer before speaking in a tone that was far more serene than she felt it should be. âI know why Jake never mentioned you to me. I mean... There is no way in hell I would have let him play dead had I known anything. I would have dragged his sorry ass straight to Newhaven and he was probably just trying to avoid that. Jessica is a whole different story. The most he ever talked about her in the past thirteen years was to mention her death in some way. Itâs like he canât stand to remember her alive. And yet... He keeps that locket close to his heart almost at all times.â Crys shook her head, a noticeable look of frustration in her eyes. âSo, this worries me still... This avoidance of his... The fact that I know heâs told me more than he has ever told anyone combined with the fact heâs told me so little, just makes me think that it canât be much longer until something snaps.â Going silent for yet another moment, Crys slowly reached towards the collar of her shirt, letting her fingertips trace the metal chain around her neck, but keeping it tucked away underneath her clothes. âJakey is complicated to me... And these are complicated questions because... The things I like the most in him are the usually the ones to make me angry. For instance, one of the last times we spoke before he left he said that people walk away from things everyday, and the he could understand how easy it was to wake up in the morning and just want to tell the world to... Fuck off. What he couldnât understand was how they could actually do it. Itâs like the same part of his personality that wonât allow him to actually leave people behind, as we know he would like to sometimes, also wonât let him let go of anything ever. He literally has to try and fix everything and thatâs adorable until you know... It starts to drive you crazy.â She heaved a long sigh that ended in a hint of laughter. âJake was also that person in my life who said things along the lines of âwhatâs the worse that can happen?â and âwhy are you so afraid of people?â... My personal favorite was always âyour left shoe is not the same color as the right oneâ... That one always used to come after I had already passed about fifty people who were probably thinking the exact same thing. It also taught me to mark my shoes.â She chuckled. â...How about Kaya... For the pup... It suits her... Itâs a name with a lot of meanings.â
Ess huffed a tiny sigh and shrugged. âJake kind of did say fuck the world and walk away..in some ways..and I think heâs facing that now. He seems to want to make right and that part you speak of, that stubbornness I think is eating at him. Think when I saw that, that is what made me want to forgive him and not lose him again.â Leaning back on her hands she glanced up at the sky, brows furrowing as a wave of clouds crept in and hid those familiar stars. âWhatâs that saying...about losing something and it returning? That itâs meant to be? In times like today, can we really afford to push away those who love us?â Her tone faded almost to a whisper. âEspecially if itâs a rarity...â Returning back on a previous thought she spoke up. âHe said he believes he failed me and that was a reason he saw it better that I knew him as dead. I would say heâs a bloody fool, but I understand fearing to disappoint those who meant most. Jake means most to me. He looks at me still as if Iâm someone to look up to, like he did as a child. I donât see it...but I do know that if he were to ever look at me with disgust...â Ess shook her head, not even voicing the rest of her thought. âJess always said that would never be possible; not for Jake. Jess, was beautiful and she had a way of explaining things so they made sense and thus were beautiful.â
Closing her eyes, she went silent for a few moments, a subtle hint of a hum reverberating from her throat before she spoke again. âBut things do change...and now thereâs....Luckas and Jake doesnât like to hear me explain how much that guy and I are alike, but I know heâs still got my back. Heâs like Tala...very protective and what he gives is unconditional. He...reminds me of my father...now that I think of it.â Ess turned to face Crys. âNow that heâs older too. Makes sense...â Her smile returned, irony glittering in her eyes. âI know I am not well versed in your business, nor is it really my right to know. I understand little when it comes to...âfallingâ in love, but....do you love my brother? I was taught to believe âLoveâ is enough because it fuels strength for so many emotions and motivation that âanything is possible.â Is that not true?â An honest, curious expression crossed her face as she waited for an answer. Ess knew what she wanted to believe but she had not the experience to understand the truth or lie of the philosophy. From afar she had watched how people could be strengthened or torn down by such a concept. She had witnessed how a gesture or single touch could make someone melt or go insane with hatred. It was a tantalizing concept she wanted to be open to but it frightened her more than she could explain. Fear of loss, fear of rejection, fear of betrayal; or the fear of never finding it, as was brought up earlier. âIs this a question of which pain is more bearable? I mean, we all would like to think weâd never intentionally hurt the people we care about, but thatâs an empty promise. Least Iâve come to realize. Perhaps, we are suppose to focus on whether that pain is worth the time we spent with them.â
Essence snickered at the name, âKaya,â rubbing her fingers behind the pupâs ears. âKaya...â She whispered, looking at the wolf as if waiting for approval. âWhat does it mean, Crys?â
Crys snickered under her breath at some of Essâ questions, it felt odd to be asked about matters such as these and realize she had never actually stopped to really think them through all that much. She was taught to deal with things as they occurred, act on what she felt presently and not on what she may or not feel in the future. The future was a huge blank as far as Crys could tell, especially when these things were concerned. Trying to rationalize things and make them understandable actually drove Crys into rather long moment of introspection, which she broke only to give the one answer she actually felt she could give. âItâs a name with several meanings, like I said... my favorite meaning would be maybe âhomeâ or ârestful placeâ, other meanings... hmm... Different types of trees I forget, beautiful one, wise child...â She chuckled. â... Forgiveness.â
With a soft sigh, Crys let silence linger once more while she put her thoughts in order. After another moment had come and gone she went back to what the main topic of conversation had turned into. âI feel... Love is such a vast term. Another word that holds a lot of different meanings. Also a great motivator, even greater than fear, I believe, but... Motivation can only do so much for a person. Itâs like... Being the greatest warrior that ever lived and not knowing what you are fighting for. It feels empty after a while. That said... Yes, I love your stupid brother. I canât honestly remember a point in the past when I didnât love him, or picture a point in my future when I wonât still love him.â She spoke, shrugging dismissively as if the words held a considerably lighter weight than they actually did. âThe problem between me and Jake is not about love, or even forgiveness really. I think... The problem is we have a lot of promises left hanging in the air... Promises that were made under circumstances that no longer exist. The life we had back then is gone and until weâre both done mourning that loss, there is no chance of starting over.â She smiled softly regarding Ess with an amused and curious expression. âThatâs just... My particular business though. It does not and should not apply to anyone elseâs. Or at least I hope not.â She laughed, shaking her head in amusement, her eyes sparkling discretely as she stared at the woman sitting in front of her. âAlright so... I donât mean to intrude or anything, and so feel free to ignore this slight change of subject, but... You and Luckas... The two of you share a... uh... Bond, of sorts, yes? Iâve noticed some... How do I put it... Some of your responses donât exactly fit into the subject of Jake, but then... They kind of became a bit clearer when you mentioned Luckas. And on the other hand I have managed to get a couple of rather amusing reactions from him by simply threatening to mention you so... Again, I donât mean to intrude I just happen to have noticed it and thought maybe you might want to discuss that with someone at some point.â
Essence began to chuckle at Crysâ comment of Jake being âstupidâ, slowly it escalated into a muffled laugh as she worked to catch her breath. âPeople at least have a way of surprising us, no?â She hummed at the idea of emptiness, feeling a familiar knot throbbing in her gut. That had to be one of the worst feelings she carried on with for years until she began finding different things to stuff in the gaping hole inside herself. Something she had decent knowledge of what it could mean but mostly she had accepted its existence for so long that it almost melded to be a part of her. âNot so long ago...â She muttered, her violet eyes widening for a split second before returning to their normal size. Ess held her breath for a few moments before exhaling heavily through her nostrils. Letting her eyes close at the mention of her friendsâ name, she pushed back a tiny chill that ran up her spine, tiny goose bumps appearing at the base of her neck. âFair is fair with questions, right? I did ask you a very personal question. My question is, what exactly do you mean by bond?â Opening her eyes again she quirked a brow. âI think we just confuse one another a bit much.â Ess played, forcing a smile. Her mind drifted back to Crysâ answer on how âloveâ is different to everyone and she couldnât help but wonder what it was to feel like. âWhat does it feel like to Love Jake? I understand thatâs rather personal, but how would you describe that feeling for you?â
Crys smiled at Essâ response to her questioning, slowly shaking her head. âFair is fair, yes, but... I believe you do have a bit more of a right to ask than me, Jake is your little brother after all, no? Itâs sort of in your job description to pry on his personal business a bit.â A curious look crossed Crysâ eyes momentarily as she wasnât exactly sure what she had meant by âbondâ, it was the closest term she could find for what she perceived, but she didnât know exactly what it meant. âI think... By bond, I mean... A connection of some sort... Emotions are vague, and not very easy to describe, thus I donât like to try and speculate much on what I can tell from people. It would be horribly irresponsible, not to mention wrong, of me to do so.â
The question of how it felt to love Jake caused two different reactions on Crys, the first was a slight wince as if she had been startled by the words and the second was a little chuckle that slowly grew into a short fit of laughter. Once she managed to stop and breathe she spoke, still a bit breathless. âSorry... Just... You just reminded me of when I was last asked this question.â Coughing a couple of times to clear her throat, Crys managed to settle down in a more serious tone. âAlmost unfair that I answer it now...â She mumbled under her breath, not hesitating to raise her voice and move the conversation along. âItâs a difficult description to make... almost as if I asked you to describe color to me. Some people have given me some interesting answers, but I still donât know what makes blue different from yellow.â Picking her flute from her side Crys began to play a few notes on the instrument, eyes sparkling slightly as the random notes changed into a soothing melody, so soft it was as almost like the flute whispered the notes onto the air; as if telling a secret. The softly played notes faded from barely audible to fully silent even though the transition made it clear that the song was still playing somewhere in the back of Crysâ mind even as she set the flute aside once more and began to speak. âIn the simplest terms I can think of... It feels as if Iâve taken my heart right out my chest, where it was safe, and placed on the hands of a stupid boy who doesnât seem to think itâs much of a big deal to just take it and run off with it whenever he pleases. It makes me feel frightened, helpless and more often than not; foolish, because Iâve given someone else power over everything that makes me who I am and that can so easily destroy me... And at the same time, I feel that none of that matters because if there is one person in the world I would trust my whole heart to, Jake is that person... Even when he hurts me, even when he angers me, and even in the one single moment when I hated him... Because at some point, Iâm not sure exactly when, the mere fact that he exists in the world just makes it so... Much... Better.â Crys stopped talking, forcing herself to take a long deep breath taking notice of how shaky it had turned out. âI am an empath, and to someone who experiences emotions the way I do... Emotional connections are difficult, letting people in can be terrifying and painful. Jake feels... Warm, and safe... And the world feels warmer and safer because of him.â She sighed occupying herself with petting the wolf pup as she went silent. After a few moments passed she turned her attention back to Ess. âTell me something... While we have been talking... Have you tried not to let your feelings show on your expression, even though I canât see your face? I have a feeling that you have, but Iâm not sure.â
Ess took in a shaky breath and sighed, relaxing a bit on what Crys was feeling from her and trying to make sense out of the disarray of her emotions. The term âBondâ had thrown her for a loop, momentarily worried if anyone else knew about her and Luckasâ link. Not that she didnât feel she couldnât trust Crys, but she thought it best to have as few people know about it as possible. With Jake, she felt almost obligated to share everything with him; if she wanted to or not. As she listened to Crystal answer her question on what it felt like to Love, an embarrassed, almost guilty feeling crept into stomach. âPerhaps it was an unfair question to ask..â She whispered.
'...Iâve given someone else power over everything that makes me who I am and that can so easily destroy me...'
Essence froze, a feeling of nausea passing over her momentarily at the thought, tiny beads of sweat appearing against her hairline. âWarm...and safe...I think thatâs a good way to explain that feeling...â She trailed off with a shrug. âBlue...would be my feeling of warm and safe, maybe sometimes cold since blue tends to correspond to water much of the time even though itâs an illusion. Jakeâs eyes are blue.. Yellow...â Ess smiled. âYellow would be like looking into the sun, also warm but blinding. It makes my eyes hurt and water to stare into it, even for a second. I can understand why colors can be confusing to comprehend but mostly they lead into emotions and visa versa; if that makes any sense.â An awkward laugh escaped her, humming in acknowledgement of Crysâ perception of her emotions inwardly V.S. outwardly. âI know it doesnât matter what I show on my expression around you. I guess you can call it an...âoccupational hazardâ thatâs never left me. I spent a very long time always interpreting someone else in physical and auditory form to create the perfect illusion. Part of my gift; my attention to detail.â
Crys nodded along to Essâ words as she spoke of what the colors meant to her, but she wasnât quite paying attention. She could remember the several times she had a different explanation, some of which she found particularly interesting, but none of them actually made a difference on how she perceived, or rather didnât perceive, things. âMy mother once told me that... Thereâs color in music... She taught me to play what she felt each color sounded like... Blue sounds like... Something soft... Soothing... Much like waves, maybe. Jakey described it as sinking into warm water after a long day of training...â Slowly she shook her head and snickered. âBlinding... Huh... Is that why yellow is usually associated with fear? Although, it seems to me that the beautiful things in life are usually the ones that blind us... So, Ess... What is your favorite color?â She asked, a look of genuine interest in her expression as she seemed to examine the other woman. âOccupational hazzard, huh? Something else my father used to say... The most important part of being deceptive is to not let yourself forget your âtrue faceâ.â
âYellow...fear...creation...out of the ashes of fire, new life is sustained .âEss muttered as if in a trance, smirking at the idea of fire. âI ..guess my favorite color would be red, but I like all dark colors: blues, greens, purples.. and the metallic shadows of the night sky. I like anything I can get lost in.â Clearing her throat, she began tapping her nails against the side of the flask. âIt was easier to ignore what and who I was then, especially when I didnât know. Guess you could say I wandered around aimlessly numb and careless through the rest of my teenage years. I spent more than half my life pretending and less time sorting out what kind of person I am. I donât know, maybe I just always knew.âEss nodded as if to confirm her thought, her mind drifting back to the subject of Jacob. âI bet I could get Jake to talk about Jess..even if only a little. I know what itâs like to not face oneâs ghosts. He did bring her up one of the times we chatted.â She shrugged, not really sure where her mind was going with that one except that she was avoiding something within herself, that which she refused to acknowledge. A dull ache began to form behind her ears while she rubbed at her eyes through a defiant yawn. âCrys.....since you are blind...do you dream? I mean...well maybe I donât know what I mean. Guess was wondering what that must be like.â
âRed...â Crys mumbled. âThatâs an interesting color, Iâm told...â She trailed off, not elaborating on what made red so interesting to her, and focusing on what Ess was saying instead, absently wondering what numb and careless must feel like; she wasnât sure she had ever experienced either one. âI always found it difficult to separate... You know, who I am from what I am. Itâs so very easy to let ourselves be defined by our place in the world, whatever it may be, than to try and figure out what else is there. Itâs something that still confuses me.â Heaving a small sigh she closed her eyes momentarily, allowing her mind to drift off as she focused on the sounds and feels of the camp around them. She wasnât sure of the time, but a lot of the people had retired for the night or were about to, even those who were still awake were mostly silent. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes at the question of what her dreams were like. âMy mind cannot form images, obviously, but other than that... My dreams are much like everyone elseâs... Some of them feel awfully real, some arenât quite real enough for my liking... Some dreams are of things that were real at some point in the past... I dream about my mother a lot, mostly when Iâm stressed for some reason. Which is odd, really. My mom was many things in my life, but she was not a calming presence.â Letting out a small chuckle she shook her head, slowly letting her focus fall back to Jake she sighed. âIâm sure he would talk to you about her, if you push him just a little bit.â She paused for a moment, a small flicker of light crossing her eyes as she added. âHe canât sleep again.â
Ess appeared to not be listening when in actuality all she kept thinking about for a few moments were Crysâ words, ..âwho I am from what I am...â. âI...would like to think that both are things that can be shaped in our desired image, in addition to those things we canât control in life. My position is changing...Iâm no longer defined by those lonely, survival terrors I thought I had to suffer with.â Lifting her head up with a hint of pride she smirked, her tone a soft whisper, âIâm no longer someone elseâs fantasy to use and abuse.â Ess paused glancing at Crys curiously as she mentioned her own dreams, nodding along with her words which brought Essence a bit of comfort to hear. Quirking a brow she sighed. âJake doesnât sleep either, huh? You mean right now or in general?â She laughed, another question forming, distracting her from where she was going with her previous words. âHow far is your range to sense someone?â She asked, leaning towards Crys as she awaited an answer.
âHmm...â Crys mumbled, trying to somehow measure the range of her enlightenment in her mind. âItâs hard to say. Generally speaking, I can sense everyone within the boundaries of this camp. People I know, I can sense at greater distances if I concentrate. And then there are... Exceptional cases...â She paused for a moment before shrugging slightly and moving on. âThere are levels of emotions though... There is what I can sense without trying and there is what I could sense if I tried... Those things people are mostly unaware that they carry inside themselves. In training I have been encouraged to take these things and use them, but itâs not something I was ever comfortable with. Keeping some lines intact is a rather vital part of my personal code.â
Going back on the conversation a little, and consequently pulling the focus away from her enlightenment, Crys nodded. âI think, that purpose for some people is something that is, or can be, desired and sought and for others... It just exists. I was born into mine, in a way. I mean, itâs debatable, if one is born an Alpha or if one can become one... If itâs the first then Iâll always be the Alpha, as some like to believe, but if itâs the latter... Then what am I now? Itâs tricky, and then I canât help but wonder what the hell does it even matter anyway? This really hasnât changed me all that much, not as much as I believe it should anyway... Or maybe that side of me is a bit numb.â Running her fingers through the strands of her hair, Crys released a soft and slightly awkward laugh. âYour turn to ramble now, I think.â She played, letting her laughter fade as she mumbled. âI donât remember the last time I caught Jacob sleeping.â
âWhy is it, Crys, that itâs always easier to give sound advice than to take it? Ironic how we can see others easier than ourselves.â Ess smiled, noting how the pup had fallen asleep, reaching over to give a little scratch behind her ear. âThe changes are subtle sometimes, however there. I realized the other day, after I awoke from a random nightmare that my change coincides with the night I met up with Mageria in the city; the night I ran into Luckas again. I didnât see it or know it then, but..â Essence sighed, gently massaging the base of her neck before shaking her head, tossing her thick curls over her face. âWell thereâs lots of reasons for the change and perhaps it started a few years back but I walked away from some old habits and havenât looked back since that night. Problem is, with that change, Iâm still haunted and judged for those past transgressions; even if itâs only myself who is doing the judging. Itâs so hard sometimes, though. To NOT forget myself and fall into the actress mode. I always said Iâd never show any man the real me, and Jacob doesnât count.â She snickered, brushing a few curls from her gaze. âThink Iâm breaking my own promise. But who knows right? Maybe some promises should be broken.â Ess took a moment to breathe. âSo, was that considered a ramble?â She joked. âWell, even if Jakey is awake, I think itâs a bit late to spring on an emotional conversation..Iâll probably wait until tomorrow at some point even though I probably wonât be doing much sleeping myself unless one considers sleepwalking actual rest. But, I donât want to keep you too much longer my friend.â
[Otium 17 - Afternoon]
Crys was sitting by her desk when Ike knocked on the door. She urged the man in wordlessly and continued to write down notes as he sat across from her. She could hear the manâs foot nervously tapping against the wooden floor and his breathing starting to quicken from the thick silence.
âHave you come here for a reason, Ike? If so, I suggest you speak. I canât read minds you know.â
âI... I was wondering about something, Crys. If I may ask...â
âAsk, and then weâll see if you may or not. Like I said; not a telepath.â Crys smiled, lowering her pen and putting her focus on the shaky man.
âI remember that you said... You said... You couldnât make killers out of us.â
âI did.â
âIs that true?â
âNo.â Crys smiled. âYou know itâs not true, otherwise you wouldnât be asking. What you really want to know is why I wonât.â
âWhy wonât you? The ginger, up at the Inn, said you were recruiting, but you donât seem to want some of us to stay.â
âI could make all of you into killers, Ike, because anyone can be a killer given the right circumstances, the right motivations, or if you take away enough of their humanity. I know it doesnât look that way from where you stand, but there is something me and my crew all share; we are cold at our cores. Were not inhuman, weâre not cruel, weâre not numb to emotions; not usually, but we can be. We can turn it off for a split second, because thatâs how long it takes a skilled assassin to take a life. And then we can turn it back on and go about our business as if nothing ever happened. Here one second. Gone the next. And yes I could instill that in all of you, within a yearâs time... Less depending on your willingness to bleed. Thing is I know well the toll that takes. A lot of you came to us with nothing to lose, but some of you are here because you lost something you hope to still salvage. I intend your souls to remain intact for when you do. Simple as that.â
âI see...â
âYouâre here because your brother was killed and your niece and nephew were taken, isnât that so?â Crys asked, her eyes focused on the man. âWhat kind of a family do you suppose a killer would be able to provide those children?â
âUh... I...â Ike mumbled.
âYouâre afraid you wonât find them alive. I understand. And if thatâs the case, we can have this conversation again.â
âI guess... I...â
âAnd donât feel discouraged, Ike. Youâre doing quite well on your training. Irena is one of our toughest recruits. However she is also one of the nicest girls I know. I thought youâd do well as a team for the time being.â
âYes. I see that.â The man agreed, lowering his head and clearly giving up any sort of argument he still planned on having.
âAnd if that was all, I suggest you go back to it. Iâll be right down in a minute.â
âUhm... Yes...â The man mumbled. âOh... Nick asked me to let you know that Kaya has gone back to the Nest. If that... makes sense...â The man scratched his head on his way out.
Crys snickered. âIt makes perfect sense.â She whispered, closing the book sheâd been writing on and following the man down to the bar, sitting across from Nick while Ike continued down to the training room. âThose guys are more trouble than I thought.â Crys mumbled.
âI warned you about recruiting so openly, Boss.â Nick shrugged. âThose guys have far too naive notions of what Death entails. It could be dangerous to teach them as much as we have and just spit them back out.â
âMaybe we ought to show them.â Crys snorted.
âWha...?â Nick jumped in his seat. âWhat are you saying?â
âThe others are ready to start taking on assignments. Weâve partnered them, havenât we?â
âBoss...â Nick mumbled. âThatâs a bit extreme... They canât possibly keep up...â
âTheyâre not supposed to keep up. Thatâs the point.â
âThey could endanger the other recruits. Or get themselves killed... This is not...â
âNicholas.â Crys interrupted the man. âThere are things in life that words can never teach, right now they need to learn this to survive. Itâs important. Because somethingâs about happen, itâs in the air, in this town... And once it does... Itâs a point of no return. If theyâre not ready then, if we are not ready...â
âBoss?â Nick mumbled.
âIâll make sure they understand the risks.â Crys exhaled sharply through her nose. âTrust me.â
Nicholas flinched at the words. They were voiced in the form of a simple request, but there was a weight underneath them as though sheâd had just asked him to follow her into war. âYou know I do, Boss.â
âGood.â Crys smiled.
âJust donât go killing off the newbs.â Nick warned. âThat strikes me as a tad bit counter productive.â
Crys laughed. âIâll keep that under consideration, but Iâll make no promises.â She grinned, standing up from her stool and taking the stairs down to the basement.
[Three weeks ago]
âIâm just saying; we donât know who these people really are. They ask us to follow this little girl when we barely know who she or what sheâs capable of...â
âWhat alternative do we have, Ike? Do we lay down and die? No one else has offered up a better solution.â
âIt looks way too good of an opportunity, if you ask me. These people come to your rescue, say theyâre going to help us take back our City; and whatâs in it for th-...â
The man named Ike silenced himself the moment the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs. Crys made her descent as slow as possible, reading the reactions of the other recruits to her presence. She didnât blame them for the doubt; those men werenât fighters, they were shopkeepers, bakers, farmers... They didnât know what they were doing there, only that they needed to do something. Ike was the oldest of the new recruits, already in his early forties, mistrustful, rough around the edges and a loud mouth for sure, but all in all a good man.
When Crys reached the bottom of the stairs, the training room was dead silent. It wasnât respect; not yet, but apprehension. Theyâd seen very little of her since recruitment, but theyâd heard plenty from their instructors. Crys gestured towards the staircase and a group of cloaked assassins descended after her. âThese men and women,â Crys spoke, indicating the group, âare the last generation of recruits. They followed us out of the forest; most of them straight out of basic training, and have been training under my associates, and myself, for the past three years.â As she spoke, the assassins rid themselves of their cloaks and picked up training weapons as though given a command none of the others had been able to hear. âI brought them in today to show you first hand who and what we are. I could make perfect weapons out of most of you within a yearâs time, but we donât have a year and youâre not killers. For now, your goal is to not become victims... Again... And yes, we can help with that.â
Each of the assassins moved to stand before one of the new recruits, awaiting further instructions, much to the new guysâ confusion.
âIrena,â Crys called, drawing the attention of a short brown haired girl, âswitch with Randall, I want you paired with Ike. I believe fighting you will do his pride a lot of good.â
Irena promptly switched places with her colleague, smiling sweetly at Ike. âEllo, handsome,â she greeted, looking up at the man. Ike towered over the young girl, not to mention he was old enough to be her father.
âTake a good look at the person standing before you. Youâll share a room, meals, bathroom breaks, and youâll train together always from now on. I expect that within a month youâll be giving them a semblance of a challenge.â She pointed at the center of the room, âI want four pairs in the center, show your new partners what youâve learned so far; the rest stand back and observe. Come on, people, move.â
âNicholas,â Crys called as the recruits took positions in the center, âJakeâs on his way over. Send him down when he arrives.â
--------------
It was the middle of the afternoon, so finding the Inn empty upon his arrival was not a complete surprise to Jake, he calmly sat by the bar waiting for someone to show up. Itâd been a while since he had last been there. The night he killed Joffrey. The place was really looking good compared to the mess it was back then.
âHey, Jake!â Nicholasâ voice called out behind him and Jake turned in his seat. âCrys wants to see you, sheâs downstairs with the newbies.â
âNewbies?â Jake questioned with a chuckle, stashing his travel bag behind the bar counter and following Nick down to the basement.
âNewbies. You know, the recruits.â Nick explained. âWe gathered a few since you last came around. Theyâre a bit reluctant to take orders from the blind girl, so...â Nick shrugged as they entered the training room. Jake was surprised that the noise there couldnât be heard from the bar. There were four spars going on at the same time between an experienced assassin and a ânewbieâ, as Nick called them. The only person there seemingly able to keep up with them all was Crys, moving amongst the pairs of fighters and issuing instructions here and there to the recruits.
When Jake approached the center Crys ended the fights with a gesture that prompted the assassins to disarm and subdue their âopponentsâ in a matter of seconds and stand at attention. It was amusing how blatantly clear it was that they had been taking it easy on the newcomers all along; all fights ending with the ânewbiesâ fallen at the assassinsâ feet unarmed. Jake didnât remember ever getting that sort of leniency when he was in training, but he couldnât deny those guys were more organized and focused than he had ever seen them and Jake had to ask himself how long Crys had been planning to move into Blackpond. It just seemed like she had done too good of a job of it for something she had thought up during a particularly disastrous Castle ball. This looked like âyears worth of planningâ work.
âIâm impressed.â He declared, smirking as one of the recruits cursed under his breath, pushing himself up from the ground.
âItâs not much, but itâs a start.â Crys answered with a shrug. âItâs quite... Fortunate... That you decided to show up today though, I was hoping youâd help me out with something. If you have some time to spare, that is.â
âOh well you know me; Iâm always willing to help...â Jake smiled, knowing heâd probably regret saying that soon enough. âWhat do you need me for?â
âWell, Jacob, you see... Those tough guys over there, whom youâve just witnessed get knocked on their asses in less than a full minute, have been wondering whether itâs wise of them to accept training from someone they have never seen in a fight. And now theyâre probably a bit uncomfortable because they thought they had said that behind my back. You have to excuse their naivety... Theyâre still learning.â
âYou want to give them a demonstration.â Jake concluded, nodding his agreement. âWe havenât really sparred in... uhm... Five years? Since Theronâs training, I think, wasnât it?â
âSomething like that.â Crys smiled. âAre you up for it?â
âHow could I possibly deny you the opportunity to beat the crap out of me?â Jake retorted with a laugh. âAre we using real gear, or... The toy swords?â
âUsually Iâd say real gear, but... Iâm afraid Iâd be too tempted to put another mark on that pretty face of yours, so maybe we should disarm ourselves.â Crys suggested, calmly ridding herself of all her weapons as well as the thin leather armor she wore. As Jake began to do the same he saw Nicholas hurry upstairs as though heâd forgotten something. Not paying much attention to the manâs behavior, Jake got rid of his cloak, all his blades, his needles, and even his shirt so that it was clear to those watching he wasnât hiding anything.
âYou might want to put that in your pocket, Jakey.â Crys pointed out, indicating the golden locket hanging over his chest. âYou wouldnât want the chain to break or anything.â
âItâs not going to break, besides... It protects me. I have a feeling Iâm going to need it.â Jake retorted.
âProbably.â Crys snickered, retrieving a pair of wooden fighting sticks about the size of a short one-hand sword and casually tossing them in Jakeâs direction, grabbing another pair for herself. âSo you want to assign points for each hit or should we just keep going until someone says âstopâ?â She asked. âIf I recall correctly you cried last time we did that.â
âYou elbowed me in the n-...â Jake stopped himself from protesting and shook his head, a faint chuckle escaping him. âYou know what... Iâm fine whichever way you want to do this. After all, this is a teaching exercise and these are your recruits, no?â
âFair enough... Until someone says âstopâ. I assume you still remember what happened last time you tried to take it easy on me.â She warned.
Jake laughed softly, indicating the scar above his eye with the end of his left-hand weapon as he replied. âVividly.â He smirked, feeling the weight of the wooden weapons. much lighter that what he was used to. âI havenât used these since basic training. Your father loved smacking us around with these...â
âIf he was still alive he would have given us both real smackdown.â Crys replied severely.
âIâm sure of it.â Jake agreed, assuming a defensive stance. âReady when you are.â He told her, encouraging her to strike first. Just as he said that however, Nicholas came running down into the basement, followed closely by Ali. They both seemed to have ran a good distance straight into the room, not wanting to miss anything. Their arrival distracted Jake from Crys, which resulted in the man being struck painfully in the face by one of her wooden sticks.
Jake groaned as the blow was quite forceful, but he still managed to block the next strike even though his sight actually blurred for a moment. âOw.â He muttered.
âYou said you were ready.â Crys stated simply, a smirk forming across her lips. âHow about now, Jakey? Ready now?â She teased.
Jake replied only with an angry snort as he attacked, the sound of wood colliding over and over again echoed through the basement as the training weapons clashed in mid air. It silenced all other sounds as recruits and assassins alike stopped to watch the spar. Of course the newbies were impressed with the display of skill from both sides, but for the assassins there was more to their interest than simply observing the technique, they knew the history between Jake and Crys, most of it at least, and they were waiting for some form of hell to break loose at any minute.
The fight had started out balanced, and somewhat playful, Jake purposely lowering his guard at times and dodging Crysâ weapons as they slashed dangerously close to his face. It was as if they were putting on a little show. The mood changed rapidly at the first few actual hits though, neither Crys or Jake seemed hindered by the strikes they suffered, instead they seemed to be driven by them. Jake managed to strike Crysâ in her right hand, forcing her to drop one of the weapons. He pushed her left handed weapon to the side with his right and struck her in the stomach with the heel of his boot; in the spot where she had once been stabbed. Crys doubled over, momentarily winded.
âAre you holding back or has Death softened you?â Jake scolded, kicking the fallen training weapon to her as she recovered. âPick it up!â
A few of the assassins flinched at Jakeâs words, but Crys simply laughed as she recovered the training weapon. The fight resumed a bit more intense and Jake was now and again struggling to avoid Crysâ blows; the empath now attacking with furious determination, pushing Jake back step by step while the man just defended her attacks. It soon became clear that Jake was waiting for something, because he abruptly change from just defending to dodging Crysâ attack and then quickly countering with strikes of his own, one of them breaking past her guard and striking her with full force across the face. Jake hesitated, but Crys wasnât so hindered by the blow, quickly retaliating, but quickly striking both of Jakeâs hands, face, and ending the fight by kicking his feet from under him. She straddled him and began to swing her right stick once again towards his face.
âStop.â Jake muttered.
Crys stopped mid-blow, the fighting stick less than an inch from Jakeâs skull, and stood up. She turned away and groaned, spitting a bit of blood on the ground. âYou almost had me; why did you stop?â She questioned.
Jake slowly pushed himself up, stumbling a bit in his step, still feeling the blow to the face. âI didnât stop, I just hesitated. Are you alright? You spat blood.â
âJust a little cut inside my mouth. Not serious.â She muttered, rubbing her left cheek. âIâm gonna bruise though. Hmph.â Heaving a sigh Crys glared in the direction of her assassins. âYou all enjoyed the show? Good; now get your asses back to work.â
She didnât have to ask twice.
âWell that was very entertaining.â Ali smirked. âYou know... Letting off some aggression instead of just using your words... Very healthy.â
Crys shook her head, stopping when the act became painful. âJust... Do me a favor and supervise the pups... I need to rest my head and Iâm sure Jake didnât stop by just so we could beat each other with sticks; as fun as that was.â
Crys walked past Ali and Nick upstairs to the bar and further to the second floor, Jake grabbing his gear and following after her until they reached a large room that had been made into an office. She leaned against the large desk in the center of the room and half smiled. âSo, what brings you?â
âYou sure youâre okay?â Jake questioned again, dropping his weapons and belongings on the corner of the room and throwing his shirt back on.
Crys snorted a laugh. âI can take a beating, Jake. Even more than just a beating. Iâll be okay. Is that why you flinched? You felt bad for hitting me in the face? Wouldnât have stopped you before.â
âI know what you can and canât take. Doesnât mean I still wonât hate seeing you hurt.â
âThen close your eyes.â Crys argued.
Jake sighed. âCrys... Just...â
âIâm serious. It was a spar; you were supposed to hit me and you should have kept hitting me until I said âstopâ. Thatâs what we agreed on, remember? You were supposed to trust me to know my own limits.â
âI trust you completely.â Jake protested. âItâs just not easy for me to keep things separate; especially when I donât know where I stand with you anymore.â
âBack there when you asked if Death had softened me...â She snickered. âThat was the closest to normal Iâve gotten out of you in years. Because you were never afraid to say anything to my face.â
âI said one too many things to your face last time...â Jake mumbled, walking closer to her and gently tracing his fingertips along the forming bruise on her cheek. âI should have never...â He sighed.
âJacob... None of what happened in the desert was your fault. It was mine. You know, you were right; I was doubting myself, I was hiding, I was afraid. No one would have seen it, but you. No one else would have so openly called me out on it... Not like that. And Iâm not... Angry... Not anymore. Because as painful as everything has been in the past three years... The distance has done us both some good.â
âYou think so?â
âI think...â She smiled, leaning into his touch. âI think weâre both very stubborn people and we were so determined to be together that we ignored all the little ways we were hurting each other. I think, I was particularly unfair to you. Cruel at times maybe. Because you are the way you are; you want to fix the world and you want to... Protect... Everything you love and itâs so easy for me to just cling to you when Iâm hurting. It eases the pain, but at the same time it puts this weight on your shoulders that shouldnât be yours to bear.â
Jake sighed softly, leaning into Crys, his hand still holding the side of her face. âI think youâre being too hard on yourself.â
âMaybe. We were kids; practically, when this whole thing started, we didnât know any better, but weâre not kids anymore, Jacob. We know how naive some promises truly are and how horrifying the world can get. We know that we are... No longer the same.â
âLast time we spoke... You said...â
âI said I was done doing âthisâ with you. I am done going around in circles... What we had, to me, is over. Because it has to be. Because it wasnât healthy for either of us. That doesnât mean that we canât or that we shouldnât start over. I never said, and I will never say, that youâre allowed to quit on me.â
âOh...â Jake mumbled.
âYeah... Oh.â Crys laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. âYou do realize I love you, donât you? Idiot.â
Jake smirked, pressing his forehead to hers. âOf course you do, Iâm amazing.â
Crys laughed. âYou didnât hit me in the head that hard, Jakey,â she teased, turning her head and kissing his palm. âBut you do have your moments, love.â
Jake snorted a laugh. âIâll take that compliment.â He lowered his hand from her cheek, frowning at the welt left by the wooden stick. Itâd fade in a few days; he knew, but he didnât like it there.
âDonât worry about it. Iâve had worse.â She whispered. âDo I need to remind you that I actually beat you down there?â
âYou say we should start over. Youâre right. And you know Iâll do whatever you ask me, but donât ask me not to worry. That I canât do.â He said, wrapping his left arm around her waist.
Crys smiled at the words, her fingers toying with a few strands of his hair. âMhm... I know that...â She answered. âHonestly Jake, there are two things I need from you if we are to make this work and I think theyâre simple enough.â She smirked. âEven for you.â
âFair enough. So tell me; what might those things be?â
âFirst and foremost, Jakey; no more running. And no more promises. Do you think you can do that?â
âI think that I can, but I canât promise though.â He snickered.
Crys snorted a laugh, her hand moving from Jakeâs hair to put a firm grip on the manâs chin, locking his eyes with hers. âTake this seriously, Jake.â She warned.
âI always take you seriously.â
âOy, Killer, you in there?â Irvinâs voice called down the hall from the office. The boyâs footsteps drawing near.
âLooks like thatâs your cue, Jakey.â Crys smirked. âOff to save the world and whatever.â
Jake laughed softly under his breath, leaning in and unceremoniously kissing her lips. It caught her off guard and for a split second he thought she might push him away, but she pulled him close instead, her body relaxing into his embrace. Just like that, it was as though Time lost all meaning, and theyâd both been there all along.
âHello?â
The sound of the opening door forced Jake to pull away from Crys, a sigh escaping his nostrils at the awkward silence that lingered in the room.
âIâm interrupting something?â Irvin mumbled sheepishly. âThe barkeep said I could just come up.â
Crys snorted a laugh. âSure he did.â
Irvin looked from Crys to Jake with a curious look in his eyes. âI donât wanna rush you, Killer, but did you ask her? We have to go back soon.â
âNo, Kid, just... give us a couple more minutes... Iâll be right down.â
âKay, sure.â Irvin answered, hurrying out of the office and down the stairs.
âNick must be really curious to send the kid up here like that.â Crys chuckled. âSo, what were you supposed to ask me?â
Jake shook his head, amused at Irvinâs obvious embarrassment, but also a bit annoyed at the interruption. âRight, right... You distracted me.â He snickered. âUhm... My birthdayâs coming up and... I need your help throwing a surprise party.â
âYouâre... Surprising yourself?â Crys laughed. âI donât think thatâs how it works.â
âNooo...â Jake laughed out. âItâs for Ess. You know, we never knew what her birthday was growing up so... I sort of shared mine. I havenât really celebrated my birthday in years, but since we now found each other again... You know... Maybe a party is due.â
âHm... I seee... So weâre doing this for that sister you never once mentioned in all these years weâve known each other.â Crys asked, her tone slightly severe.
âYeah, I know, Iâm sorry about that.â
âPlease, Jakey, I know why you never told me. You know I would have dragged your ass to Newhaven the moment I found out. I still canât get it in my head that if it wasnât for Mageria you might not have ever looked for her.â
âI would have, Crys. I know, I would have. It just happened the way it did, alright?â Jake muttered.
âRemember what you said, back in the desert, when you told me I was hiding, that I was afraid to take action... You told me that itâs stupid to sit around and expect Fate to deliver. That we have to go after what we want. Remember that?â
âI thought about it and I did, in a way, look while I was in Newhaven...â He started, leaning against the desk beside Crys. âWhen I was living there, I looked for her in every person I passed on the street. I told myself I might not know her face, but Iâd know it was her when I saw her... I know her eyes... And I looked. I just... I didnât track her down, because that I didnât have the courage to do, but I did look for her. I did want to see her again. I just... I told myself that since I was dead, she would have been over me, that she was okay without me, that it was better if I didnât...â
Crys reached for Jakeâs hand and give it a comforting squeeze. âI know Jakey.â
âI know I was wrong, that both our lives might have been a lot better if I had found her then, but I was afraid. I knew I wasnât going to be the man Jess and I wanted me to be. The man I told her I would be. I was afraid sheâd... Look at me and... Sheâd be disappointed. Sheâd turn me down. And I know itâs not reasonable, or fair, of me to feel that way, but I did. And I know that she feels that too, that she worries I might one day look at her differently and leave her. That she still fears that now and... I think, I just want to show her that sheâs not alone and that no matter what sheâll never be alone again. Because she doesnât have just me anymore. You know?â
âI know. Weâll just need to make this party extra special then, wonât we?â Crys smiled. âAfter all, sheâs family; yours and mine, and family always deserves the best.â
âExactly.â Jake smiled. âSo youâll help then?â
âOh, you can count me in. Absolutely.â She nodded along to her words. âNow you better be off and I should go back to my recruits... They require a lot of work still.â She kissed his cheek and smirked. âAnd the worldâs not gonna save itself, is it?â
[Otium 17 - Early Evening]
They had made progress. More so, they had become an unit, still Crys couldnât shake the fear that these people were far from prepared for what they might have to face. She wasnât even sure she knew what there was to face in the first place. Idly she paced the training room, walking amongst the pairs of fighters, taking note of the sounds of their footsteps, the clashing of their training weapons, their heart rates, breathing... She was pleased at how they had become more focused, calmer, more precise, but it wasnât enough.
Crys rose her hand and the pairs ceased fighting, standing at attention. She walked to the weapon racks and pulled two short blades, dropping them in the center of the room. âEnough playing with toy swords. One of you, pick those up.â She commanded, drawing her Sai. âCome on.â
No one moved at first. It was clear no one wanted to fight Crys; even less using real blades. It was Irena who made the first move and stepped forth to pick up the swords. âShall we fight, Boss?â The girl asked.
âGive one to your partner, youâre a team, no?â Crys smiled.
âWhat?â Ike muttered, glaring daggers at Irena as he took the sword from her.
âAre you afraid, Ikey?â The girl grinned. âWeâre fighting two against one after all... I promise Iâll protect you?â
âIâm not afraid.â The man snorted. âI just donât appreciate having decisions made for me, alright?â
âIâll take that under consideration next time, Ikey-Wikey.â Irena playfully cooed at the older man.
âA bit late for that now, so why donât you step forward? The sooner we begin the sooner itâll be over.â Crys stated calmly. âDo you think the people who murdered your brother did so fighting with sticks, Ike? If you canât pick up a blade youâll never be able to stand up and fend for yourself. If youâre afraid to bleed a little, then trust me; youâre going to die out there. I donât take kindly to that idea. Iâm your Instructor after all. If you fail, I fail. And I hate failure.â
Ike was momentarily stunned at Crysâ words, his body tensed for a moment, fist clenching around the hilt of the sword, but after a moment it passed and the man nodded calmly to the blind assassinâs words. âYes, Boss.â
----------------
[Ravenâs Nest, Otium 13 - Night]
Luckas was standing by the oak, back resting against the trunk of the tree, eyes fixed at some random spot in the distance he wasnât exactly paying attention to. The afternoon after the eclipse was spent in the forest with Stalker, both hunting and thinking things over. Something was off in what had happened and Luckas had his suspicions as to what that could be. The truth was though, that he didnât want to think about it. After both himself and the wolf had gotten a good deal of exercise Luckas found and shot a small wild boar, dragging the animal back to camp and occupying himself with skinning and gutting the animal; a task made rather difficult by Stalker constantly poking his nose trying to snatch himself some innards or a hunk of meat. It was only after Luke had given in and let the wolf have the boarâs heart that he was able to work in peace. So, as the sun was almost about to set, he rested under the shadows of the tree as the pork roasted over the fire. Heâd not seen Ess since he made off into the forest with Stalker, but he was sure she would turn up soon and didnât think it was necessary to go find her... At least not yet. Besides, even a psychotic stalker can enjoy having a quiet moment to himself from time to time.
âMister Aiden been looking for that, you know.â A curious voice sounded in Lukeâs ears causing him to look around a couple of times in confusion until he caught sight of Lily standing there pointing at the crossbow that lay at his feet.
âYou donât say. Well...â Luckas pushed himself away from the tree and crouched down to the girlâs eye level. âWhen you next see Beast Boy, you can tell him heâs more than welcome to come and get it.â He spoke, smirking deviously at the girl momentarily before standing up and leaning back against the tree. âIsnât it past your bedtime or something, Miss Lily? When the sun goes away... thatâs when the monsters come out of the shadows looking for pretty little girls, much like yourself... And they grind their bones to make bread... Itâs quite tasty, Iâve heard.â
The girl simply chuckled at Luckas, occupying herself with scratching behind Stalkerâs ears, the wolf more than happy with the attention. âJason says thatâs just a story, you canât make bread with bones.â
âNo, but you can try... Maybe no one told the monsters that and thatâs why they keep trying.â Luckas replied with a snicker.
âYouâre silly.â Lily answered, looking up at Luckas and giggling as Stalker whined at her for more scritches.
âHave I not mentioned, Miss Lily? I am quite a gifted fool; everyone always tells me so.â Luckas snickered.
âHave you got any more?â She asked, a bit excitedly.
âMore what?â Luckas asked, sincerely confused by what the girl was referring to exactly.
âStories, silly. Do you know any more?â Lilyâs expression turned into a very accurate impersonation of Mageriaâs severe glare. âYou promised a story if you were still here, remember? And youâre here.â
âAh.â Luckas arched an eyebrow at the girl and nodded. âMost of my stories are not for little girls, Miss Lily. Iâm not sure I have any more to tell, to be honest.â
âWhyyy?â Lily asked, seeming even more curious now. âAre they scary? I wonât be scared, no oneâs checked my bed for monsters in almost a year!â
âAlmost a year, eh?â Luckas asked, amused. âIâm sure you are very brave, little Miss, but I still think itâs best if we save the monster stories for when youâre a bit older.â
âDoesnât have to be a monster story, can be any story.â The girl argued, smiling at Luckas.
âHmm... I donât know...â Luckas mumbled, finding it a bit difficult to just say no to the kid, after all; he did promise. A promise is a promise.
âPleease Mister Luckas... Just one story... Doesnât even have to be a very big story... Can be a really little one.â She insisted, Stalker emitting a few sympathetic whines, staring up at Luckas with his big dark puppy eyes. âYou said you would.â
Luckas ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling up his dark locks a few times as he sighed softly and muttered. âAlright, youâre right, I did promise... One little story, and thatâs it, okay?â
âOkay!â Lily exclaimed, bouncing excitedly and starting to run off. âIâll go tell everyone!â
âWait... Everyone? What...â Luckas mumbled, still scratching the back of his head in confusion as he watched Lily run off to gather all the children.
âSo much for enjoying a quiet moment.â Luckas muttered to himself as all the kids gathered around Essâ campfire, oddly quiet as they sat in a semicircle, facing the oak and staring at him in wait. Lily and Jason were the only kids that had ever been brave enough to interact with Luckas on their own. The others were always sheltered by their little pack. Most of their names Luke had never really bothered to learn. Not only the children, but Puppy, Ward, and a few of the guard had stopped to listen in; seemed as though Lily had really told EVERYONE.
Stalker remained seated at Lukeâs side as he stood against the tree, in the same spot, silently looking around as if in search of something, almost as if he didnât notice there were other people there. This went on for a good while, until some of the kids were already on the last of their restraint and starting to exchange curious whispers amongst themselves. Finally Luckas moved, rather abruptly as if he was snapping out of a trance. âAlright!â He exclaimed, bouncing for a couple of steps and dropping down onto the ground to sit facing the children. âLetâs get this over with, shall we?â He started, picking up a twig that was lying beside him on the ground and calmly waiting while Stalker sniffed his way around the group of children and finally settled down beside him. âFirst some ground rules: Donât interrupt me, if you have questions save them for later, if you get bored or frightened, just get up and leave, if you get thirsty, hungry, sleepy, or need to go pee pee, find someone from the Guard, because Iâm not going to help you with that. Are we clear? Good.â He smiled as the kids nodded their agreement, idly tracing lines on the ground with the twig heâd picked up. âThere are sixteen deities in Valcrest mythology; deities means âGodsâ for those of you who donât know the word, and mythology is a fancy name for âstories about Godsâ. Anywho... There are sixteen Gods, Mother and Father and their fourteen Twins. The Myths are filled with pretty stories that teach important life lessons to little kids and most adults would tell you one of those, but... I think you guys arenât too young to learn a little about Lady Death. Most people still think that the best way to deal with Death is to pretend itâs not out there, and not talk about it unless they have to, but one of my favorite stories when I started reading the myths was about how humans were given the gift of mortality. See, back when the Twins first came to Valcrest and one by one they granted humans their gifts, people had never truly known Death. Even though all her siblings had given gifts, except for Life but weâre not talking about him; thatâs a different story, Death refused to give the humans any gift. She said people werenât ready for what she had to give, that they wouldnât like it, but the humans were greedy and they were curious to know what Deathâs gift was, so they insisted. One young man in particular, letâs call him Lionel, spent a lot of his time attempting to reason with Death and convince her to grant humans her gift. He insisted so much and for so long that one day Death finally gave in and told Lionel to bring his whole family and meet her in this nearby cave at nightfall. Lionel agreed, so as night came he and his family walked to the cave where Death said she would be waiting for them. As soon as they entered they saw Death, and in front of her there was a wooden table, on the table there was an hourglass filled with golden sand. âThis is my giftâ, Death said, pointing at the hourglass. Lionel and his family were confused, they had been given time already. When they questioned Death, the Goddess smirked and explained that time wasnât the gift; the humans had all the time they needed, and the hourglass itself also wasnât the gift. Since they still looked confused she explained that she and Brother Time had crafted that hourglass and that it didnât mark the passing of time like a normal hourglass, but in a way only she herself would understand. Death looked straight into Lionelâs eyes and asked if he was absolutely sure he wanted the gift; she reminded him of all the warnings she had given and repeated that they wouldnât like it. Lionel held Deathâs gaze, and persisted. He wanted the gift. So... Death flipped the hourglass. At first nothing happened, the golden sand stayed in the top half of the hourglass, not a single grain dropped as if Time had frozen still. Then Death smiled and explained that from the moment she had flipped the hourglass, time had become limited for all creatures in Valcrest and every time a grain of the golden sand dropped it meant someoneâs time had run out. Then she told Lionel that he had been given pretty much everything and instead of enjoying what he had he chose to spend his time chasing after yet another gift, not caring what it actually was and that the time he wasted would never come back. That her gift to mankind was to simply make it so everything else they were given was fully appreciated. Her gift to humanity was to allow them to look at the world bearing the knowledge that nothing lasts forever. She then told Lionel that she had asked him to bring his family so that they could pass along the message. When Death finished her explanation, a moment of silence passed and then... The first grain of golden sand dropped, and as it hit the bottom of the hourglass Lionel also dropped, lifeless, to the floor. Death then told Lionelâs family that the hourglass didnât mark the passing of time like a normal hourglass; there was no way to predict when another grain of Golden Sand would drop. From that moment on the human race came to know Death.â Luckas went silent for a moment, smirking slightly as he looked over the children one by one. âA lot of people, over the years, since the Twins left Valcrest have searched the land for Deathâs cave believing that the hourglass is still there. They believed that if they could break it, they could make the human race immortal again.â
Essence had spent most of her day occupied with the normal routines of training. There was nothing really special about her day for the most part. It was when she had been soaking her feet in the river, that she heard the whispers and chatter of the children. Something had peeked their curiosity in a such a way, that their excitement spread amongst them like a common cold. Tala was lying in the tall grass, Beo and Ward rolling around beside her in a playful battle for dominance. Each time one would conquer and tackle the other it never lasted more than a few seconds before the one at a disadvantage, would wiggle away. Eventually the brotherâs rough and chaotic attacks spilled over their mother, Tala seeming barely phased even though they managed to knock her over. Still, the mother wolf just sat there, reacting as if mere flys were buzzing around her head. Occasionally she snapped in the direction of one of her boys, but mostly her ears were perked on alert, listening to the winding down movements of the camp. Ess picked up her feet and stood, grabbing her boots in one hand as someone called to the rusty colored wolf. All three froze, halting their current play before sprinting after the voice. Ess just shrugged and followed from a distance, lazily dragging her feet along the cool shards of grass.
When Essence realized she was being led back to her camp, along with some other men and women of the guard, a mischievous smile traced her lips. Tala and her boys had settled along the tree line where the fire light reached while Ess quietly left her boots beside them and slinked around the shadows to a tree with low branches and shimmied up them. That was when she heard Luckas begin his story. She ever so silently positioned herself adjacent to her Oak tree where she sat along a sturdy branch, dangling her legs so that they were the only thing one could see; the rest of her form hidden in shadow. Ess didnât move while she and the others listened attentively to Luckasâ words on Lady Death and the curious story of the hourglass. She honestly couldnât remember hearing it before. It took her back to the nights she would harass her father for stories of her mother but this was different. Still, a childlike awe was frozen upon her face until the moment Luckas paused, Ess rushing to be the first to ask a question before even the children, startling some below her when discovering her presence.
â...If someone were to break the hourglass, why would that make us immortal again? If each spec of golden sand represents one of us, then wouldnât we all meet Lady Death at the same time? Wouldnât that be like, ending the world?â
âMaybe thatâs why no one has found it.â Lily chimed in.
Essence laughed. âOh really?â
âYes, really!â The girl chimed in, standing tall as she spoke. âMaybe someone hid it so that will never happen.â
Some of the other children began agreeing, chatting among themselves until Jason spoke causing the others to fall silent. â...What is done...can not be..undone...If there are people who think they can change it back, then that is just..crazy.â
Luckas was startled for a moment, his thoughts still in the story and the theme behind it. His first instinct was to look for Ess at the sound of her voice, looking upwards and leaning back so that he was nearly lying down on the ground as he stared, amusement in his expression as her question turned into a little debate. He waited until Jason had spoken and a few moments more before finally speaking his mind, shrugging as he scratched Stalker behind the ears. âThe hourglass is supposed to represent boundaries, Lady. The amount of sand contained inside a glass is something that can be measured, as opposed to the amount of sand contained... Well... Everywhere else. If it canât be counted, itâs technically infinite. Like the stars. So, the belief behind the search for the hourglass is that if you break the glass and scatter the sand, our time on this plane becomes infinite again.â He paused, going into another brief moment of thought before nodding. âJason has a point though, these things canât be undone... Not in the literal sense anyways. And if someone was to believe the myths to be true, several of them mention that something created by the hands of the Gods canât be broken. So even if someone could find the hourglass; if it was actually in a cave somewhere, it couldnât be broken. It would just be a constant reminder that people everywhere are dying.â Luke chuckled, shaking his head. âThen, denial is the first stage of grief for a reason, a great part of humanity has been unable to move on for a very long time.â
Several things went through Essenceâs mind at the same time. Many of which she did not voice as she glanced around at the childrenâs faces, wondering if this was even an appropriate story topic. It was unavoidable though. Death was a part of life. Ess sighed, a grumble of sorts coming from above before she pushed herself off the branch to land just beside Luckasâ feet. â...Like we need a reminder that people are dying..â She breathed, her voice not carrying to where the children sat. Clearing her throat she spoke up this time. âI donât think itâs denial. We see death every day. We eat the deer and the rabbit and they have to die in order for us to live, no? People grow old and pass on.â
âRight...everyone will die one day.â Jason added, wrapping a comforting arm around Lily as her eyes widened at the thought. Ess turned so she was facing the girl, kneeling down to sit beside her. â..For every death...every time a soul leaves this land, another one is born. Another life enters in itâs place. When you grow up Lily, one day, you will have children and I believe, in a way, that is the loophole to mortality. I believe that we carry those lives inside us and pass them down to our children and our childrenâs children and thus, we are still immortalized in a way. In a way, we still live forever. We take the good and the bad; the beauty and ugliness with us, just like stories you read in a book.â Ess paused, smiling at Lily, brushing her bangs from her face. âBut that is just what I belive, Lily. The purpose of this is for you to think of what you believe too. But if you think too much you may never fall asleep, hmm?â Essâ internal voice continued on in her personal rant, her eyes moving past the girl and staring off into empty space. 'Maybe, they are the shadows we love and fear. Maybe those shadows are the souls of generations past...watchingâŠ.waiting. A reminder that they are apart of us and always with us..' Ess was startled out of her mini trance to two tiny arms strangling her in a tight hug, muttering her goodnights as some of the other guardsmen were trying to coax the children to turn in for the evening.
âGood night Miss Ess! You did a real good job of talking about heaven...I think. Where we go after we die to see our family again.â Lily smiled brightly, running over towards Luckas to say her good nights, Ess only realizing what she was doing when she was just out of armâs reach, a surprised expression crossing her face.
Luckas didnât do more than mumble under his breath here and there while Ess spoke. He knew well enough that it wouldnât be very appropriate to speak his mind about some things in front of the kids. So he kept to himself, doodling on the dirt with the stick he still held in his hand for some random reason, his expression seeming a bit confused as he seemed to be thinking hard on what he was hearing. Shaking his head as though arguing with himself Luke stood, wiping the dirt from his pants as he casually checked on the pork that was roasting over the fire. He was turning away from the fire pit when he caught Lily running at him for a hug. Luke stepped back, nearly tripping over the fire, but catching his balance as he held the girl back with a gesture. Crouching down to the girlâs eye level, Luckas smiled and said something to her in a whisper, winking playfully. Whatever he said wiped the confusion from the girlâs face and caused a short burst of giggles. âNight, silly!â Lily exclaimed, ruffling Lukeâs hair and running off to join the other children. Luckas snickered as he watched the kids wander off to retire for the night, his smile fading to a more contemplative expression as he wondered if maybe he should have chosen a different story. Returning to his usual spot by the oak, he sat heaving a small sigh, eyeing Ess curiously as he spoke. âYou know, your speech might have killed the point of my story, but that was probably for the best anyway. I shouldâve probably gone for something more traditional and boring like... pffft... Dragons and knights and whatever... Lily kind of caught me off guard though and I suppose Death is just what comes naturally.â
Essence quirked a brow at Luckas when he managed to thwart Lilyâs attempt at a hug, wondering what he had said to her to make her giggle and run off. Gradually her expression softened to a more defensive, perplexed frown. âI thought it was a good story, Luckas. I thought you made many points in it, but not all I felt like bringing up in front of the kids. At least not Lily.â Ess sighed, turning to stand in search of her boots she had left behind. âIâll stay quiet next time...Hmph..â She groaned, noting that one boot was now missing and when she stepped into the shadows in search for it she found Beoâs snout burrowed deep into the leather. Instead of snapping her fingers or calling his name to grab his attention, Essence casually tip toed around the wolf, tackling Beo from behind, the wolfâs snout falling further into the boot so now it was wedged over his face. Beo whined, rolling over in an attempt to pry the boot from his face. She laughed at the confused yet sweet look in his eyes as she reached over and scratched under his chin before tugging the boot free from her furry friend. âMineâŠâ
Luckas snickered simply as Ess said sheâd stay quiet next time. âWell, I donât really plan on there being a next time, but if there were to be a next time, know that thatâs not what I meant, and if I had meant it like that, I honestly doubt you would actually stay quiet. Personally, I think the point of stories is to say difficult things in a way that kids will understand when they think back on them years later, but if we were to get into what points a story like this brings up theyâd probably handle it better than most adults we know. Thatâs one of the reasons kids annoy me much less than adults do.â Luckas shrugged, standing up from his seat and picking up the crossbow he had left in the ground, disappearing with it in the bushes for a while as he continued. âMiss Lily will grow up eventually, I like the thought of her looking back on this as a nice reminder of a time when stories were just stories and nothing more.â He added, returning to his spot under the shadows of the oak, now empty handed and snickering under his breath as he leaned against the tree. He stood in silence for a moment, once again lost in a moment of thought. âIâm curious though, Lady. How do you see Deathâs gift? From what you said it still seems to me like youâre also trying to find immortality in some way, even if not literal, but maybe I just didnât understand all that well.â
Essence sighed, nodding some as Luckas spoke before turning back to sit by the fire. She stirred the coals as if contemplating to add more wood to the flames. âIs..it wrong of me...to want her to keep her innocence as long as possible?â Ess whispered. â..Until there is a reason to shatter her sweetnessâŠâ She paused, smiling as the wolfs settled down at her feet, resting their heads upon their paws to also stare into the firelight. â..Death is suppose to be a release. It is a blessing, a gift but also a curse. In one light, it ends suffering and pain. In another, it is the central cause of it all. But isnât that what being human is? Living and enduring pain? Itâs a balance. For something to live something else must die. If we were immortal, then those who are trulyâŠâEvil' would be left to roam the land and never stopâŠâ Essence choked, as if something were momentarily stuck in her throat before she continued. â..Which is why those who I have...hunted...do not go easily...They donât deserve that release. Eventually though it becomes apparent that their death is not about how their suffering comes to an end...but sparing someone else that torment.â
Looking up from the flames, the light dancing in her pupils, she stared over a Luckas. âSome days I want that release...some days I fear it. Itâs not even the dying the scares me...Itâs if my death would matter...and I donât know what is more scary. If it were to matter or not. Iâve felt both. One is empty and painful and the other is just agonizing, but not empty.â A sweet smile spread across her lips as she reached down to run her fingers between Talaâs ears. âLike I said...it was a good story, my dear Luckas.â
âI never said you were wrong, Lady, but I think sometimes you mistake innocence with ignorance... I canât blame you, thereâs a very fine line between one and the other that makes it pretty difficult to tell the difference.â Luckas replied calmly, his eyes glancing at his surroundings as he heard movement in the shadows just out of the firelightâs reach, noting that Stalker was nowhere to be seen. âIf I believed I had the right to want anything for those kids, Iâd want them to not look at death as a release from life, or a punishment for people who donât deserve life, or a journey; the end or the beginning of one, doesnât matter. Iâd want them to see death for its actual purpose; which is to make it so our time actually means something. Have you ever thought to yourself, or said the words ânow or neverâ? What meaning would they have if time wasnât an issue? What would it matter what you do today, or tomorrow, if you have countless todays and tomorrows to actually make something of yourself? I think the simplest way to be optimistic is to understand that we are born and we die and everything else in between will either count for something or not depending on our actions. If I were to wish anything for Miss Lily, it would be that. Because that is a view on life that may actually not disappoint her completely once sheâs old enough to notice just how often shit happens.â Luckas sighed and fell silent for a few moments, listening in on the ruffling in the bushes and wondering what Stalker was up to that was making so much noise. âI donât want to die, Lady, now more than ever I donât want to die, but Death by itself will never scare me. Not enough time, not enough said and done, maybe, but not Death. Death is a certainty, Life is doubt; itâs Life that will always scare me most.â As he finished speaking the sound of a low growl caught Lukeâs attention and he spotted Stalker waking into the lit area of the camp, slowly dragging the crossbow Luckas had just taken the time to hide in the woods. âAw, damn it... That wasnât for you to find, Stalker.â Luckas frowned at the wolf, unable to actually hold a severe expression for too long. âThatâs not for you.â He repeated, crouching to poke the wolfâs snout playfully. âNot. For. You.â Turning his attention from the wolf and back to Ess Luckas added. âTell me something, Lady... Do you believe our time together would really be as meaningful if we werenât absolutely certain it will eventually end?â
Ess snorted somewhere in between annoyance and amusement, â...I know plenty of ignoranceâŠâ Her tone carried a bit of bitterness as she thought on those words as if she held personal resentment towards it like it were a person. A subtle ache crept from her belly to her chest, remembering how often she thought of both innocence and ignorance when she use to look at Jake when they were young. Shaking her head she brought her focus back on the present. âMaybe I am not explaining myself in the correct way...I think I agree with you..in many ways. Yet, I am unsure how to answer your question. I donât deny all things come to an end and I donât try to pretend they donât. With that said, I also donât sit here and dwell on how it will end and that is not why I hold certain moments so dear. I feel things are as meaningful as we make them if we had all the time in the world or not. It is true though...people tend to waste less time when they live in the moment and not...for it.â Essâ voice faded as she thought outloud, not purposely trying to hide her words but at the same time not trying to let the world hear her either. â...Maybe thatâs my problem..â Essence stood, leaning towards the boar that was still hoisted over the fire and closed her eyes, breathing deeply the aroma. âNo. I donât think our time together would be less meaningful if we didnât know one day it would end. I do think things are a bit more appreciated, to know it wasnât all a dream..even if it feels like it can be..â Opening her eyes again she smiled. âWhy so interested in what I think, hm? What do you think?â
Luckas nodded as he listened to what Ess had to say although, as usual, he wasnât sure how much of it he actually understood. He didnât think it was worth to keep disagreeing on the matter, because when it came to Death it actually didnât matter. âI already said what I think; death in itself is necessary. If people truly understood its purpose and were actually able to see how precious time actually is I think not nearly as much of it would have been wasted fighting over nothing. And when have I ever been anything less than interested in your opinions, Lady? I usually prefer listening to your opinions than my own... And I canât say that about most people.â
Luckas took a few moments to silently scratch behind Stalkerâs ears. âI donât think anything in life would hold the same meaning if it could last forever. Itâs like saying a loaf of bread has the same value to a nobleman who has never known hunger than to a kid who has to risk his life on the streets for said bread. Sure itâs the same bread, it tastes the same, but itâs worth a hundred times more for someone who knows what itâs like to not see proper food in weeks. Looking back to the story, if that Lionel guy knew that his time was ending, would he have felt it was worth spending chasing after something that may possibly be unpleasant to him? He was warned that he wouldnât like what he would get, he insisted because he believed there was nothing to lose.â
[The Manor, Otium 18 - Early morning]
Luckas groaned as something collided forcefully with his ribs. He rolled around into fetal position and muttered at whatever it was to piss off, only fully waking up with the sharp pain of someoneâs boot striking the middle of his back.
âI said get your ass off the fucking floor!â
Luckas vaguely recognized the male voice, opening one eye to see the redhead boy whoâd accompanied him to the Ball. âFuck off Amber.â
Amber responded by kicking him again. âI can do this all day, fuckface.â
âFine.â Luckas snorted, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck. âGive me a moment.â He groaned, pushing himself up. It had just dawned on him heâd spent the night in the hall outside Samâs door. Her door still closed behind Amberâs back.
âDonât even think about it. Sammyâs resting and you absolutely canât see her.â She silenced Luckas with a dangerous glare before he had the chance to argue. âNo. I donât care what you said, or what you did, Dickhead... Hereâs what I do know; you hurt her. Sheâs hurt. So you donât decide when you see her. You donât camp outside her door. And you donât whine for her to forgive you, you pathetic little shit. Sheâll come to you whenever the fuck sheâs good and ready.â
Luckas flinched at Amberâs behavior. She was serious; one hundred percent serious. Luckas didnât think heâd ever seen her utter more than a sentence without breaking out in giggles. âI...â
âOne more thing, Bitchface... Whatever it is you said; or did, she wouldnât say and I donât want to know... If you do it again... So help me, Iâll destroy everything you hold dear in every single way imaginable and I have a fucking vivid imagination. Iâd probably start off with that little birdie Marcus has caged in the city. See what your Lady thinks of you if I send a Ravenâs head to her with your name on it, Lukey.â
Lukeâs fists clenched so tight his nails sank into his palms, but his voice remained calm as he answered. âThat threat is... Unnecessary.â He muttered.
âOh, I donât think it is.â Amber snorted. âSee, Lukey, Iâm a free spirit... I like to go along with whatever Life throws at me. Iâm not easily affected by things. So believe me when I say; you are far from seeing me angry. Iâm as tolerant of your shit as Sammy is; for the most part. I keep you alive, I protect you from Zeke, all... Well, partly because itâs fun, but for the most part because itâs what she wants. The moment that changes... Youâre gonna have problems like youâve never had before; are we clear?â
âVery.â Luckas muttered.
âGood.â Amber smiled sweetly. âYou have a pretty face, Iâd be sad if I had to tear it off.â
âI donât believe that for a second.â
âLove ya too, Lukey.â
âTell me something.â
âOkay... So this one time, Lizzy and I sneaked into Amaraâs room with a bucket of pig tripe and some rope and...â
âNo... Amber... I have a question!â
âOh. Why didnât you just say that?â She frowned. âWell, your loss. That was a good story.â
Luckas groaned under his breath, starting to walk off towards the opposite end of the hall. âWhy are you and Sammy so close? What are you to her?â
âWho am I? Thatâs an awfully personal question, donât you think, Lukey? I mean, I think if I told you that I might have to kill you... Okay, maybe I wouldnât have to, but I might want to... Are you sure you really want to know?â
âYes, I want to know.â
Amber glared intensely at Luckas, not in anger like before, but in a more inspecting way. âAlright,â she agreed, grabbing Luckas by the front of his shirt and dragging him along to her room, closing the door behind them. âYou can sit anywhere, if youâre brave enough.â
Amberâs room was, for the most part, a mess of empty and half empty vials, assorted blades and suspicious stains. Upon entering Luckas immediately gagged as a pungent smell of rot invaded his senses. âWhat the hell is that stench?â
âHm. Good question.â Amber mumbled, pulling a box from under her bed and rummaging through it. âThe fish are still fresh, so it canât be that. Unless thereâs some leftover from the last batch... Sometimes Seth comes in here and drags one under the bedside table.â
âFis-...â Luckas began to mumble, noting the bucket of fish placed by the door as though that was a perfectly normal place to keep fish. âOf course.â
Amber didnât seem to give the smell any more thought and simply continued searching the box until she pulled out a file bound in leather. âHere.â
âWhat is that?â
âMy file. All Branded have one.â She answered, matter-of-factly as she flipped through it. âI stole mine about two years ago after I remembered some things from before. Sammy let me keep it.â She pulled a sheet of parchment from the middle of it and handed it to Luckas. âRead this.â
I, Amber Jacobson, hereby declare that I have requested and chosen to undergo the process of Imprinting with full understanding that it is a painful, possibly lethal, and irreversible procedure.
I have been fully informed of, and agreed to undergo, the process of âconditioningâ for a period of time seen fit by my handler. I have been fully informed of, and agreed to pledge my allegiance and my Life to, this Brotherhood.
At the end of the note there was the date Amberâs signature.
âNot all of us have had a choice, of course, but those who seek out The Order or request an Imprint, have to write down one of these.â Amber said, taking the document back from Luckas. âYou want to know my story, Lukey? I was born in Newhaven, my mother was a... âservantâ... in the house Sammyâs dear olâ Dad owned there. See that man, he was not one to respect the Brotherhoodâs customs. Once one of the Masterâs children manifests an enlightenment he is not supposed to produce any more. Dear olâ Dad though found it simpler to just get rid of his little buggers once they were out instead of just... preventing them. Thus, I was not supposed to be alive. However, my mother had more than one. And when the executioners came she picked one at random and hid. That was me. My poor little brother didnât quite have my luck. He was crier, and so it would be pointless to hide him. I was snucked out somehow... Bounced around from shit hole to shit hole... As the children of nobodies tend to do... And at age ten I ended up here... in the lower levels, wearing grey.â Amber put her file away and sat on her bed, staring up at Luckas without any trace of any discernible human emotion. âThings happened to me, as you know they do, down there. I toughed it out sometimes... I fought back others... One particular time it got really bad. I already told you this part. I bit back, thought I was gonna die, but I woke in the sick ward and Sammy was there. She says... She says she saw me and she knew. She knew who I was. She said she felt responsible for me.... That she owed me a life. Any life I wanted.â
âAnd this is what you chose?â Luke questioned.
âIn a manner of speaking.â Amber shrugged. âShe asked me what I wanted. Anything. I said I wanted to be someone; anyone, else. She said she could do that, but I needed to be sure. She explained what Imprinting was, what it entailed, that it might kill me. I had nothing better to do with my life. What else would I ask for? Iâm perfectly content to serve the Order Lukey. I was never forced into this. I chose. Good thing I did, because clearly Sammy needs me.â
âSo you and Sammy are...â
âSisters. Yes.â Amber snorted. âNo one knows, not even Zeke, and no one is to know. Needless to say Iâll consider you personally responsible if word gets around.â
âFar from me to let that happen.â Luke said, frowning at her threat. âDo all Branded have files like that?â
âWell... Most do. You and Matthew, however... Iâm afraid not. Sammy destroyed your files while she was trying to hide you from Dad. You were both thoroughly erased from the Orderâs records.â She smirked. âTrust me; I looked.â
âIf your father was Sammyâs father that means...â
âMy blood was tainted; yes. My chances of surviving the imprint were only a little bit above zero and the process was not without risks for her either because of that. As Iâve said before, Sammy saved my life. She says sheâs responsible for me, but not the way I see it. She could have left me to die. I wouldnât have blamed her.â
âDoesnât it affect you then; this illness?â
âNo. The Imprint changes your blood, Luckas. Iâm no longer tainted, and Iâd appreciate it if you never bring that up again.â She muttered.
âFine. Sorry.â Luke chuckled, holding up his hands. âI wonât bring it up again.â
âGood. If you know all you wanted to know, Lukey... Piss off, will ya? I have some fun things to do that in no way involve you.â
Luckas snorted, turning and leaving the room immediately. Once in the hall he took a long deep breath, glancing at Samâs end of the hall, but eventually heading for the stairs. He needed to walk.
--------------
[Desert, Otium 18 - Early Morning]
âWhy do we wear red, little brother?â
Dastan mumbled his answer, his voice muffled by warm sand.
âWhat was that?â
The six year old pushed himself to his hands and knees, repeating his answer as he got back on his feet, wooden sword tightly wrapped by a clenched fist. âWarriors bleed.â
âWarriors bleed.â Tarek repeated. âBut we never let it show.â
Blades sang as they sliced open the air in the arena, steel clashing into living darkness as two mirrored warriors danced around each other in the sand. Every move Dastan made was mirrored by his shadow, and its dark blades posed an impenetrable obstacle for the mercenaryâs relentless strikes.
Despite the fear that had plagued the Crimson Shadowsâ encampment after the Eclipse, some of the bravest younglings had posted themselves around the training area to watch the manâs âsparâ. Most of them had never seen Dastan wield his blades before, theyâd only heard of his skill, and curiosity spoke to them much louder than fear.
The silence echoing through the empty arena, disrupted only by clashing steel, resonated like an eerie melody; one that only Dastan himself truly knew. It echoed in his bones with each strike of his blade, it coursed through his veins with every beat of his heart. It poured out of him with every single drop of sweat and every ragged breath.
âIâm not ready.â Dastan muttered.
âNeither am I,â Vikram answered, âbut itâs important you learn now. No one lives forever, little brother. One day itâll be me in there. Who will free my spirit then, if not you?â
Dastan swallowed hard and nodded to his brotherâs words. âOkay.â
âItâll be alright, just say it after me.â
Dastan stood awkwardly beside his brother as Vikram raised the torch. Lying motionless in the unlit pyre was their eldest brother. Tarek looked asleep if not for the large brown-ish red taint on his shirt. Vikramâs voice was muffled in the back of Dastanâs mind, drowned out by a persistent ringing that filled his ears and head with a dull ache. Even so, he managed to repeat his brotherâs prayer word for word.
Tarek had bled through in the end. Enough for all to see. And Dastan had always remembered his brother for that one advice: warriors bleed. As for hiding it... Sometimes that just wasnât an option.
Dastan stumbled back as his swords struck the shadowâs blades with a bit too much force, the golem mimicking his moves and taking a couple of clumsy steps back. Dastan lowered his swords for a moment, his eyes flickering back to their usual brown before being overtaken with a thick black fog. The shadowâs void features shifted to ones more resembling that of Dastan, dark orbs flickering back at him amidst his clonesâ dark features. Dastan buried his blades into the soft sand, removing both his cape and shirt, spreading his arms to the shadow golem, a smirk crossing his features as he whispered. âIn honor of our fallen Brothers we ignite this flame...â The shadow advanced quickly towards Dastan, dark blades rising as it rushed in his direction. â...That it may consume these now broken vessels and return them to the Earth from which they came...â Dastan twisted his body away as the shadowâs right blade jabbed at his chest, ducking underneath its next attack, pulling one of his blades from the sand and raising it over his head to block yet another strike. âSend these spirits soaring free into Airâs loving embrace...â He continued to mutter as he kicked at the shadowâs knees knocking it off its footing long enough for him to retrieve his second sword and roll to his feet.
âMay their memory linger forever within ours...â His voice sounded louder, a lingering growl underneath his words as he fended off yet another attack. âMay their Fire ever guide us...â He slipped underneath another slash, bringing his right sword upwards towards the shadowâs face, meeting resistance and retaliation from the golem, the shadowâs attacks now quicker and more furious, twice barely missing the mercenaryâs naked chest. âNow and forever...â Dastan stumbled as the shadow broke through his guard and struck him in the face with the hilt of its sword. âUntil the end of our days.â He ended the prayer and regained balance, planting both feet firmly on the ground and rushing into the shadow, blades clashing in a series of furious blows. What had started as a simple exercise had now devolved into a rage-fueled battle, the mercenary dancing with his shadow in a chaotic and brutal display. The fight coming to a sudden end when the shadow managed to sweep kick Dastanâs feet right from under him, burying both its blades into the mercenaryâs chest the moment his back hit the ground.
The Crimson boys yelped in shock and surprise as the shadow stabbed into Dastan and then faded, the man remaining on the ground on his back, motionless. They stared at each other for a moment as if wondering whether to run and get someone or check for themselves whether the man was still alive. Eventually the small group paced towards their fallen leader with hesitant steps, stopping in their tracks as they noticed the man didnât seem wounded in the slightest. One of them dared a step closer and leaned over Dastan, immediately startling as the manâs eyes snapped open, still entirely black.
âBoo.â Dastan whispered, smirking at the younglings. Sending all but one running off immediately. He sat up staring at the one boy who didnât run. âYou kids are not supposed to be out here without a trainer.â
âThere are no trainers left.â The boy shrugged.
Dastan sighed. âTrue, but youâre still not allowed in the training area, for obvious reasons.â He stared up at the boy. âAndrew, isnât it?â
âYessir.â
âYouâre not as impressionable as your friends, I see.â Dastan snickered. âNot sure whether thatâs stupid or smart of you.â
âIâm not sure either.â Andrew said, his eyes scanning Dastan from head to toe. âYouâre not hurt?â
âOf course not, kid.â Dastan laughed, jumping to his feet. âYou donât think Iâm suicidal, do you? Thatâs rather counter-productive... As Indrani would say. No... For now it seems I had the situation entirely under control. The healer girl was right; Iâm not dangerous yet.â
âJackson said someone else caused the eclipse.â Andrew said, his tone slightly questioning.
âThat seems to be the most plausible scenario.â Dastan nodded, beginning to pace in the direction of the encampment.
âAre we going after them?â Andrew asked.
âI am.â Dastan replied.
âAlone? Why?â Andrew argued. âWe all suffered losses, Shaykh.â
âNot alone. There are other people already going after them, I plan to join them.â Dastan put one hand on the boyâs shoulder. âI understand your outrage, kid, but the clan needs to heal and being involved in this only ought to make things worse.â
âI guess.â Andrew sighed. âI just... I wish I could help.â
âYou can help.â Dastan smiled. âMy sister, your mother... All the others... Theyâll need your help. Help them. Donât wait for them to ask, just do it.â
Andrew nodded in agreement. They both walked in silence until they walked past the stables and the kid stopped. âIsnât she supposed to be in bed rest?â
Dastan frowned as he followed Andrewâs gaze to Indrani, leaning against the fence by the horse enclosure. âLike I sad, the girl needs help.â He muttered. âGo on and find your mum, kid. Iâll handle this.â
Dastan parted ways with Andrew and walked over to Indrani, leaning against the fence beside her. âWhat are you doing? Youâre not supposed to be walking around.â
âI talked Jackson into carrying me.â Indrani mumbled, staring off at Mirage and the other horses running around inside the fence. âI was sick of lying around that dusty place. I want to sleep in my tent tonight.â
Dastan was about to argue that Indrani shouldnât be standing either, but stopped himself when he caught the tone of her voice. âWhatâs the matter?â
âNothing.â Indrani muttered.
âCome on now, we both know that when you say ânothingâ it means literally everything.â Dastan argued. âTell me.â
Indrani lowered her head until it was touching the fence, a silent sob shaking her. âI donât want to talk about this with you... Just... Leave it, Dastan.â
Dastan sighed, carefully putting one arm around his sisterâs shoulders and pulling her to him. âI canât leave it... You... Like this.â He whispered.
Indrani sighed, turning to her brother and wrapping her arms around him. âWhy are you never wearing a shirt?â She muttered.
âFor the ladies.â Dastan snickered. âIndi...â
âWhy did no one tell me about Sean sooner?â She mumbled.
âOh...â Dastan sighed. âAnnieâs decision.â
âWhat?â
âWe were only supposed to wait until the fever broke, but... I thought I shouldnât be the one to tell you and... Jackson couldnât seem to find a way to...â He shook his head. âIâm sorry. I should have...â
âDastan, I... Doesnât matter...â
âI hated the guy, but I know how much he meant to you... And I canât shake the feeling that what happened was in part my fault.â
âTwins, Dastan, donât...â Indrani protested, clinging to him as her voice cracked and another wave of sobs overtook her. âDonât... Say that... None of this is your fault!â
âSean was never behind that attack, and, after this... Someoneâs out to hurt me, sis and I feel like Iâve dragged the rest of you down with me. I...â
âDastan... Stop, just... Stop...â She grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him down so his forehead was pressed to hers. âLook at me... I made a lot of mistakes; with you, with Sean, and they are mine to live with. I should never have acted behind your back... I should have given him a chance. I canât take that back and it... Itâs killing me, but... You did nothing wrong. Do you understand me? And if someone is out to hurt you... Heavens save them... Because once Iâm healed I will rip their hearts out. You are my family; my home... I wonât let them take you.â
âRemember...â Dastan started, taking Indraniâs hands in his and slowly lowering them. âWhen you were six years old and you heard that Jackson broke my arm in training? You didnât care that it was an accident, or if he was sorry... You chased him down and beat on him so hard you sprained your wrist...â He chuckled. âYou were always the strong one. Always the fighter.â He kissed Indraniâs forehead and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. âBut this is where I need you to be strong for me. Because this... Is one battle you canât fight.â He paused, his voice failing as he felt his sister sob against him. âI need you here, Indrani. I need you here because one way or another I am coming home. And if... If it comes to that... Who will free my spirit... If not you?â
âDonât say that! Donât...â
âNo one lives forever, little sister. Just promise me youâll be here.â
âDastan...â
âPlease.â He whispered. âI need you to do this for me.â
âI... I promise.â
Dastan silently held Indrani, letting her cry on him for as long as she wanted. Pulling away once her sobbing subsided, calmly wiping at her tears as she stared up at him. âRemember, sis, no matter what happens... I will always love you. And even if I die tomorrow, I will always take care of you. Always. Thatâs a promise.â
---------
[Desert, Otium 18 - Afternoon]
The entirety of the Crimson Shadows; those still apt to wield swords and fight, had gathered near the edge of their territory at the sight of the cloaked teenager. Donovan looked much older than the last time heâd been there; even if it hadnât been all that long ago that heâd tried and failed to strike Crys down in the center of that camp. He was clearly not the only one who remembered that incident.
âWhat do you want here, Wolf?â
Donovan opened his cloak wide and rose his hands; one empty and the other clutching an envelope. âMay I please see your Commander, Jackson? I have a message for her.â
âNo, you may not. I think we can both agree sheâs been through enough.â
âYes, she has, but then so have I.â Doni spoke calmly. âIâve just buried the last of my family, and Sean may not have been the greatest of people, but he was my brother and I will honor his wishes; or die trying.â The young Alpha sighed softly. âIf she tells me to leave, then I will burn this letter and go, but youâll at least allow me to hear it from her.â
Jackson didnât seem very willing to listen, neither did most of the mercenaries around. A handful of Crimson Shadows could still take on a lone Wolf; Doni knew that, but he was standing his ground nonetheless. âCome on, man; weâve all seen more than enough bloodshed lately.â
âJackson... Let the boy through.â Dastan commanded, the Crimson leader emerging from the temple with a heavy travel bag slung across his shoulders, sturdy boots on his feet, and both swords sheathed at his waist.
âYes, Shaykh.â Jackson muttered, turning his back on Donovan without further addressing him, his fellow Crimson follow in his example.
Donovan put his hands down, shaking his head in sincere disappointment at the whole situation. âSuppose I should get used to this kind of reception.â He snorted.
âWhen you have no actions to your name those around you are bound to judge your brotherâs, Little Fletcher.â The man smirked. âItâll not last forever.â
âHopefully not.â Donovan shrugged.
âFor what is worth, I am sorry for your loss, Alpha.â
âAnd I yours Shaykh.â Donovan responded, confused at Dastan addressing him by title.
Dastan snickered when Donovan seemed puzzled at his use of the title. âYour hand.â He indicated the boyâs ring finger, now adorned with two rings; his still unmarked initiation ring and Daniâs Alpha ring. âI thought youâre not supposed to use âem both.â
âWeâre not, but...â Donovan shrugged. âTradition is not to be set in stone, but scribbled in shifting sand.â
Dastan snorted a laugh. âSo it is.âHe replied, briefly patting the boy on the shoulder. âPerhaps youâll bring honor back to your name after all, Lilâ Fletcher.â
âWeâll see.â Donovan smirked.
âWell, if itâs Indrani you want sheâll be where the horses are, or in her tent. I trust you know the way.â
âI do. Thank you, Shaykh.â
âDonât mention it.â Dastan shrugged, walking past the young Alpha and very casually leaving the encampment.
Doni took a moment to observe the fact Dastan was leaving for what seemed like a long while without as much as a word to his brethren, but then figured he was probably taking things out of context. Not like the man to turn his back on anything; Donovan knew that much.
Just as Dastan said, Indrani was stubbornly on her feet, leaning against the fence of the horse enclosure, observing the animals with watchful eyes. Donovan leaned against the fence as well, heaving a long sigh, not knowing what to really say to the woman. âHey,â he mumbled.
âHey, Don. Sorry, I missed the funeral. I was otherwise engaged.â Indrani smirked.
âSo Iâve heard. I donât think you were supposed to be on your feet this soon.â
âYou sound like my brother.â Indrani snickered. âYou can see heâs not exactly won that argument.â
âI do better sounding like your brother than mine.â Donovan mumbled.
âYou shouldnât resent him so much, Doni. Sean loved you, you know that.â Indrani scolded.
âAye, I have no doubts he did.â Donovan sighed. âI suppose I just wish he hadnât left me alone to clean up the mess he started.â
âHm.â Indrani chuckled. âMy clan, our ancestors nearly wiped each other out. Our existence, for generations, has been a mess they created. It has not been an easy one, but we donât resent them, Don, we honor them. It was their mistakes that taught us to be better. Do you understand?â
Donovan heaved a long deep breath, his body relaxing against the wooden fence in the process, his eyes following Indraniâs gaze to the horses. âI guess I do.â
âGood. Itâs important for a leader to never shy away from the past, or their own mistakes, Donovan.â
âHmph... Leader... I donât know why I thought I could do this. Iâm just a kid barely out of training; as everyone so loves to remind me.â
âHave you been challenged yet?â Indrani asked. âIf your clan believes you too weak, or unfit, to lead them, they would want to remove you, no?â
âIâm sure they think that, but no one wants to be Alpha right now, Indrani. Not after Sean.â
âThen you have something the others donât already, no? Youâre crazy enough to want the job.â
Donovan laughed under his breath. âThatâs true.â
âSo there you have it, Alpha.â Indrani smiled, turning to face Donovan with an inspecting gaze. âMy, my, look at you Little Fletcher. Youâve changed since I last saw you. If I didnât know better Iâd never guess this is the same ten year old who kept trying to watch me undress.â
âI... No... That was an accident!â Donovan protested, turning very red in the face.
âYouâre still a terrible liar.â She smirked. âItâs okay, now, Doni. Boys will do that. Growing up here Iâve seen more than my share of âaccidentsâ.â
Donovan frowned, but didnât argue his case any further. âHave you seen or heard of Ari, by any chance?â
âShe hasnât come looking for me, no. Youâre not... Youâre not going to brand her a traitor, are you?â
âNo. Of course not. Iâm the Alpha, I can nullify her oath, but...â
âIf you do that she can never go back.â Indrani sighed. âHow long do you plan to wait for her?â
âWeâre still in mourning. I can give her a month or two. I know... She was very attached to both Sean and Franklin... Losing them both so fast would have taken a large toll on her, but I canât excuse her leaving without a word. Not indefinitely.â
âI understand. If I see her, I will make sure to let you know.â
âIâd appreciate that.â Donovan smiled. âLook, I have... Sean left something for you and I... I wasnât sure on whether or not to deliver it, but figured, best you decide for yourself whether or not you want it.â He mumbled, offering her the envelope.
Indraniâs expression immediately shut when her eyes caught the envelope in Donovanâs hand. âI... Doni... Is it true? What theyâre saying... Did he...?â
âSean didnât kill himself. He wouldnât...â Donovan answered, his eyes darkening as he lowered them to the ground. âMy brother was a lot of things, but he was not that much of a coward. I donât believe it.â
âI donât either.â Indrani nodded, taking the envelope from Donovanâs hands. âI appreciate you bringing me this. I...â She sighed. âI should have given him a chance to speak... Sooner... Before things came to this. The very least I can do is accept his words now.â
âDonât...â Donovan mumbled, reaching out for Indraniâs arm and gripping her wrist for a brief moment. âDonât blame yourself for that. It wasnât your fault, what happened. Sean had done more than enough to warrant your mistrust. He knew that well. Please donât go on thinking you failed him in any way. Thatâs not true.â
Indrani shook her head at Donovanâs words, a sad smile spreading across her features, her golden eyes watering as she stared at sealed envelope she was holding. âI know that, but knowing and accepting are two very different things.â She let her eyes meet his and her smile changed, her gaze more stern. âYou...â She started, grasping his chin. âYouâve grown into a kind man, Doni. I expect you to never let anyone take that from you. Ever. Do you hear me?â
Donovan flinched at her words, nodding his response with an wide-eyed expression.
âGood.â She stated, giving him a brief kiss on the cheek and releasing her grip on his face. âYou run on home now, Little Fletcher. Iâm sure your clan will be missing you at this point.â
Donovan snorted a laugh, but Indrani did have a point that his absence would have been noticed by now. âIâll do that.â The young Alpha turned and began walking away from the fence, stopping after a couple of steps to speak over his shoulder. âOy, Princess... I noticed youâre just a tad bit short on people, so... Donât hesitate to call on me... Should you need any help in the future. What are friends for after all?â
Indrani stifled a laugh at Donovanâs offer. It was kind of him, but at the same time the Wolfpack was hardly in a good enough shape to go running to anyoneâs rescue. She had meant what she said however, Doni seemed to have grown in the Alphaâs shoes rather quickly; whether he realized it or not. There was no doubt in her mind that he would eventually put things back in order.
Indrani breathed deep, holding Seanâs envelope with both hands, and carefully examining the familiar handwriting on the back. She wondered when that letter was written, how long ago, since her friend had refused to see or speak with her after Katelynâs death. Annie had assured her that Sean didnât blame her, but Indrani couldnât quite believe that. After all, sheâd been there right beside Sean when the girl took her final breath. She knew that if she hadnât been, perhaps he could have made it in time to save her. She closed her eyes for a moment as she opened the envelope, feeling her fingers shake as they reached inside for her friendâs letter, unsure whether or not she actually wanted to read it. Eventually though, she opened her eyes and forced herself to look at its contents.
Princess,
Iâve debated writing this letter. Iâve debated it because if youâre reading this, then I am no longer present amongst the living and, as such, my words may come off now as an act of cruelty. If thatâs the case, I am deeply sorry. Still, I thought it best to not leave any pages left unturned in our story. I hope that if this should cause you any pain, that it will not last long and you will inevitably see why I decided this was for the best. Please excuse me if I turn out to be mistaken.
When I was just a kid, on my first day of training, Bastian Rivers looked me in the eyes and asked me who I wanted to be. I didnât know. I only knew who I didnât want to be. I didnât want to be that kid hiding in the woods, frozen by fear. I wanted to be strong on the inside so much more than I wanted to be on the outside. And for the most part, I was. I donât remember being afraid of anything or anyone ever again... Until I met you. The day we met, that first time we fought, was the most frightening moment of my life. Not because I felt my life was in danger, but because that was when I knew.
I knew I loved you then.
Thatâs been my secret ever since. My deepest, darkest, most intimate secret. One I could never share, even with my best friend. It has also been my very worst fear; that one day Iâd look into your eyes and the words would somehow escape me. Because at some point, Indrani, Iâve come to terms with the fact I could never escape my rage, or the man itâd inevitably change me into. I knew that man could never be worth the dirt beneath your feet, no matter how much he loved you. When I made a conscious choice to become a traitor, with that choice came the price of never being worthy of loving you. And I swore to myself that you would never know. That I would never tell you. If not for any other reason, because I knew what kind of a coward this made me.
I told myself day after day that I didnât regret anything. I knew I was lying. I regret the path Iâve chosen. I regret it because it meant I could never choose you. For a while I could convince myself that sacrifice was worth it, but it wasnât. It wasnât. In many ways I knew it from the start, but it never became more painfully clear than when you said I was dead to you.
If not for Katie, I would have let you kill me, because it was my fault it all came to that. It was my fault because I kept that secret. And you never knew that I would rather die than see you hurt. That I would let a blade through my heart to keep you safe or make you happy. It was my decision to keep you in the dark, to let you doubt my feelings for you, because the truth felt so much more painful to me than that. It wasnât fair to make you live with it as well.
Iâm only writing this now because I was afraid youâd feel guilty. I canât bear the thought of you thinking youâve somehow failed me. Thinking that I somehow blame you. Because that couldnât be farther from the truth. And I owe you the truth, Princess, even though now itâs practically worthless.
I donât know what fate awaits me, or through which circumstances youâll find yourself reading this letter. The future is always uncertain apart from the very end and I feel mine is considerably near. I am not afraid. I am no longer angry. Whatever happens, Iâve already accepted. After all, in the end, we all must pay for what harm weâve caused and Iâve caused more than just my share.
There are too many things I wish I could have said, things Iâll never get to say, and perhaps things would have been different; much different, if only I had been entirely honest from the very beginning. And Iâm sorry, Princess. Words cannot express how deeply I regret not being man enough to look you in the eyes and tell you all of this. That I kept this secret under lock and key; that I buried it with me in the end.
Iâm sorry that I didnât have the courage to accept when you offered to take me home with you, that I didnât have it in me to turn my back on this when you asked. Iâm sorry I wasnât strong enough to show you how much you matter to me, how beautiful and how amazing I believe you are. Iâm sorry I never kissed you. Because there wasnât one day, from the moment we met, when I didnât wish I had.
Iâm sorry I never said that I love you. That I always have. That I always will. And even though I never have been able to forgive myself, Princess, I only hope that, somehow, you will. Because even now, your forgiveness means the world to me.
However, I wonât ask that you forgive me. The only thing I ask is that when my death no longer feels so painful, in a time when these words wonât cut quite as deep as I imagine they do now, that youâll remember me for one thing, and one thing only, Princess:
Remember me as someone who loved you. Because in the end, thatâs the only part of me still truly worth something.
Farewell, Princess.
-Sean
âSean... Wh-...â Indrani mumbled under her breath. Her sight was so blurred she could barely read her friendâs signature, the shock and confusion masking the fact she been crying profusely onto the sheet of parchment and for a brief moment she was unable to understand why it was so hard to breathe. Sean was right; she never knew. She never saw it, although, now; looking back on their time together, she could. It was there. It had always been there from day one.
âOf all the stupid... Things... Youâve done...â She muttered, glaring at his words. âWhat made you think this was your choice to begin with? You stubborn, idiot... Piece of shit... Why... You selfish BASTARD! YOU COULD HAVE LET ME HELP YOU! I could... Have...â Indraniâs voice cracked and her knees gave out on her. When some of her fellow Crimson came running in response to her shouting they found their Commander curled up in the sand, sobbing like a child. Something none of them had ever seen her do; not even as a child. The men stood there for about half a minute before simply walking away, afraid to say or do anything to cause the woman any more distress. No one short of Dastan himself had ever been able to calm Indrani, and they knew better than to try and change that now, knowing that the man was halfway across Valcrest.
It took some time, but eventually Indrani managed to stop crying, her golden eyes bloodshot as she reread her friendâs letter word by word. Sean had gotten one thing right; she no longer felt guilt, but now she was angry beyond all belief. âStupid, selfish, brat... You inconsiderate son of a bitch... Thoughtless jerk...â She sneered, crumpling the letter within a clenched fist. âWhat right did you have to decide...â She stopped herself, breathing in deep and making to sure to not cry anymore. âIt wasnât too late Sean... You should have given me a chance to show you... What right did you have to give up on me? How am I supposed to forgive that? How am I supposed to...â She snorted, running her fingers through her hair, a bit of laughter escaping under her breath. âFucking moron... Why would you do this yourself? To me. Things could have been different.â
The Wolfpack Camp
Only a couple more minutes. That was all the time he needed. Ella's bed marinated in her blood as she bled from everywhere. The smell of deathâsomething Lazurus was far too familiar withâwas palpable. He just needed to hold onto the guards for a moment longer. Just a moment. He looked down at Ella's hands. The skin was greying. He worried that he might have over spent himself. Would be be able to get out of bed? He was going to have to.
He took deep breaths preparing for the moment that he'd have to lit himself out of bed. It quite possibly, was going to be one of the more difficult moments in his life. It was pathetic in a way. The fact that simply lifting himself out of bed, something he'd done so many times in his life, was now a challenge.
The sound of footsteps started to grow from the hallway. The guards were coming to relieve the others from their post.
Lazurus took a deep breath and lifted himself into a seated position and waited for the commanding officer on the other side to knock. The officer, however, didn't bother to knock this time. This was a change in the procedure, probably due to lack of attentiveness more than anything. This was perfect. The officer walked through the door and told the guards standing guard already that they were to be relieved. The three guards on duty, didn't heed the command. Instead, they withdrew their swords; each attacking their counterpart before they even had a chance to properly react.
At that moment, a clank of armour rang through the hallway as all three men fell. That was soon followed by the fallen armour of the three guards who had attacked their revealing forces. With that, Lazurus let out a huge sigh and collapsed back into bed. A million tons had just been lifted off Ella's shoulder. Soon, the bleeding stopped and he knew that he was going to recover from this.
Lazurus took a moment to take in his situation. To really see how well he would be able to move. He tested his arms. They were heavy and he felt weak, but he could still move them. Then his hands and fingers. While his fingers were useless, unable to move as if they were a rusted metal joint on a plate of armour. He still had a slight amount of dexterity left in his wrists, but hardly any. The same applied to his legs and feet. He was going to be able to walk, but it was going to be a struggle.
Slowly he shifted out of the bed. His arms, merely used to attempt to make sure he landed feet first. He slid down like a snake until his butt gently sat itself of the cold stone floor. From this position, he attempted to leverage his arms on the floor to push himself up to his feet. This didn't work too well and with the swollen stomach that Ella had developed, he wasn't exactly weighted in a way that would help him get up from a seated position. He changed tactics, opting to get himself into a kneeling position, facing the bed. He lifted his arms, and with a muffled slap, they hit the bed. He used his arms as his anchoring point and lifted, rolling over his toes and onto his feet. From there, the struggle of just lifting his body with merely his weakened legs was enough for him to let out a grunt. He jumped a little at the sound of his voice. Even after six months, he wasn't quite used to the girl's voice that he had adopted.
Lazurus trudged through the room and to the doorway, only poking his head out to see if anyone else was near by. As he suspected, there was no one. It was time to make his escape.
``````
In the city's lower district, Dominic, Rick and Simon were held up in a small house. Its size compared to houses in the nicer districts in the city made the house look more like a tool shed of sorts, but this modest place was once home to a small family before they were slaughter in a vicious riot that broke out in the city a month ago. Since then, Dominic had been using it as his own little house when he wanted to get out of the castle for a day. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
A knock at the door distracted Dominic from Rick, who was sleeping on the overused cot in the corner of the room. He slowly opened the door, making sure not to place his head directly out the crack as to avoid any blades from getting him by surprise. On the other side, however, he only saw the face of Peter, a Black Guard. How he knew to find Dominic in a small shack in the lower district was beyond him. Dominic stepped through the door and shut it quietly behind him.
âWhat are you doing here, Peter?â
âI've come with a message. Jake has come into town. He's come to relieve you of your duties. Wouldn't say much more about it, but he doesn't sound too happy about it.â
Dominic rolled his eyes, although he couldn't blame Jake. âThank you.â
âHe's coming now?â Simon asked as Dominic entered the shack again.Â
âHow did you hear that?â Dominic asked in shock. Dominic instantly regretted his decision to ask the question. It was an admission without actually saying it plain.Â
âI'm not deaf and the two of you speak louder than a drunken spy slurring out restricted information at a bar.â
âYes,â Dominic sighed, âhe's coming.âÂ
Simon didn't say anything else to Dominic. While Dominic didn't know what else he was expecting the man to say, he did expect him to ask more questions. While Dominic didn't enjoy the silence as much as his friend there, he wasn't going to bother lest he wanted to be belittled some more. Instead, Dominic stepped outside of the shack again and waited for Jake to come by.Â
In the meantime, he had the pleasure of watching two cats hiss at each other over territory. The grey tabby cat had walked into the orange cat's territory. Orange took note and instantly puffed up, hissing and showing off it's cheek muscles. A cat's cheeks was typically a good indication of how tough the cat was. Usually the cat with the larger cheeks would win a fight if it came to it.
Unfortunately for Orange, Tabby was a little bigger than him. Orange, however, was not going to give up its territory to a slightly larger cat. Orange could still take Tabby on in a fair fight. Dominic decided that he didn't want to see any more fighting. He'd seen enough for a lifetime and was sure he'd see more before his Death. He threw a rock at Tabby and he ran off.
Jake and Sophie had spent about half an hour sitting in Essâ former house and talking about the people who had stopped by looking for her. It struck Jake as amusing that this was the first time he was ever in his sisterâs house and she had long since moved. One of the âvisitorsâ Sophie mentioned Jake had already heard of through Sheila. Heâd tracked the guy pretty easily and come to the conclusion he was harmless. The others acted too harmless for Jakeâs liking and while none matched the description of the man named Hector, Jake had a gut feeling they were connected to him somehow. He warned Sophie to watch out for herself, and Bran, around those types, his warning met with glare that clearly meant âwhat, do you think Iâm dumb?â. He chuckled and said nothing more on the subject. They parted ways on the street, Sophie heading to the castle and Jake towards his former home. One last stop before starting on his new mission.
He knocked on the door a certain number of times and waited. One of the assassins opened the door with a smile that clearly indicated he was expecting someone specific. âOh, Jake,â the man mumbled, smile fading slowly, âcan I help you with something?â
âExpecting someone Travis?â Jake snickered. âI need someone to send along a message to Crys. She should be back in Blackpond by now.â
âI thought it was Allison. She was supposed to be back today. Is she staying in the desert? Lowell said... It was bad?â
âI donât know where Aliâs headed, but she was waiting for Crys to decide, so maybe she left a bit late,â he told the man. âSo... Travis... Message... Can you send it for me? It need to go out today.â
âUhm, sure. What should I tell her?â
âTell her I need Kaya back at the Nest as soon as possible. Everything is fine, I just need her for an assignment.â
âWill do.â
Tell Ali to be safe, when she gets here, okay?â
The man half smile. âSure, man.â
Travis was halfway through closing the door when he opened it again. âOh, Jake! One of your knight buddies was around here earlier... He had this other guy with him... They went that way, if itâs relevant.â
âAh, great.â Jake snorted, seeming less than pleased with the information really. âThanks, Travis.â
The door closed and Jake headed in the direction the assassin had pointed him. As he turned a corner a tabby cat ran at full speed in his direction and slipped between his legs, almost tripping him over. âWhat the hell!â Jake muttered, looking over his shoulder as the tabby disappeared behind a pile of rubbish near one of the houses. âCrazy cat.â
A few steps into the street and he spotted Dominic, the man was the only person standing the empty street. âVery inconspicuous, gotta give him that,â Jake smirked. Of course Dominic was a big guy, it wouldnât be hard to spot in a crowded street, but standing there alone made him stand out even more.
Jake rose his hand in a half-hearted wave as he approached the Knight. Stopping before the man and spreading his arms as though greeting a long lost friend; which Dominic wasnât. âSir Dominic. How delightful to see you again...â He spoke, with a laugh underneath his words, taking a playful bow as if mocking the very concept of civilized greetings. It wasnât that Jake didnât like the man, but something about Dominic just made him want to tease the man. Probably still a lingering effect of their very first meeting. âFunny how we almost never meet when you donât have a Blackpond rat clinging to your shadow, isnât it?â Jake had been all laughs and mischief with Sophie, but the bitterness had returned to him the moment he put one single thought to what he was asked to do. He had to remind himself who and why he was doing it for and even so he couldnât make it disappear completely. âIâm not happy, and I truly see no point in this, but Captain asked that I think your little buddy off your hands and keep him alive... for now... So take him I shall...â Jakeâs eyes seemed to turn to ice for a brief moment, but it faded. The young man breathed a sigh and put his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxing as we as his tone. âI have to ask; have you heard of all the deaths? In the forest... In the desert? I told the Captain little over an hour ago, but I know these things spread fast.â
Jake came down the road in his typical fashion. Even with no one in the streets, his demeanour implied that he was ready to go into hiding at a moments notice, almost like a skittish mouse. His words struck more like a snake. Each jab came out with a venomous edge; none that were lethal, but all of them with the intention to hurt. None of them hurt Dominic, not really. He understood that Jake had issues controlling his emotions, especially when he was forced into doing things he didn't want to do. He could only imagine that Jake didn't want to babysit.Â
Then Jake's tone shifted and he spoke of deaths. âWhat deaths?â
Jake smiled at Dominicâs question. âAh. So the guard I sent after you hadnât been listening in on my talk with the Captain... Thatâs good to know. Iâm sure youâll get the details in the castle somewhere, so to cut things short here: The Wolfpack lost its Alpha, and the Crimson Shadows lost well... almost its entire ranks. I was recently there watching the corpses being prepared for the pyre, the most friends I lost in a day. Valcrest is just a gift that keeps on giving, ainât it?â Jake snorted. âAnything relevant I need to know about this Blackpond guy before I take him off your hands, Dom? If not, just hand him over so I can be on my way. I donât think Iâve ever been more eager to leave this city than today.â
No wonder he's on edge. Dominic thought as Jake quickly briefed him on the recent events to the west. An ally to the Black Knights and likely to Newhaven was nearly wiped out of existence and the mad Alpha of the Wolves was no longer. It was hard to say what was to happen to the Wolf Pack now that it lost its third leader in less than a decade, but no new or strong leaders were left of them. As for the Crimson, it was hard to say as well. Without knowing the true state of their losses, Dominic could only be left to speculate.Â
âNothing to be said about these Blackpond folk except for the fact that the one is insane and the mute's a ripe old prick.â Dominic snorted.
âThat's no way to talk about me.â The thoughts of Simon intruded him. Dominic turned around to see Simon standing at the door, waving with a smile plastered across his face.
âCan he hear you?â Dominic asked, motioning to Jake.
âNow he can. Nice to speak to you again Jake. Hopefully you do a little less of it or at least say something intelligent. Dom here is insufferable.â
âHave fun.â Dominic said, smiling as he walked down the street the way Jake had come.
Jake was less than pleased to have someoneâs voice in his head, but he had been warned of this guyâs inability to speak normally, so he'd have to excuse it. He waited for Dominic to leave before addressing Simon. âI have more interest in speaking to my horse than you. Likewise Iâd much rather not hear a peep from you in my head unless itâs necessary. I honestly donât know what you want, seeing as you could break your idiot King from prison on your own without having to show your face; hell, a Wolfpack recruit could have pulled that off in the state Newhaven's in, but Iâm quite frankly past the point of caring for what you people want or what youâre planning... Iâm just going to play along until you give me a good enough excuse to kill you.â
Gesturing towards the opposite direction Dominic had wandered off to, Jake urged Simon to walk in front of him. âIâm not stationed here, so weâre leaving the city.â He informed, not sure whether or not Dominic had mentioned, or was even aware of that. Afterwards he fell completely silent.
Simon was a little displeased to find himself leaving Newhaven so early. He'd just gotten there and intended on finding what he was looking for before leaving. The misfortune of fate brought him to this. He was no longer in control of where he ended up now that he was being hauled around by a Black Knight. Especially not Jake Turner. Of all the Black Knights, Jake wasn't one to be pushed around. Even Simon could find a way to sway Mageria to do things for him. She was smart to get Jake to take care of him. A miscalculation on his part.
Simon pushed up ahead of Jake, but didn't move for a moment. âCome along, Rick.â He turned around to look at the shack that he was staying at. He didn't say anything to Jake and just waited. A minute passed before Rick sluggishly passed through the door. Simon was sure that Jake probably wasn't pleased to see the sickly King. It would slow down travel for sure and Jake seemed to be in a rush to get out of the city.
With Jake behind them, the two started walking. Simon supposed that he was probably headed towards the front gate, so he went along. Rick's paced slowed them down, but it was no real issue. In fact, the longer he was in the city, the better. Not only did it allow him just a little more time to get his work done, but it also allowed him protection. Being around a Black Knight was good protection, but as long as he was in the city, he hadn't found the item he was looking for, which meant that neither had Vorso. The minute he left the city would be the minute Vorso would strike. At least, that's what he expected.
With immediacy in his stance, Rick perked up. Simon was surprised by this change in his demeanour, but he knew what that meant. After a period of lethargic stupor, Rick was back into his stage of enthusiastic work. There was no stopping him now, which meant Jake and Rick went where he went. Simon stopped ad turned to Jake. âI go where he goes. So you can either do your duty and follow me or you can abandon your obligations... or, I suppose, you could try and kill us. Either way, I'll be over here.â He pointed towards the street that Rick was hurriedly walking down and turned to walk that way. Jake would either follow him or there would be a fight. Simon just continued to walk, hoping it would be the former.
Simon followed Rick right to the street where the infamous Wolf Inn was. And was the Inn ever busy. People coming in and out of the place in a constant stream. Old ad young, rich and poor, drunk and drunker. All forms of life were about the Inn. It seemed that this was where Rick was headed. Simon followed closely behind him, hand softly pressed against the dagger sitting against his pant leg.
Jake was beyond displeased at the sight of Rick, but he managed to not act on his urge to just kill the man where he stood. He had not forgotten the situation at the Ball in the slightest, nor would he ever. It didnât matter if the guy was messed up in the head, sick, or whatever else. His eyes on Crys that day marked him a dead man the moment Jake had a say in the matter. At the moment he didnât however, so when the bastard started to stray from the path he was so eager to take and Simon declared he would follow, Jake complied. It wasnât duty; and if Simon expected to play that card often he was in for a surprise, but Jake did remind himself that Mageria trusted him, and if anything he owed her the same no matter how strongly he disagreed.
Jake was yet to draw a weapon, but he slid a black needle into his hand the moment he caught sight of Rickâs destination, the thin metal poking out between his index and his middle fingers. Why was it open? The Alpha was dead, the clan was in mourning... Sheila was in the encampment; he saw her there. The Inn should be sealed and Jake couldnât find a reasonable explanation for why it wasnât. Rick seemed relentless in his intent to go there however. The man was barely responsive moments ago, but now he was on a mission; and Jake could guess why. He could very well guess now why Simon wanted him free and what he was after. What he didnât understand was his need of Newhaven for this. Simon could have rescued Rick on his own; why was Jake needed? All things considered, and for the time being, he decided he wasnât going to worry, or act. He was just going to follow the crazed assassin and his mute companion and see where that would lead.
Simon knew that this was it. Nearly half a year of his life had been spent on this exact moment. All his efforts in tracking and hiding from people he once called allies. It had all come down to what was inside the Inn. Simon didn't question how Rick knew where to go. He didn't for a moment want to enter his mind to find out. He just summed it up to the complexity of a mad man's mind.
Jake was clearly intrigued by the Inn, just as much as Simon had been. If what Jake had said to Dominic was true, the Wolfpack should have closed the Inn and left it vacant. Some townspeople must have discovered that the assassins who usually attended the camp were gone. They must have decided to ransack the place and enjoy themselves some good fun without cash or consequence. This meant that it would probably be easily to discreetly walk in and out of the inn without much issue. Simon let in a big breath and then followed Rick through the doors into the Inn.
The Inn was filled with characters doing exactly as he had expected. People over drinking, gambling and singing songs. Overall they were eccentric and rowdy ad nauseam. There was even an old man in the corner, distributing what appeared to be weapons from a rather large box. Intrigued, by this, Simon took a seat at a nearby stool while Rick went around to a back room in search of what he was after.
It appeared to be a tournament. Two men would blindly pick a weapon out of the large box. Simon had heard rumours of a lost and found box full of different weapons owned by the Wolves at the Inn, but he took the rumours as merely a funny tale. The first men drew out a poorly crafted longsword. It looked more like a toy than a sword. Simon doubted that it could be used to kill. The next person grabbed an arrow. The crowd laughed as the man looked at his weapon with confusion.
âGood, good!â The old tournament master shouted out with a hearty chuckle. âNow these two will use their weapons in a fight to see who can first draw blood from their opponent. The man who is able to draw blood from their opponent is the victor!â
The crowd cheered again in anticipation for the fight. A small box had been created in the centre of the room with a barricade of chairs. A few kids, attempting to get a good view of the fight straddled the chairs, leaning over the barrier. Much to the displeasure of some older patrons who were attempting to keep them a safe distance from the fighting.
The two men stepped into the makeshift arena and took their stance on either side of the room. The crowd cheered for the man with the arrow. People loved a good underdog. In confidence, he lifted the arrow above his head and the crowd roared even louder. Then a few screams. The other man with the longsword had taken this moment to charge Arrow Man. He noticed just in time to back away, smashing right into a chair as he stumbled over. Arrow man, in desperation threw the arrow in Longsword's direction, but he missed entirely and the arrow flew out of the ring. Without a weapon, Arrow Man was helpless, so he jumped out of the ring, disqualifying himself from the tournament before Longsword could cut him.
The crowd, who only moments before were cheering, booed for Arrow Man. Throwing their drinks at him and finally running him out of the bar.
âOkay! We have one more spot left in the first round of this tournament! Would two more challengers please step up to grab a weapon!â The tournament master said.
Simon perked up when he heard this. Rick was busy doing the work, so Simon decided that it would be fine for him to take a break from searching and just have a good bout with some commoner. Maybe he'd even win some coin from this. Simon stood up and the tournament master shouted. âIt looks like we have a contestant. Come on down and pick a weapon from the box.â
Simon went to the box. The man blindfolded him and told him to just reach in and grab something. While it didn't seem entirely safe to blindly grab into a box full of sharp objects, he did so anyways. He felt a rather ornate handle and instantly grabbed it. He knew that a weapon with such a nice handle would be crafted by a noble blacksmith. This wasn't a weapon that was made for a poor man. This was a good weapon. He lifted his hand out of the box with the weapon in hand. The man untied the blindfold and allowed Simon to get a good look at his weapon.
He didn't react at first to the dagger. An incredibly sharp, steel blade, affixed to a blue and red handle, lined with white gold. It was an impressively crafted dagger to say the least, but that wasn't what made Simon's eyes widen. He looked up to see if Jake had noticed then smirked.
âDon't make a scene out of this, Jake.â He transfered his thoughts to him. âImagine the Wolfpack's reaction to a rumour about you killing a man over a dagger in their own establishment. It might beg the Wolves to ask some questions and start investigations.â
The Inn was in total chaos. It was obvious someone had broken in and opened up the place to the public. Jake wondered briefly how much coin the Pack would lose because of this. Under different circumstances he would have emptied those idiotsâ pockets and kicked them out the door, if only for Sheilaâs sake, but this time he couldnât afford to draw that type of attention. Rick rushed to the back and Jake leaned against the bar. He was sure Simon wouldnât let the maniac disappear on him, the telepath didnât seemed concerned to let the man out of his sight and Jake was happy to not have to look at him anymore. He was very unimpressed and uninterested with the little tournament the âpatronsâ had going on; it was clumsy fighting at best. Heâd had more fun watching Darren and Aiden punch each other. Jake poured himself a drink, thinking to himself heâd pay for it once Sheila came back; that if she did, and drank it all in one gulp, grimacing as the liquor burned its way down. He refilled his glass while watching Simon approach the weapon box and emptied it at once again.
It was only when Jake saw what Simon got out of the box that he actually paid attention to the man. His eyes caught the dagger and he tensed. A man that had been standing near him started to step forward as if to challenge Simon, but Jake pulled him back by the collar. The man turned to Jake as if he meant to pick a fight but recognized the black feathers hanging from his belt and recoiled. Jake walked to the old man running the tournament and allowed him to blindfold him for the weapon draw. He gripped a hilt that felt somewhat familiar and drew a blade that was in between a long dagger and short sword in length. It looked well preserved and sharp enough for this. Jake smiled although his eyes were cold staring at Simon. He didnât speak his reply to the man, but simply thought it. âSimon... Have you forgotten me? I wandered into Blackpondâs Castle and kicked down the Kingâs door. Are you really willing to bet your life on my fear of a leaderless pack of Wolves?â
Jake and Simon stepped into the makeshift ring and there was immediate tension in the air. To the drunken idiots surrounding the two men, nothing odd was going on other than two strangers fighting each other for sport. This wasnât sport for Jake; someone was going to die in that ring if it was up to him. Jake felt the weight of his borrowed sword for a few seconds before making the first move and slashing at Simonâs chest, the man quickly dodging and countering as if it was nothing. It was nothing. Jake caught a glimpse of the daggerâs blade and close it had been to his body as he twisted his torso away from it, and knowing what it was threw off his balance. The back of his knees hit the barrier of chairs that formed the ring and for a split second Jake remembered Perry; the look in the manâs eyes holding that blade and rambling about his pursuit of power. He steadied before Simon could take advantage, catching the manâs attack with his own sword and throwing a punch at his face. It hit. Jake allowed Simon to recover, or so it looked; he was actually regaining his own composure instead.
To the laymen in the audience, watching the fight, Jake looked to have the upper hand. He held a sword while Simon held a dagger, and Jake had made the first punch. However, that first punch meant next to nothing as it didn't leave either fighters at an advantage. Jake's punch was far more likely out of desperation. They layman would be right that Simon was at a disadvantage though, but not for the reasons that they believed. Simon's disadvantage came about in his intent. Jake had the intent to kill while Simon merely had the intent to force Jake to concede. This left Simon with far fewer courses of action than Jake and it left him a little worried.
Simon came in with the next attack with a ferocity that his first attack didn't have. He hacked and slashed with the dagger, only ever making contact with his opponent's blade, but forcing Jake backwards. Simon wasn't giving Jake an ounce of space to fight. That is where the dagger had its advantage to the sword, especially in the closer quarters of the fighting ring. Limiting Jake's range of motion completely took away his range advantage as well as undermining his abilities to make any offensive swings back.
Simon had nearly backed Jake into the corner of the arena again. Simon doubled his efforts, attacking with twice the furry he had before, hoping to catch Jake off balance. Simon's furious attacks quickly stopped when something caught his wrist. Simon quickly grabbed Jake's wrist in retaliation. The two locked blades and held each others wrists. Sweat beating down their foreheads as they locked eyes. The crowds roar was merely a whisper in Simon's ear as he anticipated Jake's next move.
Jake pushed Simon backwards and again, the two opponents took a moment to get their footing. Jake's attack came first this time. Jake took the attack to Simon's legs, which left Jake open to any attacks from above the waist, but only if Simon had the reach, which his dagger left him short. Much to Simon's surprise, he reacted by diving towards Jake and tackling him to the ground.
Screams were heard in the audience as Jake's sword clamoured to the floor just outside the arena. Jake was now without a sword, which meant that the competition would be over soon. All Simon had to do was draw blood and they would put the fight to an end before it escalated any further. The two rolled on the floor, grappling and pushing until Simon found himself straddled over top of Jake. Jake Threw his hands up in defence. Simon looked for the opening and threw a punch just around his hands, connecting just below Jake's right eye. Simon then attempted to press his dagger against the boy's cheek to draw first blood, but Jake threw up his hand and grabbed Simon by the forearm. Simon grabbed the hilt of the dagger with both hands and pressed down as hard as he could while Jake did the same from the other end. Now it turned into a battle of will. Both men were about equal in strength and it was just down to the first person to concede. In Jake's eyes, he saw someone with the will of a true killer. Something that Simon didn't have. He was going to lose the battle of wills... unless.
Simon closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened, they were shining a seafoam green. Jake's eyes grew wider as he realized what this meant, but by then, it was too late. It wasn't hard for Simon to find Jake's mind. A clear mind was hard to find, but for one that was attempting to keep in control and maintain his will, Jake's mind was like an open book.
âHi Jake. You can't talk back to me right now. I'm not going to allow it, but that's fine. Just sit back and enjoy the carriage ride I'm about to take you on.â
Jake's mind looked like a sea of colours. It was a painter's cleaning bowl after a long day's work where watered down paint swished and swirled around to make winding streaks in the water. These colours swam viciously through the expanse as Jake pushed the unmoving object, which was Simon, out of his mind. The colours, however, abruptly stilled themselves and, with a little resistance, flowed into the expanse, creating a world around which Simon could create the thoughts. It started out as a few stone pillars and some grass, but quickly grew into a large meadow with tents and old stone buildings covering up some of the empty space. Next, people started to flow out of the tents and structures; more people than what should have reasonably fit. Jake would never notice. Neither, would he notice the fact that he wasn't actually experiencing any of this from the first person, but rather, from just above the whole scene. Each face was a person familiar to Jake. Not all of them should have been in this mock Blackhurst camp, but each of them wore the garbs of the White Shadow either way. The one thing that Simon let slip was making Crystal one of those people in the garb. Hopefully Jake didn't notice or the plan would be ruined entirely. He moved Crystal into one of the tents to disconnect the thought all together. Then, out of the same tent came Lena, who walked towards Jake, at least Jake's image of himself. It always amused Simon to see what people's image of themselves were. It was never what they actually looked like. It could be better or it could be worse, but it was never true to reality. In Jake's case, it was worse.
Jake handed Lena the dagger, which seemed to just appear in his hand. Lena nodded happily and then threw the dagger into a fire, where it burned up and turned to smoke.
Hopefully, this would be enough. A suggestion that the dagger no longer existed could be the thing to break Jake's will and allow Simon to finish the fight. Simon snapped back into reality. The look of shock that Simon had left seeing Jake's face in was now gone and it appeared to Simon that it did in fact work. Slowly, Simon was getting the edge. The dagger carefully made its way towards Jake's face. But the trick ore off too quickly. Jake noticed the dagger and realized that it wasn't in fact destroyed. He had been tricked.
This time, Jake put all his strength into pulling the dagger to his left. This threw Simon completely off from on top of Jake and rolling across the floor.
Simon jumped to his feet and looked around the arena. Jake was now gone. He looked above him to see if he was hanging from a rafter. Nothing. He wouldn't have fled, so he had to be around somewhere. Next, Simon looked for the sword on the floor. The instant he looked over to it, it had disappeared into seeming nothingness. Simon began to suspect that Jake could disappear at the will of his enlightenment, which worried Simon a little. He could try to listen for Jake, but with the crowd's banter, there was no way he was going to successfully hear a thing. Simon was going to have to get creative. His head jerked from side to side to look for something that he could use to assist him.
On the other side of the room, a group of people sat on a piece of the chair barricade that had been set up. He ran towards them, hearing the air being cut by Jake's sword right behind him as he took his first few steps. That was a close one. The men had bottles in their hand. He grabbed the bottles and threw them in every which direction across the floor, leaving the floor covered in green glass. If he couldn't see Jake, he could at least see where he was walking now.
With every step Jake took, glass flipped around the floor. The flipping stopped for a moment, and then continued. Each distortion of the glass got closer until Jake was in striking range. Simon couldn't know where the attack came from, but instead, he kicked the glass up towards Jake. He dived towards Jake, attempting to take this fight to the floor again, but the two of them just stumbled to the floor and into a puddle of booze that was left from the broken glass. Instantly, Jake became visible again. His eyes stopped glowing and he got up from the floor. Simon did the same. The two of them were now covered in scratches from the glass. Simon could feel a shard of glass lodged in his face.
Jake and Simon both looked at each other with an intensity that would cut through anyone who even tried to step between them. Unfortunately, for the game master, it was him. âThis fight is clearly a draw.â The old man shouted.
The crowds roar completely drowned out the sound of the man's spine collarbone snapping as Jake tackled the man and used him as a shield as he pressed towards Simon with his sword out like a lancer. Simon used what little time he had to react to perry the blade away from him, cutting the game master down in the process. Screams were now heard from the crowds as they started to run in every which direction in panic. Simon took the confusion as his chance to escape. He dived over the chairs and into the panicked crowd, trying his best to blend in. He was stopped rather quickly by Jake, who had thrown a chair at him. He arched his back in pain and flopped to the ground. He turned around, bracing his hands on the floor behind him as he saw Jake approach in a furry; sword ready to take its next victim. Before he could slay his strike down, a twinkle from behind Jake flew towards him and struck just above the hilt of his blade, causing him to drop it.
âWhat's all this about Jake?â Simon heard a yell from the direction the throwing blade had come. He didn't stay long enough to see what it was though. He turned around and ran out of the Inn, hoping to gain some distance on Jake before he found him.
As he left the Inn, he saw Rick standing across the street, just standing, watching the panicked crowd rushing out of the Inn. He ran over, grabbed the man's hand and ducked into the shadows before anyone could follow him.
Jake cringed when the sword slipped from his grasp. He didnât need to hear Evinâs voice to know it was him. Of course it was. He caught a glimpse of Simon disappearing out the door, but instead of following the man directly he turned the other way, momentarily rushed towards Evin as though he was about unleash his wrath on the man, but walking past him instead. âFucking hell, Evin... What joy do you take in screwing up my plans?â He muttered out, otherwise not even looking the man in the eyes and climbing the stairs to the top floor of the Inn in a hurry. He slipped out the window and jumped to the roof of the adjacent building.
Jake had spent some time with Sham on the rooftops after she helped him out of Blackpond and even though he lacked the womanâs speed and agility heâd learned his way around the city rooftops, he knew them almost as well as she. Finding Simon in a crowd wouldnât be that easy, but he could recognize Rickâs walk miles away in the state the man was currently in. If wasnât for Simonâs insistence to drag the sick man around he might have gotten away from Jake. At least the nutcase was good for one thing.
Sham had a point in her methods; people hardly felt the need to look up. Even though Jake was invisible, he was probably being overzealous; Simon had not glanced above his head once. Heâd followed both men, watching them from above until opportunity to intercept them presented itself. Jake dropped from the edge of a building directly in front of Simon, the man colliding into ânothingâ. Jake quickly disarmed Simon, knocking the dagger from his hand to the floor and planting his left foot firmly over it before showing himself, a dagger of his own held tightly in his clenched fist. âIâm not supposed to kill you, as per my Captainâs orders, Simon. I like Mageria, and Iâd rather play nice, but if I bring back that dagger Iâm sure sheâll understand my side... If you have one good reason why things should end any differently you better say so now. And be quick about it, because today Iâve already been driven miles past the point of tolerating bullshit.â
Simon's head hit the floor hard when he was knocked down. For a moment, he saw a flash of bright light, then his vision went blurry. He wasn't quite sure of where he was until his eyes cleared up enough to see Jake above him, spitting words down to him. Simon shifted uncomfortably, tying to sit himself up. He didn't dare attempt to stand. The world was spinning around him.
Simon tried as hard as he could to focus on Jake. He shook his head and then tried again. The world seemed to begin to steady itself. His eyes brightened as he was about to speak, but then he reconsidered his thoughts. From out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Rick, slowly shifting behind Jake. It would seem that Jake's focus was fixed on Simon and the dagger more than it was Rick.
âFirst off. I'd like to start by saying that there are people other than me who want this dagger. In fact, I should be the least of your worries when it comes to that dagger. My friends are waiting for me to exit the city with this dagger. The only reason that they haven't entered the city is because it would be safer to attack me once I'm in the woods. When they find out that I've died, which they will soon enough, they'll enter the city and terrorize it until they find this dagger. My methods will seem tame in comparison.â He paused, watching from the corner of his eyes as Rick leaned down to grab the dagger from under Jake's foot. The moment he touched it, his eyes flashed and he disappeared. âOf course. If that's not incentive enough, I'm sure that the fact that Rick has just disappeared with the dagger will be enough incentive to keep me alive.â He waited to watch Jake's reaction in amusement. Despite the entertainment value of Rick's disappearing act, Simon wasn't happy. Now he was going to have to go searching for the guy again. âThe man's deranged. Who's to say what he's going to do with that dagger or where he's taking it? You'll never be able to find him. Not without my help.â Simon smiled again. This time, with a maniacal twist. He'd just dodged Death that time. If it weren't for Rick, nothing that Simon would have said could have saved him. He'd had no leverage and lying wasn't a game worth playing with Jake. It was a good thing that mad men were so easy to persuade. And with a little help from his enlightenment, Simon had done the impossible.
Jake showed no reaction to Rick disappearing with the dagger, even though that in itself was one heck of a display of anger. He listened to what Simon had to say and snorted. âSay you do find him... Then what? What do you want with it, Simon? How does it âhelp meâ that you find it, or that you live? Valcrest is small, I have a lot of friends, are you betting your life in my inability to find one crazy man? The sickness is in his blood also, he wonât be teleporting around for much longer. Dagger or no... I have every intention of finding good olâ King Richard...â Jake turn around and started to walk towards the city gates as was his original plan. âLong live the King...â He sneered. âWeâll see about you later, Simon... If you think Iâm dangerous, I have a friend I look forward to introducing you to... Her name is Kaya.â
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Evin felt like such an idiot when he'd seen Jake's face glaring at him. All he wanted was to stop the mayhem that was causing him such insomnia. It just so happened that the one causing his insomnia was Jake. Of course, he didn't know that when he was stopping him from killing the man on the floor. He just saw Jake's back and in a moment of gut reaction, more out of the fact that he wanted sleep than anything else, he just wanted to stop the killing from happening.
He realized the mistake now. If Jake was so blatantly after someone, there was typically a good reason, even if Evin didn't always agree with him. However, the chase was now being conducted outside of the Inn. Maybe, once the people settled down again, he'd get some sleep.
But, as if it were some sort of divine intervention, preventing Evin from getting a proper sleep, the door burst open and several guards entered the Inn with their swords brandished.
âNobody move!â the one in the front shouted. âEveryone here is under arrest for illegal arena fighting in the city. Do not try to run or you will be killed.â
âJust perfect.â Evin muttered.
The crowds at the Inn were still rather large and he could move around them without any attention being drawn to him. He made his way to the stairs and started to walk up them.
âYou, at the stairs!â The man said. âStop under order of the queen regent Magââ The voice trailed off into a grunt followed by a nervous stutter from the guards. The one who had been making demands to Evin had been stabbed in the gut by one of the patrons at the Inn. Soon enough, the entire room filled with fighting. Patrons hastily lined up to grab weapons from the box while others revealed that they'd been hiding weapons underneath their clothes the entire time. More guards started piling in until there were nearly a hundred people packed into the Inn. While it was a large place, it never meant to hold so many people. The fighting was brutal and there was no room. Quickly, people started to get pushed up the stairs. Some of the fighting was headed directly towards Evin.
A man holding a candle in one hand and a short sword in the other. He tried to hand the candle to Evin, âGo light the signal. Let them know that the castle is ready for attack!â
Evin pushed the candle away from him. âWhat the hell are you talking about boy!â
âDamn you old man!â The guy said, shoving his sword into Evin's hand and pushing him aside. The boy ran past him and up the stairs.
Confusion overwhelmed Evin, but he figured that being confused while holding a sword was better than to not be holding a sword. At least in this situation, it was. He extended the sword out as far as it could allow him and prayed that he didn't have to use it.
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Dominic's walk was a quiet one. The streets of Newhaven at night recently were tranquil, making walking around a comfortable thing to do. Being a Knight gave him protection. His uniform protected him in the way armour wasn't usually meant to protect. It was intimidating to face a Knight, white or black, in the middle of the night. Even larger groups of people were hesitant to even be seen by the Knight in the streets. If they were seen, they'd scurry away like rats.
This allowed Dominic to walk to streets completely undisturbed. He was alone with his thoughts and it was comforting. He slipped his hands around his belt and dragged his feet across the cobblestone, making an awful scraping sound. It didn't take long for Dominic to realize that maybe it wasn't the best idea to do that in the middle of the night. He picked up his feet and continued on his way.
His thoughts drifted from the state of Newhaven to the state of Blackpond and finally to the world outside of Valcrest. He wondered what it was like on the other side. Many people, despite living through the hardship of war, never left Valcrest. There was something that kept everyone around. He didn't care to know why people never left, but he did wonder why he never left. He had had chances to go before. When in Blackpond, it was only a half days walk and he'd be officially out of the boarder. It was so close, but he never thought to go any further north. He'd make excuses for himself like how it was just too cold to go any further north, but in the summer time, that wasn't true. The South was too far a walk and word was that there wasn't much to the West of Valcrest. In the East, a big lake blocked the way. All of these reasons that Dominic had made from time to time were just a thinly placed veil that really just meant that he had too much to lose from leaving Valcrest. Despite the war, there was a lot for Dominic to lose if he left. He didn't want to lose it.
A light flashed through the street, illuminating it for the briefest moment. Another moment later, he heard a loud bang from behind him. An explosion? Dominic turned around and looked up at where the bang came from. All he could see, under the faint moonlight, was a small bit of smoke billowing from the middle of the night's sky. The explosion must have been a fire work. He turned back around and jumped a little. He hadn't heard them approach. For such a large group, he expected to hear at least one of them, but then, when he thought about it, the night had grown unbelievably silent.
The group was a malicious one, but one with noticeable fright in their eyes. Each one of them held a weapon, from swords to pitchforks and everything in between. At the back of the crowd, a man was holding a spadone. His eyes were aglow in a bright purple. When the Knight made eye contact with the enlightened user, his gaze slipped downwards.
Dominic didn't draw his claymore yet. He didn't see the need to. The group were obviously afraid of him, a Black Knight. They were probably hoping that he was merely just one of the guards, paroling the city centre. The man with the purple eyes had muted the world to him. That was how they'd gotten so close to him without him hearing them. When he turned and they saw he was actually a Knight, they froze in their spot, unsure of what to do. Dominic widened his stance. He was ready for a fight, but if he could intimidate the men enough for them to run off without conflict, he'd be satisfied.
The men's mouths moved, but Dominic couldn't hear what they were saying. With a few quick glances and hand movements, he gathered that they were conflicted on whether they would want to attack Dominic or not.
Then, one of the men looked just past Dominic with a look of panic in his eyes. He raised his hands and his mouth seemed to shape the word, âDon'tâ. Dominic gripped his sword and spun on his feet. The sword was unsheathed at unnatural speeds. The butt of the sword cracked across the scull of the man charging towards him. He fell to the ground, motionless. The group of new people brandishing weapons behind them stopped for only a moment to realize that Dominic had just cracked the man's skull open. A moment later, they charged the Knight. Dominic looked behind him and the men there were also charging now.
He lifted his sword, adjusting his grip as he took his left hand off the weapon to grab a shorter parrying blade from his hip. The first man to approach him was cut down quickly with a cut across the stomach. He swung his sword above and behind his head, deflecting a blow in front while parrying a woodcutter's axe in front of him.
At this moment, he realized that the men he was fighting were not warriors. They were simple folk. Only a few of them had real weapons. He didn't expect many of them to have any real fighting experience. As his sword swung back around to his front, he grabbed it, with his other hand, still holding the parrying blade. He pointed his sword forward, at level and pressed up against his hip, he charged forward. Most men jumped or dived out of the way of his blade's tip. The few that attempted an attack were either met by the tip of his blade or a quick slash across the various parts of their body that they left vulnerable.
At the end of the procession of people was the man with the purple eyes. He held his spadone in a slight variation of the near ward stance. Dominic halted almost instantly in his tracks, only just over a sword's length away from the man. He planted his feet firmly on the cobblestone road and adjusted his own stance. He held his sword with the pommel beside his ear, facing the tip directly at his opponent's face. He leaned very low into his stance, to the point where he was almost shorter than the man he was facing.
Dominic took a quick glance behind him to make sure he was safe from the mob behind him. As it turned out, they were gearing up for their next assault. Dominic couldn't keep himself held up on this single opponent for more than just a single second. Unfortunately, Dominic knew that this man had skill with the sword. He was going to need more than a second to effectively down this opponent.
He lifted his stance slightly, carefully moving in a half circle around to the other side of his opponent. This gave Dominic a clear view of every single fighter on the battlefield, giving himself a higher level of awareness as well as a clear path to run when he had the chance. First, the enlightened man had to die. He sunk into his stance again and waited for his opponent to make the first strike.
It came, as Dominic had expected, sweeping behind himself and up to strike down at Dominic's head. All Dominic had to do was shift his tip of his sword to the left, leaving the two men in a high bind above one another's heads. Dominic stepped forward and forced his opponent's sword down across Dominic's right side. With another step forward, Dominic shoulder checked the man, knocking him a couple of steps back. Dominic took the oprotunity and lunged forward, stabbing the man directly through the neck.
Instantly, the world's sounds boomed back into existence. The man fell with a hard thump. Part of the mob looked in astonishment. It was clear that the man who Dominic had faced was a skilled fighter, probably trained as an officer in the army. The ease at which Dominic was able to take down this man, probably someone who had been training this mob for some time in swordplay, caused the lines of this mob to rout. Dominic wouldn't have bother to chase after them if it weren't for the one man, who was obviously attempting to now take charge after the death of their other commander.
âForget the Knight!â He shouted. âThe men at the Inn will not be able to hold their lines forever. We need to take to the castle while the city guard is still distracted!â
Dominic's eyes widened and he attempted to chase after the mob. His armour didn't allow him the same mobility as the crowd though and he found himself lagging farther and farther behind. He wasn't going to be able to stop this mob, but he continued to pursue them anyway.
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Lazurus was beginning to feel better. He could walk without fearing collapse now, but he still propped himself up against the wall as he walked through the empty halls of the castle. A trail of blood followed his path across the wall. He tried to keep to the less patrolled parts of the castle as best he could, but that was only going to keep him safe for a while. Before turning a corner, he peeked by to see if there was anyone coming. After about the third hall, he started to hear shouts from another part of the castle. The sound of steel also rang through the halls.
Lazurus was unsure of what he was hearing. It left him weary of moving forward, but he had to. There was no chance in turning back now. The guards would find for sure and he'd be thrown into maximum security until the baby was born. He couldn't have that happen. He needed to get the baby back to Blackpond before it was too late. Without Ella's baby, everything would be for naught.
He pressed forward more, listening to the clash of metal on metal and stone. It was getting closer or was he just getting closer to it? He was afraid to find out.
Then, from behind him, he heard shouts. âThere she is!â Lazurus slowly turned. He didn't have the energy to fight. He was going to lose this one. âWalden, get her back to her bedchambers and keep posted outside her door. Thanh, go find more guards to post outside the door. I'll join the fight.â
The three men ran their separate ways. Only one guard was was left to bringing him back to the bedroom. Did they know what happened in that room? Had they seen what she did to their guards, their friends? If they did, they would've likely left more than one guard to him.
âMove along.â Walden said, in a cold tone.
Lazurus decidedly didn't fight. He couldn't fight. He barely had the energy to keep from falling over. His escape was over. He had no chance whatsoever of escape now. Lamya wouldn't ever come to his rescue. That is, unless she flipped a coin and it just so happened to land on its side so she decided to do something out of the ordinary that day. Actually, who knew how that woman actually decided anything. It was intriguing to him, but nothing that he really bothered to ever understand.
âHold on.â Walden said as they reached the end of the hall.
Lazurus stopped and sluggishly turned around. âWhat's the prââ
Walden stood before Lazurus, with his sword pressed right up against Ella's protruding stomach. Walden's eyes wild with thought as he stared at the end of his blade.
âDo it.â Lazurus said so quietly that it was nearly inaudible. Walden's eyes softened a little when he did. The pressure of the sword lightened on his stomach. âCome on Walden. Do it. I've always wanted to meet Death. I want to know what she feels like. What she looks like, what she smells like, what she... what she tastes like. Most people run from the idea, but I lured towards it. My life ends soon anyways. I know that, but the closer I get to Her sweet kiss, the closer I get to blowing in anticipation.â
Walden took a step back. The blade was no longer pressing against his surrogateâs skin.
âI said do it!â Lazurus shouted. âI know why you want to do it. Killing the Demon of Newhaven would be seen as heroic in some circles. Even if it did mean sacrificing the Page bloodline. That matters very little. There have been several dynasties to rule over Newhaven in its history. Maybe you could find a ruler fit to rule instead of this indecisive girl you see standing before you. And who's to say that the child is going to be any better a ruler? Maybe, through some brilliant series of events you will end up on the throne. Just end the life of your prince, your queen, and the wretched thing that has sullied her and then who knows? Just do it.â
As his final sentence echoed through the halls, another sound cracked above it. Then a hard thud. Walden collapsed to the ground with a crossbow bolt jutting out of his back. Behind him, a small group of men in a hodgepodge of armour and weapons. They all looked down the hall, past the fallen man, every single one of them straightening up when they saw what was beyond Walden. As more men ran into the hall, they stopped with immediacy at the exact same spot that the rest of the group stood. They were saying things, but Lazurus couldn't make them out at that distance.
Finally, the man with the crossbow started walking towards Lazurus. Lazurus started walking towards the man too, which caused the man to flinch just the slightest. Lazurus, however, stopped at Walden. He bent down and pulled the arrow out. Blood soaked the tip and it slowly dripped down the shaft onto his hand. He moved it towards his face and took a deep breath in. âHave you ever wondered what Death tastes like?â Lazurus said to no one in particular.
âWhat?â He looked up to see the man with he crossbow right in front of him.
Lazurus dabbed his finger in the blood around the shaft and then placed his finger gently onto his tongue. âI imagine that she tastes like blood. But then, everyone's blood tastes different...â
Lazurus didn't even try to resist. The man with the crossbow tied him up and hoisted him over his shoulders.
City of Newhaven
[Otium 16, mid-afternoon]
Annie had been silent on the walk from the Wolvesâ camp to the plains. Usually she couldnât stand to be in the company of another person and not speak to them, but she had not spoken a word to Darren the entire walk home, her mind occupied with things she was, at the moment, unable to speak of. He seemed understanding of her silence however, and she was thankful for that.
If she were to ask herself how Seanâs burial, or the lengthy conversation she had with Donovan afterwards, had made her feel she wouldnât know what to make of it. Truth be told she wasnât sure if she was there to bury her brother or if she was just a healer seeing off a lost soul like any other. Donovan wanted answers she couldnât give, to questions that had been persistent since she received the news of Seanâs death. Could he have killed himself? Would he? She had been asked these things as though she was supposed to know Sean better and maybe as of late that was true. If it was, then she had to ask herself if there was something more she could have done for him. If maybe she could have prevented this. It was foolish thinking, she knew, but still there it was.
Depressing affairs aside, it was a beautiful sunny day and the sun was still shining bright when they entered the plains. Annie had purposely taken a longer route to enter the Shadows Camp in order to enter through the gardens. She wanted to smell the flowers, feel the sun, for a brief moment at least before responsibilities started to weigh on her shoulders again. She crossed the gardens picking off a flower here and there and entered the cemetery, placing the flowers on her motherâs grave before sitting on the grass beside it. It was a silent understanding that she was not to be bothered with anything while sitting there, so even though her presence was noted, no one approached them just yet. Annie smiled at Emily as the girl passed them and waved, seeming to blush furiously and quicken her step as she caught Darrenâs gaze. Sora followed after the girl in the direction of the childrenâs ward, probably to check on her âbabyâ.
Annieâs gaze followed them until they were at a considerable distance, a soft chuckle escaping under her breath at Emilyâs behavior. She heaved a long sigh, tension seeming to leave her for the first time since they left the desert, her brown eyes fixed on the silver ring Donovan had insisted she keep. She didnât want it, truth be told, but it was her fatherâs ring and she hadnât in her to refuse or dispose of it. Even though she kept it in hand during their walk, considering actually throwing it away in the woods somewhere. âI never did tell you about my father, did I?â She asked Darren, placing the ring on top of the blue flowers by the white gravestone. âI hear he was a good man, I think I might have liked him.â Annie lay back in the grass, closing her eyes as she felt exhaustion setting in. âUnfortunately he died before I discovered who he was. Before my mother left... to wherever it is she went last year... I asked her why she refused to tell me. She said that she planned to, but changed her mind when he died. âCan you really miss what you never had?â, she said. Thatâs a pretty good question. I didnât know him, but I still feel like his death should mean something more to me now that I know, but it doesnât. However, Sean... Iâd known him for years, I didnât particularly dislike him, but he was always, in general, a bit of an asshole, but things changed between us when he found out. He wasnât less of an asshole, I donât think I actually got to know him any better... Logically thereâs no reason his death should mean more than my fatherâs. Itâs a strange thing.â
Darren had taken the silent walk back to the White Shadows as the perfect time to mull over pieces of conversations he had been allowed to hear, putting together a puzzle of who Sean was beyond just the âWolfpackâs latest Alphaâ. He hadnât asked any questions minus the ones that pertained to Annie eating or drinking. As much as he knew he should encourage her to rest, knowing she was running on smoke alone, he didnât even bring that up. Darren simply kept by her side or even a few steps behind as if to give her space but remain close enough if she needed to lean on him. All the man wished to do was rest his head along hers, taking deep breaths of her hair that was permeating of herbs and menthol from the relentless salves they had applied to the numerous wounded at the Crimson camp. He just wanted to hold her and run his fingers through her hair. It was all he could think of until she finally spoke.
âYou mentioned him once in passing..â
Darren followed Annie up to her motherâs grave and left a few flowers next to hers before sitting beside where she lay. He lay on his side facing her, propped up on his elbow, barely noticing Emily as she walked by. An automatic smile crossed his face but it never touched his eyes and faded to a contemplative expression as he listened to Annie. He slipped off his gloves, brushing a few strands of the womanâs hair from her face. The manâs strength was in place, the blue of his eyes hinting to his control and when he determined it was ok to do so, he reached for Annieâs hand and gave it a squeeze.
âI didnât know I could miss something I never had, but it is possible if it existed in some manner at one point or another. You exist and therefore you had a father, so it is reasonable to believe he can be missed even if you didnât know him. Or perhaps âmissing themâ isnât the correct phrase. Perhaps one yearns for what could have been and what was misplaced from their life; a soul, a presence. Sometimes we see in the world what is missing from ourselves and deep down wonder what weâve been deprived of. To say it is a needless feeling or act I guess would depend on the person affected and the reason behind it.â Darren paused, picking at a few weedling flowers that were scattered beside Annie and himself, casually decorating the girlâs hair in yellow and golds as he seemed to ponder.
âIf someone never knew what it was like to feel loved, wouldnât they still deep down miss it? Wouldnât there always be that void they canât explain as if a piece of them were always missing? Maybe they would try it fill it in other ways, but would it really be possible to fill that hole?â Darren leaned in a bit closer, strategically placing more tiny flowers on the other side of Annieâs hair.
âDo you feel Seanâs passing more deeply than the passing of the father you never got to know? Thatâs really not that strange, Annie because you did know your brother for a time and some sort of connection was there, even if he was an asshole as you say. It wasnât just a story told to you so that it may have felt unreal because he was there right in front of you.â Darren casted his gaze downwards so that his hat covered his face. âI didnât know I had or have siblings out there somewhere and perhaps before they existed, before they were real, I didnât âmiss themâ but now that they do exist and I know, part of me does. Just like I swore to never stop searching for my mother, I will keep the same promise to those faceless sisters out there somewhere. âIf one wants something they ânever hadâ then perhaps one should follow the path normally not seen.ââ He snorted, an unusual hardening to his voice coating his words which he quickly chased away with an ironic laugh. âNow I understand what that means and even though it makes me uneasy to quote my father, he did have a point. Maybe he stole it from someone much more intelligent.â
Annie chuckled under her breath, running her fingers through her hair and grasping a few petals between her fingertips. âWhat is strange is not so much that Seanâs death affects me more than my fatherâs... Itâs more the fact that just because we shared blood he gained such importance in my life...â She shook her head. âItâs ironic. He was always accusing me of being unaffected by death. He thought that I should be angrier, that I should suffer more. I donât know why people think Iâm never angry. I should scream and break things more often... Jake says itâs therapeutic, but then... Jake would say that.â She smirked, sitting up and shaking some more flowers off her hair. âOne of these days, Iâm gonna get chased by bees, I just know it.â She snickered. âYou know, when Crysâ mother died, my mom was heartbroken. It was hard to tell with her, but I knew she was. When I brought it up with her she told me that as healers we have to tell ourselves that no life matters above all others, but sooner or later; at some point, weâll be lying to ourselves. I think thatâs just... A frightening thought to someone like me; that sometimes what we know and what we believe in counts for nothing. Sean wasnât a good man, not anymore at least. In many ways the world is better off with him gone... In some ways, heâs better off too. I know that, and yet I still wish I could have helped him...â
Annie went silent for a few moments, watching the movement of the camp in the distance, a discreet smile crossing her features. Stressful as things might be there lately, it was still nice to be home. âDepressing couple of days, huh?â She smiled, tapping the brim of Darrenâs hat so that it lowered further into his eyes. âLeast the companyâs been pleasant.â
Darren smiled, playfully trying to look out from beneath the tilted brim of his hat, one eye squinted as he looked at her. At first his eyes lingered within hers, noting the sadness behind her smile, his gaze distracted temporarily at the falling petals from her hair. He reached out to brush a few more from her strands, his baby blues shining with an intensity that burned with a life of their own. Violet flecks of color remained subdued as a pinkish hue touched his cheeks, his eyes falling down to Annieâs mouth tias she spoke. He leaned in a bit and whispered, âI think Sean was just bewildered by your strength...that he maybe lacked himself..â
Darren let out a shaky sigh, letting his hand trail from Annieâs dark locks of hair as it cascaded along her shoulder, his fingers caressing her arm. Using the top of her head, Darren pushed the brim of his hat upwards so he could see her easier, and as his gaze found its way back to hers, he bit down on his bottom lip. âHow...do you do it?â He whispered, his question not specific in what answer he was actually searching for as he stared at the woman with a look of amazement and awe.
Annie held Darrenâs gaze with a look of curiosity and amusement in her brown eyes. âI donât think Sean was that perceptive.â She mumbled, giving a slight shrug as to indicate that she was done talking about the man, done thinking about death, for the moment at least. It was still a lovely afternoon, the sun was still warm in the sky; even if a bit lower than before, and allowing sadness into her heart on such a beautiful day would have been inconceivable to her not long ago. After a few moments of silence she reached out and covered his eyes with her hand, parting her fingers so that he could peek through them. âUh, oh... Did I accidentally use my super secret power of hypnosis on you?â She teased.
â..Youâre always hypnotizing me..â
Darren slid his hand down Annieâs arm, along her wrist and up to her fingers that playfully covered his eyes. For a second, his touch lingered, the tips of his fingers gently massaging the base of Annieâs knuckles before pulling her hand to his lips and releasing, just to stare at her again.
âHow..do you do it? How do you keep your light from fading into darkness? How do you live each day..with so much..passion?â Darrenâs voice failed him, the man swallowing hard as he appeared to be struggling with a decision. His cerulean eyes fluttered between Annie and his own hands, Darren closing his eyes as he breathed through his nerves, cleansing his will and when they opened he reached out for Annie. One hand found the middle of her back and held her close, his other tracing across her jawline, the manâs fingers cradling her chin so that his lips were almost touching her skin. âYour faith in humanity and sanctity of life is humbling..do you even know how beautiful that is; how beautiful you are?â
Darren knocked off his hat, uncaring how it rolled along the ground, a breeze pushing it along like a wheel through the grass before lodging itself along a tombstone. He seemed as if he was going to pull away, again biting down on his lip, but his brows narrowed in a determined expression and as if he were indeed hypnotized, his will yielded. His skin tingled when his lips found hers, cradling them for a few seconds before he withdrew to plant another kiss along her forehead. âPassion is contagious..moving men beyond themselves..beyond our shortcomings...beyond our failures. You...are contagious and maybe..â He turned away from Annie letting his gaze fall onto Lenaâs headstone. âMaybe..I can learn to look at the world as you do.â
Annie was a bit taken aback by Darrenâs words. Sheâd never thought of herself, of her way of seeing the world, as anything that worthy of note. To be honest, she had rarely ever thought about it before and whatever thoughts she might have had then were lost on her the moment he had pulled her close. She just stared at Darren in a stunned silence, observant of every little change in his expression. Annie could see, clear as day, the decision forming in his mind merely a moment before his lips met hers. She let her eyes close feeling warmth coursing through her veins, pushing to the surface, spreading across her skin, and she knew she was blushing furiously. If there was one coherent thought left in her mind still, she would have tried and failed to remember the last time that had actually happened. For someone who almost prided herself in not being easily rattled, Annie had to admit Darren made it difficult not to swoon.
Her eyes opened once he turned away, her gaze trailing away from him to the spot where his hat had ended up. The fog now lifting, Annieâs mind retrieved the words last spoken, a frown marking the girlâs features as she considered them. âI was seven years old when I first watched someone die. Wasnât a pretty death either; some thief that exploded himself trying to bust open a safe. Half the manâs face was black and burned, he had missing fingers; worst of all he wouldnât stop screaming. I remember standing there and trying not to cry while I helped my mother tend to his burns. I just wanted him to shut up, but when he did...â Annie shook her head, her smile turning slightly bitter. âWeâve done all we could, but it wouldnât have mattered either way. Afterwards, mom brought me to the gardens; blood still on our clothes, my stomach still turning from the smell of burning flesh... She told me to look around me and I did, it was the middle of winter; the grass was grey and brittle, the flowers were all but gone... Then she reminded me how in a few weeks that dead grey soil would be full of life, of color... Of warmth. She told me to always remind myself that regardless of what we do, everything eventually dies, and beauty never truly fades from the world. Sometimes you have to tell yourself itâs still there, that you just canât see it, and believe itâs never actually gone. Right now, I see the world as a very long winter. I just... Canât allow myself to believe it wonât eventually end.â Annie shook her head as she went silent, a warm smile slowly spreading across her features and lighting up her eyes as she turned to face Darren again, reaching out and running her fingers through his dark curls. âI think... Your hat tried to make a daring escape... Maybe reunite with its long-lost feather... So tragically ripped away all those months ago.â She teased.
âA very long winterâŠâ Darren stared for some time at his hat that was leaning against the gravestone, an unexpected smile cradling his square chin. âDonât get me wrong...I love the spring. I love the smell of fresh blossoms hidden beneath the brush and the first rain falling along the leaves, but winter⊠The silence is so peaceful and itâs almost deafening in our steps crunching when one walks along the seasonâs first snow. The chill is soothing even when I crave for Summerâs warmth⊠Itâs human nature to find beauty in the desolate silence and yet still yearn for the elegant hum of chaos. The cold numbs the soul to sleep and the warmth wills us to fight for our dreams, even if they remain far from our grasp. Even if the scenery is void of color, void of substance, perhaps what one is searching for lies budding beneath the surface. Hmm, thatâs what Mom always says.â Darren sighed, turning to nudge Annie with a wink, âShe loves the warmth but she loves the cold more because of the silence. I think I just favor the snowball fights.â
Darren let his fingers trail up to meet Annieâs that clasped his dark curls and snorted, âThat feather was far too large and gaudy for my liking. Iâm not one for flare.I prefer the simple touches. Maybe if it wasnât so bright and fluffy, I wouldnât mind.â
âWell, you donât mind Sora... Sheâs bright and fluffy.â Annie teased with a playful smile. âBut I see... I seee...â She let her words fade, still amused. âYour mother and mine would have had some interesting things to say to one another. In more ways than one, I believe. A pity their meetings turned out to be so brief.â Annie leaned into Darren, resting her head on his shoulder, not entirely oblivious to the fact Alistair had been watching from afar, looking as though he had something to say. It didnât seem like itâd be pleasant news either. âI donât mind the cold much, but... Thereâs something melancholic around here in the winter itâs just so... Grey all the time... As for the silence, after a while it can become a bit too heavy in my opinion. Itâs almost a reminder of all the life, all the noise, that should exist here and is no more. Mom used to say she could still hear them in the wind; as if they were still there, but in a separate plain of existence we couldnât possibly see or touch... Echos, sheâd say. I remember Iâd try to stay awake, when it was quiet, and Iâd try to listen, but... I never heard anything. Itâs very likely she made the whole thing up just to scare the apprentices, I wouldnât put it past her, but sometimes Iâm not sure. I think she saw a lot more in these fields than she was willing to tell me.â
After a little while Annie sighed and raised her voice enough that it could be heard from a distance. âWhat do you want, Al?â
Alistair took his time walking into the cemetery, simply nodding a greeting to Darren, as he stopped by the grave. âI didnât want to interrupt, but... I was wondering if one of you would go talk to that kid, Irvin.â
âWhy? Did he grope someone again?â Annie asked, holding back a laugh.
âNo, he... Wait, again?â Alistair repeated, arching an eyebrow. âBut no, he and Jake got into some sort of fight it seems and he just left the kid here... Iâm not sure what happened, but the left side of his face is bruised and I had to bandage his wrist. Not to mention heâs spent the last couple of hours pacing and muttering things to himself. Normally I might have insisted he talk to me, but really... someone had to keep this place running while you were away.â
âYou poor thing, you work so hard.â Annie playfully mocked. âI wasnât exactly taking a vacation, Al.â
Alistair rolled his eyes at her, feigning annoyance. âYes, I know. Iâm just saying that between the dying folk and the teenager having a meltdown, I have my priorities. Tell me though, how are things in the desert?â
âNot good, but I suppose it might actually have been worse. From this, I think, theyâll recover.â
âAnd the burial?â
âIt was a burial, Al... Thereâs only one way those can go, you know.â Annie answered with a shrug.
Alistair nodded along to Annieâs words, knowing well that she wasnât being entirely honest, but not pressing the issue. âFair enough, kid. Oh, and uh... Some of the children have been harassing Emily for the past hour demanding your presence. Something about you owing them a story? Iâd think taking care of that fox would be entertainment enough, but nooo.â He chuckled. âBy the way, are you sure keeping that thing around the patients is a good idea, donât they carry diseases or something?â
âDonât be stupid Alistair.â Annie scolded the man. âUnless the children were to touch its blood, or poop, no; it couldnât make them ill. Give me a bit more credit, will you.â
âAlright, alright. But if it poops anywhere in this camp, youâre sure as hell going to clean it yourself, because Iâm not going to.â
âYes, mom.â Annie muttered. âAnything else?â
âNo, no... That was all.â Alistair smirked. The man started to walk away, but stopped a few steps away to speak over his shoulder. âAlthough, you kids might want to... you know... get a room... The graveyard is hardly the most appropriate place for smooching. And I doubt youâd be doing that in front of you mother if she was still alive.â
âYou... Just... Keep walking, Alistair.â Annie muttered, frowning at the manâs outburst of laughter as he continued on his way.
Darren kissed the top of Annieâs head and sat straighter, slowly putting his gloves back on, his eyes flickering a hint of violet. He leaned forward against one knee and quirked a brow back over at his hat, still thinking about said âfluffyâ feather. Shaking his head he playfully bumped Annieâs shoulder with his own.
âSora...wears a kick ass mask and likes to âsingâ with Kaya. She may be cuddly but not sooo fluffy.â Darren chuckled. âHer baby fox howeverâŠ,â he cleared his throat, standing with a small burst of energy and crossed his arms as if suddenly offended, âDoesnât Al know I am the one who has to clean up after the fox? Pfft.â
Darren bent down to pick up his hat, shaking the dirt off the edges that could have been there but wasnât visible. He ran his fingers along the brim several times as if to adjust it but never really changing a thing, and tilted his head back to place it back on his head. âSo, I can go round up Irv and maybe drag him back with me to story time, hmm? Gotta know what that was all about with âUncleâ Jake.â Darren politely tipped his hat to Lenaâs gravestone, muttering playful apologies before steering off towards where he thought Irv would be.
The Ruins of Blackhurst, home of the White Shadows
[Otium 17, morning]
Sam didnât want to make a habit out of entertaining visitors in person, but this case was different, she wouldnât pretend otherwise, so she commanded that particular unexpected visitor to be brought straight to her in the library. Ezekiel objected, as it was his usual lately, but Sam ignored him. It wasnât that she didnât see the danger in such a decision, rather she believed she hadnât taken a close enough look at it yet. Crystal Rivers had a reputation that Sam could understand better than almost anyone; a great deal of it originated from name alone and another great deal from escaping Deathâs clutches, repeatedly. That wasnât to say the woman hadnât earned said reputation, but what exactly she had done to earn it remained unknown, her nature remained unknown, and Sam wasnât too pleased with not knowing. Ignorance was the only true danger in the world; she made that mistake before.
The woman was led into the room by a servant girl and shown to the seat across from Sam; a comfortable stuffed chair, identical to the one Sam herself was sitting on, lined with dark red velvet. In between the two chairs there was a short table with tea and biscuits. Sam smirked noting how the woman had not taken the seat as if calmly awaiting permission. âPlease sit, Miss Rivers. To what do I owe the pleasure?â
Crys smiled as she accepted the seat offered to her, her expression remaining unmoving although she was a bit amused at how direct that woman could be without coming off as aggressive. It was as though every little thing about her words was expertly calculated in the mere seconds it took her to speak them. âYou know who I am.â She noted simply. âSo you must know, or at least assume, the reason why Iâve come here. Probably the same reason why you agreed to see me instead of allowing your lackey to claim he was the one in charge of this place.â
âLackey is a bit of a strong term. Iâm sure youâd not enjoy it if I were to call the people under your command such a thing, would you?â Sam questioned calmly, pouring them both tea. âBesides, Zeke probably assumed you had come to talk business. If you have, Miss Rivers, he would be the man to talk to and Iâd be only wasting your time. However, this is still my house. Iâve not denied that. In fact Iâve told the Black Knight Captain not too long ago exactly where to find me. You asked for the Lord or Lady of this Manor, and that is one claim I would never allow another to make on my behalf.â
âI have, brothers and sisters, Milady. You have lackeys. You can gather a pack of rats and call them wolves all you like: they still wonât howl at the moon.â Crys smiled accepting the tea that Sam was offering, holding the cup in her hands but not drinking. âIâve heard plenty of this house, some stories truly bizarre, and Iâll admit they got me curious. As much as the fact that your people, or perhaps your... Associateâs people. Would associate be more acceptable? Perhaps his people have been everywhere in Blackpond pushing people away, but not us. Theyâve stayed away from us.â
Sam chuckled at the womanâs words, calmly sipping from her cup of tea before replying. âPlease, call me Sam. I absolutely detest being called a Lady in any way. I donât have much tolerance for formalities of this sort. Perhaps you have a point, however itâd be unwise of anyone to underestimate a pack of rats. They are remarkably intelligent and resilient creatures; not to mention they are virtually anywhere and it is near impossible to get rid of them completely. Eliminating wolves completely would be just a matter of unleashing some expert hunters and laying some carefully placed traps. Predators are creatures of habits, Miss Rivers, while scavengers adapt to survive; if you poison one food supply after a couple of deaths they learn to avoid the poison and seek sustenance elsewhere. They smell it in the air, you see?â
âThey also eat one another if food becomes scarce.â Crys pointed out, sipping the tea. âAm I the poison in this analogy then, Sam? And, since we are dismissing all formalities I would appreciate that you call me Crys.â
âPoison represents all forms of danger, Crys; so you tell me whether or not that applies to you and your own. I understand your presence in Blackpond and we have no actual interest in the city... Itâs a convenient place to do business, but we donât particularly mind whoâs in charge of what. Nor do we require the city to be in its current state to operate there. If itâs your intention to change things who are we to get in your way? We could easily adapt or, worse case scenario, we could relocate. Let the wolves fight over territory while the rats live another day. Thereâs no shame in that.â
âIs that what you would call the nature of your business, Sam? Scavenging?â Crys questioned. âI see that the goal of a pack of rats is to feed... What are yours?â
âIâm an enabler, Crys. The nature of my business is that of all businesses, yours included. Name one, any one, and weâre involved as well. I could even help you in your goals if you like. I see no reason not to.â
âAlright, Iâll name one; child slavery.â Crys started. âThatâs a business, Sam. How involved are you in that?â
Sam flinched, only slightly, taking her time with setting her empty tea cup on the table. âAsher Hearst is an associate, well... An associate of an associate would be a better way to put it. I know he is currently a wanted man for dealing with such thingsâ She admitted. âBefore you ask, I know nothing of the manâs whereabouts. Trust, Iâd have no problem in handing him over to you or the Guard; Iâm not particularly fond of him in any way, but heâs unfortunately too smart to disclose his location, even to us.â The woman grabbed a biscuit from the plate and bit into it, slowly chewing on it as if to give herself time to think. âI must insist, however, Crys, that if youâve come here to talk business you direct your questions to Ezekiel. He would have better answers for you. I donât usually concern myself with the particulars.â
âYou know weâve been hunting Asher.â Crysâ tone was noticeably displeased, she had only told Nicholas and one other person about this.
âPerhaps youâd want to ask his son where to find him.â Sam advised. âEstranged as they are he would still know the manâs habits better than anyone. I would know a thing or two about that. I know you had a close relationship with your father however, is that true? He must have been a remarkable man.â
âMy father was the most remarkable man Iâve known.â Crys replied simply, emptying her cup of tea and setting it down. âIâm sorry you and your father didnât get along, Sam. That must have been tough on you, no?â
âI adapted.â Sam replied dryly. âNot all can be born wolves, no?â
âNo, not all can.â Crys agreed, a kind smile crossing her features. âWe are more alike than I expected however. My mother taught me to never underestimate an opponentâs intelligence by telling them unnecessary lies. I can see that thatâs a notion you clearly understand.â
âYour mother sounds like a smart woman. Were you as close to her as you were to your father?â
âNot exactly. We had a complicated relationship, she did some things I was really angry about, but... I understand her better now. I still loved her very much, we just disagreed about a lot of things.â Crys shrugged, helping herself to one of the biscuits. âSo, what about your mother?â
âI was one year old when I saw her last. I do remember, at least I think I do, her telling me a story. My father said I was being ridiculous, that I couldnât possibly remember; I was too young, but I remember. She told me how dragons would travel miles away from their lairs and lay their eggs in depths of a volcano. When the younglings would hatch theyâd have to fend for themselves until they were old enough to find their way home. I always thought that meant that one day Iâd find her again.â Sam chuckled softly at herself. âThat probably wonât happen. I donât remember anything of her besides that story. Itâs unlikely that sheâs still alive either way.â
Crys nodded along to Samâs words. âYou donât think sheâs still alive? Iâm sorry to hear that.â
âI appreciate the sentiment, I really do.â Sam smiled. âSee, youâre a very nice person, Crys. The Ravensâ Captain, sheâs a nice person too. Not everyone would have admitted to killing a complete strangerâs loved one like that. That takes character, I appreciate that.â
âYou have a strange way of appreciating people.â Crys snorted. âI mean, Iâm sure that you understand what will inevitably happen.â
âYes, but that has nothing to do with my appreciation. Itâs not personal. If I took everything personally I wouldnât be involved in so many things, Crys. That is the point of our little analogy, no? What separates us is the fact that Iâll do whatever it takes. If the cost is nice people like you, then so be it. I understand respecting my enemies, their abilities and intelligence, and appreciating their qualities. It doesnât mean Iâd sacrifice my objectives for them. In the end of the day weâre all but grains of sand. No one is special.â
âNo one?â Crys questioned, a tone of disbelief in her words as she leaned forward to take another biscuit from the table. âI thought you told Mageria Luckas was very special to you. Was that not true?â
Sam froze halfway through reaching for the teapot, it was just a momentary flinch, but it was clearly there. She shook her head resuming the activity and refilling Crysâ cup without asking. âI didnât lie, no. He is very special to me, but then Iâm just a grain of sand as well; how much do I matter really?â
âFair enough.â Crys chuckled. âI suppose thatâs just a matter of perspective, no?â
âItâs the truth, thatâs what it is. Maybe itâs not the most hopeful view of the world, but itâs undeniably true. Our wants and needs, all the pain we endure in Life, eventually our Deaths, are incredibly small occurrences in the end. So, my sacrifices mean so little in the grand scheme of things, I see no need to make that much of a deal of them. If they hurt it wonât be for long. Not even that lasts forever, right?â
âI guess thatâs logical, in a way, Sam.â Crys smiled. âI just find it sad. I mean yes, eventually all pain subsides, and yes weâre all very small compared to the whole of the Universe; thatâs true. However, I would much rather see the world from the point of view of a grain of sand. You know, Iâd rather say that the Universe is so much greater than myself, than to think of it as Iâm insignificant.â She stated simply, standing up from the chair as if excusing herself. âOur rationality should never take such hold of us that we survive without a reason to other than practical objectives. Life is in the details, in the smallest of things, Iâd risk my survival any day for those little things. Those nice people arenât just specks of sand to me. Iâm a very nice person, as you can see, but I am a wolf at my core. Sad as your perspective may be and as much as I sympathize, and I do, keeping them alive is my objective; get in my way and Iâll show you what I do to hunters in my territory.â
âSuch aggression, Miss Rivers. This is just the sort of thing that can cause a person a great amount of grief in life.â
âThereâs only one way I know to avoid grief, Sam. And the toll that takes is one too high for me to pay.â
âDonât you ever consider that if you had not been grieving your motherâs death, Crys, that you may not have lost your clan all those years ago?â
âThatâs a possibility. Although, never losing anything would also mean never finding anything new. Where would I be if I had never gone anywhere or learned anything? Like I said; there is a price, one Iâm not sure Iâm willing to pay.â
âSee, thatâs where you and I differ... You believe paying that price is a choice you can make. I know for a fact it is not.â Sam snickered. âSad as you may find my way of seeing the world, it is an inevitability that someone like you would eventually see it as well. The soul, much like every part of ourselves, has its limitations after all. If a person screams loud enough, for long enough, their voice inevitably gives, breaks. They lose the ability and the will to scream. They fade into silence, into compliance. Such is pain; feel it with enough intensity, for long enough, and it takes away your ability and your will to feel much of anything at all. You can allow yourself to die then, or you can live with what youâve become, beyond that there is no choice. The people under my command, one way or another, understand this. What we are is something we have to accept in order to live and everything else is a consequence of that one choice.â
âEvery action is a choice, Sam.â
âActions are consequences of who and what a person is, Crys. A physical manifestation of oneâs nature. Coming here, talking to me, that wasnât as much a choice as it is a reflection of who you are. You need to know me, to understand. Then, if killing me becomes inevitable, you can tell yourself why. Here is where it becomes complicated though, because you do understand. If anyone is able to, itâs you. Not many people would be able to sincerely imagine a moment when pain becomes intense to the point it dulls everything else, but you... You, Miss Rivers, youâve felt that pain and more. Do you wonder why you havenât gone insane like all the others before you? What is that one little thread that keeps you whole and how long before it breaks apart?â Sam heaved a long sigh. âMy apologies, Miss Rivers, these questions are a tad bit too intrusive, are they not? Iâm sure you understand the nature of my curiosity though.â
Crys had kept the pleasant smile upon her lips, but her eyes had hardened at Samâs words. It wasnât just how deeply they cut or how casual the woman kept herself while doing so, but the fact that Crys found herself listening, and in part agreeing. In the end she wasnât sure what to make of that woman other than she was dangerous. âThereâs no need to apologize, Mistress. I do understand the curiosity. It is unfortunate that I canât really give you any concrete answers. I just am... What I am... And Iâve accepted that.â
Sam snorted a laugh at the response. âFair enough, Miss Rivers. Now, was there anything else? As interesting as this has been, I do have some matters that require my attention today.â
âFar from me to keep you from your affairs, Mistress... And donât worry, I remember the way out.â Crys spoke, bowing in a short courtesy. âThis surely has been a fascinating visit.â
âSurely.â Sam agreed, watching as the blind woman exited the room. She remained seated for yet a few minutes, finishing her tea, before someone finally called her away to something important.
-------------------------------------------------------------
[Otium 17, early afternoon]
Luckas was a bit confused to find Amber waiting for him instead of Adam in the training field that afternoon. The girl smiled sweetly as he approached, her blue eyes sparkling in childish delight. That was a bad sign. A very bad sign. Luke knew that much for sure.
âNice of you to show up, Lukey! Ready for todayâs exercise?â She asked, grinning widely.
âHmm...â Luckas mumbled, looking at her with suspicion for a moment before glancing around in search of Adam, sincerely wondering if she had found a way to dispose of the man to take over the training session. âWhat are you doing here? Whereâs Adam?â
âDonât worry I didnât bury him in the woods or anything... Heâll be here soon to observe.â Amber said cheerfully. âWe just agreed that the best way to assess your skill is for you to fight someone youâve never fought before. Someone who can... Catch you off your guard.â
âYou?â Luckas asked, honestly surprised and unsure of whether he should be wary or amused of this situation.
âYeeep... Me.â Amber replied with a proud smirk. âWould you rather it be Zeke? That ended so well last time, didnât it?â
âShut up.â Luckas muttered. âZeke is going to get his.â
âSo cranky since you came back, Lukey... Are you feeling a bit homesick already? Hm?â Amber snickered, tilting her head to the side and staring at him as if trying to assess his state of mind. âPoor little puppy...â She added in a soft and condescending tone. âCome on, take your frustrations out on me. You can do it, I have faith in you.â She playfully encouraged.
Luckas sighed softly. âNot like I have much of a choice, right? Should I fight you empty handed or...?â Luckas asked, spreading his arms wide open to show he had no weapons on his person.
Amber nodded, unable to hold back the smirk from forming itself across her features as she spread her arms in a similar manner to his. âLast one to the weapon rack gets a brand new scar.â She teased, nodding towards the stands that held the training weapons, not waiting for him to express acknowledgement before dashing towards them.
âFuck.â Luckas muttered out running after her. Luckas had never even seen Amber actually fight before, he knew she was very skilled with ranged weapons, and that she was fast as hell; both physically and mentally so. She rarely favored strength in the body types she chose for herself, but then Luckas wasnât exactly known himself for his physical strength.
Amber reached the weapon rack before Luckas and in order to take a blade he was first forced to duck under a violent slash that would have certainly slit his throat right open if the weapon had been sharp. Quick as the wind, the girl was. Luke pulled a short-sword from the rack and struck, meeting nothing but air, Amber had seen him coming a mile away and moved. Her training sword poked his torso. âDeeead. Care to try again?â she teased.
Luckas snorted, knowing very well that Amber meant to annoy him as much as possible. The girl paced slowly to the center of the training field and Luckas followed. âIâve seen you do better Lukey. If you hold back on me Iâm gonna have to punish you,â she warned.
Luckas didnât respond, he was trying to keep some semblance of focus, his hand gripping the sword just firmly enough that it wouldnât fly from his hand when struck. He was still more tense than it would be wise, while Amber was practically bouncing in place waiting for him to make a move. Luke tilted his head to the left and then to the right, trying to relieve some tension but not wanting to take his eyes off of Amber for a fraction of a second. She seemed to be waiting for him and Luckas didnât like that at all.
Amber rolled her eyes at his hesitation. âHow are you not dead yet?â she questioned. âCome on.â
Luckas snorted, raising the sword and striking, finally, at Amberâs midsection. The girl parried and countered with a series of quick strikes. Luckas blocked the first few and dodged others with considerable ease, which caused Amber to flinch. âBad, Lukey, youâve been playing around, havenât you?â She backstepped and circled around Luckas a few times. âHmmmph... You guard yourself well, but you come short on the whole attacking thing; which is the fun part I might add... We need to fix that.â
Luckas slowly turned as Amber circled him, facing the girl at all times and not answering any of her comments. He was a bit confused by her reaction just then. First he assumed Amber just knew everything he did and second, he didnât understand why that would faze her. The words âwe need to fix thatâ sure did something to put him on edge, and rightfully so, she was thinking of an approach and Luke wondered to what effect.
âWe need someone you hate. And I donât mean Beast Boy type hate. I mean HATE.â She mumbled under her breath, but audible enough for Luke to catch. The first thing on his mind was âyes, Lady already tried thatâ but of course Ess wouldnât cross certain lines. Amber had no lines and, like it or not, she knew him quite well.
Amber stopped in front of Luke and changed her appearance to a mirror image of him. Even the girlâs stare, blue as it might be, was a much accurate impersonation of him. Luckas snorted. âThis wonât work.â Echo followed his voice as Amber spoke the exact same words at the exact same time. âStop that.â Again.
Luckas moved and she mirrored his movement exactly, like a reflection. He couldnât even tell himself it wasnât working, because the change in his expression was visible in her as well. A chill ran down Lukeâs spine and he realized he was sweating cold. Amber might know a lot about him, but how could she know this? Luckas tightened his grip on the sword as he struck at his âcloneâ, metal striking metal in a rapid succession. Luckas saw contempt in his own expression, a mocking grin that was very much his own and he just wanted to erase it.
The fight was evenly matched for quite a few minutes, but despite holding his own Luckas was increasingly frustrated, even more so when Amber managed to get inside his guard and slap him in the face. He brought the training sword down on his clone with violence, once again hitting only metal. He pushed against Amberâs sword and when he saw the grin plastered on his mirror image he realized that was stupid. Amber brought her sword down in one quick motion, stepping aside so that Luckas lost his balance and stumbled forward. Amberâs sword hit him hard in the back and he fell to the ground. He rolled away immediately to avoid another blow and kicked Amberâs feet from under her. Luke rushed to try and pin Amber down. Even though he managed to pin her momentarily and struck her hard in the face with the hilt of his weapon, she still managed to put both feet to his abdomen and shove him off.
Luke stumbled backwards for a couple of steps, but caught his balance quick enough to avoid a blow to the face. He had no idea how Amber recovered so quick, but she was on her feet and on him in a matter of seconds. Luckas couldnât help a satisfied smirk as he caught sight of the bloody gash caused by the pommel of his training sword; blood trickling down her face - his own face - the same smirk plastered upon it.
More blows were exchanged, this time mistakes were being made more often on both sides, or so it seemed... Luckas wasnât sure how much of what Amber was doing was intentional under any circumstance. Finally it all seemed to end when she stabbed at his chest and overreached, Luckas spun away from the blunt weapon and gripped Amberâs wrist so that it forced the training sword out of her hand. He twisted her arm in such a way that it seemed very close to breaking, forcing her down to her knees. Aside from a subtle groan she didnât seem to even feel it. Amber grabbed a handful of dirt with her free hand and tossed at Lukeâs face over her shoulder, freeing her arm from his grip and elbowing him hard on the face. The blow stunned Luckas enough, but before he could try to recover a fist followed... and then another...
Everything flashed red for a minute... Then black...
âWake uuuup...â
âWake uuup...â
âCome on you pathetic little shit... wake up...â
Luckas felt he was drowning, and awoke to the sound of his own voice. He wasnât drowning, Amber was sitting on his chest and pressing the training sword slowly against his throat. She still wore his face, a manic grin marking his own features. âAre we done playing then?â Amber asked. âAnd you were doing so well too... tsk...â
Luckas could still breathe, with difficulty, but he could. Amber was still trying to push him into a reaction, but her words were lost on Luckas. He closed his eyes again... Black...
âSweetness... Wake uup...â
It took a few moments for Luke to register the change in the voice speaking over him... A familiar giggle piercing his ears and sending shivers down his spine. For a second he could smell lilacs... and lavender... and herbal tea... but that... That was just his mind playing tricks on him, because once that second passed he became very aware of where he actually was.
âI said... Are we done playing? I thought we were having fun?â
The body weighing him down moved very slowly into a different position now straddling his waist, the metal pressing down on his windpipe was replaced by a hand. Luckas tensed, still refusing to open his eyes and look. Strands of curly hair tickled his face and the voice now wasnât so far above his head; it was whispering straight into his ear.
âArenât you? Having fun? Hmmm?â She laughed. It sounded choked and pained. âIsnât this what you wanted from me, Sweetness? What you really want? We all end up where we started eventually... This is what we are, you and I, youâre just a little monster and Iâm...â She laughed again, and Luckas felt teeth slowly sinking into his ear lobe. âBusiness... Illusion... Weâre not special, Sweetness... Youâre not special... to me.â
Luckas reacted before he even thought to open his eyes. When he fully regained consciousness he was the one pinning down the woman. He knew it wasnât Ess, or at least he hoped he knew, either way he was very much determined to choke the life out of her. âItâs not true. Itâs not true. Not true!â He muttered over and over. Red glowing behind his eyes, spreading over the blue to no effect other than further the illusion. Luke was pressing down on her stomach with one knee and gripping her throat with both hands, squeezing, tighter and tighter by the second, not even flinching as she tried to pry them open. Luckasâ expression was beyond manic as he watched her strain for breath, tears trailing down porcelain skin, staining that pretty face he knew so well... If he could muster one coherent thought he might have wondered why Amber wouldnât change back, but he was too far gone to care.
When the woman was just about slipping out of consciousness Luckas was grabbed and pulled away from her. He was then tossed to the ground painfully. Adam stood over him for a moment as if to make sure he was going to stay down before walking away to check on Amber. Luckas didnât turn to look, but he could hear her wheezing and heaving violently; her voice momentarily still sounding like Ess, finally changing as she started to laugh. âWell done, Lukey!â
âScrew you.â Luckas snorted, slowly getting off the ground and walking towards the house.
[4 months ago]
âI died. I died and I am buried. I died and I am buried. No one is coming for me. Iâm going to choke to death and no one will save me. Iâm going to drown and no one will ever know I existed. Maybe I donât exist... Maybe Iâm not real... Iâm not real... This isnât real... Iâm dead...â The echoes inside Lukeâs mind were the only sound as he found himself trapped inside a coffin-like box; his breaths short and heavy. Time had stopped for him. His eyes were blind... At first his body ached from being trapped in such an enclosed space, but even the pain had long left him... And now there was only... Nothing. At first, as it was usual, Luckas had struggled, and fought, and screamed, even knowing it was pointless. He fought and screamed just for the sake of proving he was still alive. After a while though, being alive just didnât feel as important anymore and he fell into darkness and silence.
âDid you know Lukey, that once your eyes get used to the dark, your mind creates the illusion that it isnât quite so dark anymore?â A familiar voice whispered in the back of his mind. âAnd... If you spend enough time in the shadows, light actually becomes hurtful. See, love... If you spend enough time in the dark, it doesnât matter whether or not you find the light, because in the end all the light will do is blind you.â
âSammy...â The boy mumbled under his breath; his own voice failing him as he tried to push against the walls of his prison, his hands and fingertip aching from all the time already spent clawing at the wood of the box; every other pain and ache returning to his body as he resumed his fighting and struggling. Alternating from whines and pleas to curses and threats to whatever faceless figures had locked him up in the wooden box.
Essence had been in and out of sleep for the most part, finding herself lingering more in that limbo between dreaming and awake, still thinking about how it seemed like she could never sleep if she wanted to prevent those things she feared. Nightmares and invading telepaths. âShhh Tala...â She mumbled with a slight annoyed tone, thinking she heard the wolf whimpering from outside with the pups, instead again came the subtle noises and a cold nose at her cheek. Ess sighed, opening her eyes to find her wolf staring at the other side of the tent, head cocked to one side. Slowly Ess sat up, rubbing at her eyes, a soft glow emanating from them as she stared over at Luckas, her expression shifting from hazy to amused curiosity. âIs....he dreaming Tala?â She whispered quirking a brow when her friend began to fidget and squirm, a muffled whine escaping him. â..Thought he didnât dream...â Ess wondered aloud, inching closer towards her friend and paused at the sound of a name: Sammy. Her brows narrowed at the name as she remembered the woman and that smile she wore that seemed to make her skin crawl. She still wasnât sure if it was from annoyance, mistrust, or spite. Either way, she had admitted to herself how much she did despise how pretty the woman was and the way she had looked when discussing Luckas. Her cheeks began to flush with a purplish red, her chest tightening the more she thought about it. Ess had told herself she wasnât competing, but her actions, although not always obvious, still showed a competitive motive within. âIs it my business...or isnât it?â She thought, noticing a pain forming against her jaw, the only thing alerting her to the furious grinding of her teeth. Closing her eyes she let herself breathe, slowly outstretching a hand but never touching her friend. âLuckas...â She called, wondering if that would even be enough to wake him. When he didnât wake, his squirming appearing to increase she sighed, letting a soft hum escape her lips. âIf I sing...youâll hear me..â She whispered, still keeping her voice low but loud enough to make our her familiar words.
You burn like fire...
Haunting my dreams...
Hidden desires...
Chosen realities...
How did you ever know...
To assure the danger...
Within your eyes..
How did you ever question..
My love inside the fear..
Denying all ties....
Luckas stirred, mumbling incoherently under his breath as the silence faded to the sound of a familiar voice; a voice different from the echoes inside his mind. Slowly he became more and more aware of himself until he began making out words and focused on them until he felt himself completely conscious. The realization that he had been dreaming startled Luckas a bit more than the actual dream in itself and as he awoke he involuntarily shot up before even opening his eyes and exhaled strongly as if heâd been holding his breath all along, slowly opening his eyes and blinking as he focused on Essâ face. âHmmm... Am I awake now... Or is this one of those dreams where it looks like youâre waking up, but youâre really not?â He mumbled, looking a little bit confused as he scratched his head sleepily. âIs it morning, or...?â He asked absently, looking around but not seeming to come to any conclusions or care much about what time it was really. âI forgot I was here, I think...â He concluded.
Essâ eyes opened when she heard Luckas wake up, taking in a long breath. Falling silent she let her eyes move over him from head to toe as if she were assessing his disorientation before nodding. âWell....letâs see...â She smirked, reaching over and pinching Luckas on the arm hard. âIâm pretty sure we are awake....you were dreaming? Didnât look like it was completely pleasant. Are you alright?â Ess whispered, the color in her cheeks slowly diffusing back to their pale tone. She gave a sincere, concerned smile before handing Luckas her flask, offering him a drink. âWant to talk about it?â
âHeeey...â Luckas whined. âI would take your word for it, you know.â He playfully complained, faking a look of annoyance. âNonetheless... If I was dreaming you wouldnât be pinching me... Not in the arm anyways...â He snickered, stretching with a little groan and sighing. âIt didnât look completely pleasant? Does that mean it looked partially pleasant from your point of view, Lady? How curious.â He mumbled, rubbing his eyes and laying back down even though he didnât feel like he would go back to sleep. âWhen I was in the orphanage... After it was discovered what I could do.... Well, people do cruel things out of fear, it seems. Canât completely blame them for it... One of my recurring punishments was being locked inside a wooden trunk. I dream of it sometimes... Itâs not unusual, just doesnât usually happen when Iâm, you know... Here.â
Ess laughed lightly, shaking her head and playfully leaned in closer towards Luckas. âIf you and I were both asleep, how would we know it? Does this mean youâve had dreams about me before? Shouldnât let all that creativity go to waste, hmm?â Letting her smile fade she sighed. âI didnât mean it like that. I meant, you were squirming and whimpering...and then you said, âSammy..â...â Ess paused taking in a deep breath and leaning back against Tala who simply stared at Luckas, wagging her tail. âI couldnât tell much of what was going on in your head...you know, the norm.â She teased, pushing to hide the annoyance that came back at thinking of Sam. Quirking a brow she smiled again, âI am sorry I didnât keep the nightmares away this time...maybe you can understand what those people did to you to an extent, but it doesnât change the fact that it was not the correct way to go about it. You said it was a punishment....do you dream it randomly or is it triggered by something? If you seem better off here, then why not just stay here all the time?â She questioned, honestly curious for the answer. âIf you were dreaming about being put in a wooden box, what did Sam have to do with it?â Ess muttered, a hint of contempt in her voice at the last question.
Luckasâ eyes widened momentarily at hearing heâd mentioned Samâs name, but he didnât address that fact at first. âYes, in fact Iâve had dreams about you before... Is that surprising to you in some way? I mean, youâve dreamed about me being pretty much everywhere if I recall correctly.â He smirked. âMy dreams are... Not too different from that.â He stated casually, crossing his arms over his chest and staring straight up at the ceiling for a couple of moments before starting to answer to the series of questions Ess had asked in the order in which they were asked. âWell, I donât know if it was actually meant to be punishment, but it was how I saw it. It was probably the only way to keep me from controlling others, supposedly they just never realized or never cared about the fact that it was just because it terrified me. As for the dreams, I donât know if they are random or not exactly. I am definitely better off here, but I canât... Yet...â He sighed. âSometime though, maybe... And Sammy... Itâs complicated... Itâs not that she had anything to do with the box, directly, but... She was just the only person I could think to call for back then. Even while I thought she was dead.â He glanced towards Ess with a slightly apologetic look in his eyes for some reason. âThatâs probably why I called her now.â
âUh-huh...â Ess whispered with a shrug. âIt makes sense, I guess I just still find it surprising even if it shouldnât be. Iâm sure, quite similar they are..â Rolling her eyes in a comical disbelief. âI know, thereâs more to life and other things to focus on besides our own wants and desires. Youâve been hanging around a lot more lately, maybe you miss her.â Ess turned away, distracting herself with petting Tala, pulling herself further away from Luckas. âShe seems awfully important to you...our pasts can be a tricky thing sometimes. I understand those ties better than some, I think.â Ess sighed, muttering into Talaâs fur, âI also understand when someone is hiding something...â Her voice went from fuzzy to inaudible as she muttered something about âa painted smile she knew too well.â âIs that where you go when you leave here?â Ess asked, raising her head from Talaâs neck. â...Reason I ask is maybe I find it a bit...awkward and odd to be moving back and forth between women, hmm?â She forced a smile, trying to keep her tone light, yet the glow in her eyes faded leaving the silver outline of her pupils curiously dominate and unmoving, a hint of a blue vein appearing at the corner of her temple.
Luckas frowned momentarily, a look of curiosity crossing his expression quickly followed by one of confusion as Ess spoke. He didnât exactly understand how the conversation had reached this exact topic and he didnât know what was the meaning exactly behind the womanâs tone or the look in her eyes, but he suspected that whatever it was it might make him wish he was still asleep. âI donât think I have quite thought about her while Iâve been here...I donât actually have a habit of... Thinking about people while Iâm not with them... Usually...â Luckas mumbled, unable to hide the fact this was an awkward topic of conversation for him. âThat said, I guess I could say she is considerably important to me, yes. I have a room in her house, I use it for sleep when Iâm not here, yes... And I donât quite understand what the oddity here is exactly. I may not be all that well versed in what is normal social conduct, but as far as I know a lot of people know more than just one woman...â Snorting slightly he mumbled. âI can sure feel the awkward part of it though.â
Essence felt her entire body tense, letting her smile fade only a bit. âI see...â She said softly, dragging out the last word as if she were thinking, actually not understanding as she claimed to. Ess hated this feeling and how it was building, wincing at a sharp pain in her jaw she reached for her cheek and sighed at herself. She tried to pass off the stretching of her jaw as nothing out of the normal and turned so her back was facing Luckas, curling up to a line of pillows she had along the edge of the tent. âYouâre right about people knowing more than just one woman or just one man and thatâs not what catches me as odd. What caught me as odd was something deeper....But hey, no worries. Itâs not like you and I are more than friends, right. Because IF we were, it would not be ok with me with you having a room at a womanâs house, who acts like you belong to her...no matter how sweet and innocent it appears.â Ess sighed and turned onto her back, staring up at the Oak tapestry hanging from above. âMaybe...I donât like sharing either....â
âWell, you know I suck at âsomething deeperâ so if whenever you feel the need to elaborate on that, please do go ahead.â Luckas stated calmly, sitting up and turning to fully face Ess as he spoke. âAnd itâs a pretty huge house you know... Your tent is probably closer to Beast Boyâs bed than my room is to hers.â He pointed out raising an eyebrow at her, as if trying to mimic a playful expression, but not quite pulling it off. âShall I get started on how he acts towards you now? Is this somewhat like that, then?â He asked, honest curiosity in his tone. âI mean... Uh...â He paused, not sure exactly how to finish the sentence. âIâm not sure what I mean... Never mind.â He muttered. âIâll keep it in mind though... That IF we were, that would not be acceptable. I donât think it constitutes sharing however, either way.â He stated.
A humorless laugh escaped her, brows narrowing once again, but still she kept her voice calm. âI thought I did explain it, I apologize.â Ess scoffed. âAiden....may be in closer proximity to where I sleep than âHerâ, but Aiden does not share where I sleep. So I donât see that as a proper comparison...unless...â Ess unfurled her brows, a flash of violet passing over her irises. âUnless...sometimes you do. But hey, Iâm sorry if itâs not my business...some things are a bit fuzzy on what exactly IS my business and what ISNâT. I also donât care if you watch me sleep and I would very much care if my..â Ess emphasized her next words with a cold and dangerous tone. â...Friend Aiden there was watching me sleep...I may momentarily lose sight of who he is and slice out his eyes. The ONLY other male I have let sleep this close to me that wasnât blood related, would be Jake and there is a huge reason for that. Well many reasons, actually, including the fact I feel absolutely safe with him and trust him. Perhaps that helps in explaining how I would see that as sharing?â Ess sat back up, glancing at Tala whose ears fell back when meeting Essâ eyes and let out a soft whine before slipping back out the tent to tend to her pups.
âOh, so itâs the fact weâre somewhat within the confinement of the same walls that bothers you?â Luckas asked, raising an eyebrow. âI suppose I can start camping out in the yard if it makes you feel any better...â He offered, a hint of annoyance in his tone. âAnd I donât think I have ever said, or ever will say, that anything is not your business, Lady... I really just donât get what the problem is... I mean, Sammy and I share a common... history... So to speak... But I donât spend all my time with her when Iâm not here, I donât exactly think about her while I am here, I donât drop everything and run off if she calls for me... So I donât see how that would fall under the âsharingâ category. I mean, there was an incident or two, but itâs not like I would willingly share my sleeping quarters with her... Even so, Sammy is like an adoptive sister of sorts the way I see it.â Luckas said with a shrug, heaving a frustrated sigh as he fell silent. He couldnât really understand why he was feeling the need to defend himself in this situation. It wasnât a big deal after all... He hadnât really done anything wrong. âIs it weird that I almost feel proud of myself, Lady? I actually managed to piss you off in my sleep.â He chuckled, running both his hands through his hair leaving it in a ruffled mess. âThatâs almost brilliant, isnât it?â He laughed, a slightly cheerful hint of amusement crossing his dark eyes. âLady, you need to understand that, and Iâm not saying it isnât you business... Not what Iâm saying... You need to understand that Sammy was the only person in my life for a very, very, long time who didnât hate me, fear me, or hurt me. Even if she is clearly not that same person anymore... I wouldnât be alive if it wasnât for her and... I... Itâs complicated. Itâs really, really, really... Complicated... With her. Difficult. And uncomfortable sometimes, but...â He ended the sentence in an awkward shrug and stopped talking.
Funny how talking was considered therapeutic; a way to sort out oneâs thoughts and lead to a calming place. Funny indeed, especially when the more Luckas spoke the more annoyed Ess became, finding it almost pointless as if she were speaking to a feeble child. âIâM NOT PISSED OFF!â She belted out suddenly, surprised by the ferocity of her own voice. Ess blushed at herself and cleared her throat, speaking softer once again. âIâm not pissed off at YOU.â She insisted. âMaybe Iâm a bit frustrated with YOU because I canât seem to help you understand what I am saying.â Ess sighed, shuffling to her feet and walking out of the tent for some air. The nights were getting warmer now that Spring was here and the idea of Summer suddenly grossed her out; mostly with the idea of sleeping indoors. At least she would have the chance to sleep under the stars again. âLuckas...â She called gently. âThe reason I keep mentioning I donât know if it is or isnât my business is because I feel like Iâm intruding. In many ways, itâs not my business, but...â Ess trailed off a bit before turning her gaze to look at him, strong concern in her eyes as all her focus moved away from herself and only to him. âWhat did you mean when you said âWillingly?â Has something happened that shouldnât have? If thereâs one thing I was made to understand, is that even those closest have boundaries and they should know when not to cross them. I donât flirt with Jake, Luckas. Heâs like family and thatâs just....â Ess made a disgusted face. âBy the Twins...just gross and wrong on so many levels. If you look at your friend as family, I will be the last one to object to it, no matter what because I canât tell you what to think or feel.â Shaking her head, a wounded look crossed her eyes, her smile forming once again, only now with an obvious sadness. âMaybe I wanted you to be calling me...because Iâll always hear you...and Iâll always find you. Do you âHearâ Sam when she calls to you...like when I call to you?â Ess asked, averting her eyes as if she feared the answer.
âAlright, youâre NOT pissed... Thanks for reassuring me...â Luckas mumbled, making an effort not to point out that it was surely unfair of Ess to be frustrated with him if she admitted to be the one unable to make him understand. It wasnât as if he was trying to hide the fact that he didnât understand, heâd made that pretty clear. Remaining still where he sat, Luckas followed Ess only with his eyes, keeping silent until she addressed him again. âYou donât intrude.â He mumbled quietly. âI donât see why youâd think that.â Luckas leaned forward, resting his arms over his knees. âIâm not a woman you know, if something bothers me I make it clear.â He said, a playful smirk crossing his features. âI donât quite get what you mean by âsomething that shouldnât haveâ, but what I meant was that... Iâve woken up a couple of times and found Sam in my room... She just sits there sometimes, I think... Because she doesnât sleep...â He sighed and stopped himself. âI canât go into much detail here, she told me things in confidence...â He mumbled, shrugging dismissively and moving on. âItâs not like that though... I know where all the lines are drawn, you know, Iâm not that... uh... Innocent.â Luckas stopped, unable to seriously use that word, and chuckled for a few seconds before getting back on track. âLady... Sometimes dreams are only dreams. You are still the only voice in my head... The only real one at least.â
Holding back a smile she quirked a brow, her expression purely inquisitive, playing on Luckasâ words. âYouâre not a woman? Reaaaally? Huh...â Ess teased, holding a straight face. âWell, it wouldnât matter to me either way if you were or not.â Finally she let that sweet smile show through and shrugged. âI donât intrude, huh? Famous last words...What I donât understand is how you ask questions, clearing showing you donât understand but then you answer my question or what I was hinting at. But, alright. Letâs define âsomething that shouldnât happen.â How about a hypothetical hmm? Girl and boy. Girl likes boy. Boy likes girl. Boy doesnât see how much girl really likes him. Maybe even to the point sheâd want to be intimate with him. You know, like some men pay women to play behind closed doors. So..â Ess snickered. âBoy is oblivious to how girl looks at him..yearns for him...and maybe even tries to sabotage any other chance heâd have at happiness because she wants him for herself. Example of something that shouldnât happen. But ok, letâs go simpler..pray tell I lose you. Boy likes Girl. Boy tries hugging and kissing on her without her permission, but she gives in because she thinks itâs the norm and what she is suppose to do. That, is a fine lined example of abuse. Someone not accepting or respecting those lines you say you understand. So ok, maybe we are on the same level. Maybe you donât understand quite what I mean yet. I do have a decade on you. Those were merely examples anyways.â
Ess stretched out across the log beside the fire she neglected nowadays to keep going, closing her eyes. âI wouldnât ask you to tell me anything personal of your friend, just like Iâd expect you not to talk about my personal business...just as I donât talk about yours you relay to me in confidence.â Ess let out a long sigh, her lips twitching behind a smile. âYour voice is the only one in my head too, Luckas. Maybe, I just donât trust some things Iâve seen and maybe Iâve grown more protective of you as of late. See what happens when you hang around so much?â Ess groaned, laying her arm across her face so that her eyes were hidden. âIâm selfish..â She muttered. âI want you all to myself..â
[Present Time - Otium 17, afternoon]
âSo, that was quite the exercise, I hear.â
Luckas didnât answer. Heâd been staring at his bedroom ceiling for at least an hour. The door was open but Amber was the only to ever go in his room, and right now she was smart enough to stay the hell away. Sam knew no such boundaries though. When the woman sat on the edge of the bed, Luckas sat up and turned away from her.
âOkay, weâre still doing this then?â She asked.
Luckas frowned, not understanding the question at first, but then remembering that he hadnât talked to her since before Jakeâs party and the talk hadnât been friendly. âDoing what?â He muttered, pretending not to understand.
âSeriously, Luckas.â Sam snorted. âI just want to know if youâre okay.â
âIâm fine.â
âI thought you hated that word.â Sam teased. âYou donât look that fine to me.â
âDid you tell her to do that? Luckas asked, failing to hide the accusing tone of his words.
âDo what?â
âI know you were watching, you can see the training area from the library, Sam.â
Sam sighed softly. âYes, Luckas, I was watching. What Iâm asking is if you want to know if I told Amber to push you or if I told her exactly what to do... If itâs the first; yes, if itâs the latter; no. I actually would love to know what she said to put you in that state.â
âI bet you would.â Luckas sighed, lying down and staring at the ceiling again. âSo you didnât tell her about the mirror?â
Sam snorted a laugh, pointing at the covered mirror on the wall. âSeriously?â
âRight.â
âThatâs not why youâre angry. Youâre angry because of what you did. Youâre wondering, if it was really her saying those things; whatever they were, and not Amber, if you would have done the same thing...â
âDonât tell me how I feel.â He muttered.
âWell, isnât that why youâre angry?â Sam questioned simply. âTell me Iâm wrong, then. Amber told me you wouldnât attack her when the two of you trained; yes, I know about that... Is it because you didnât want to hurt her or because you do?â
Luckas turned to look at Sam, her face was void of any emotion and she simply stared back at him in mild curiosity. Luke sat up again, facing her this time. âWhat do you want me to say? What the hell do you want from me?â
âWeâve had this conversation. Iâm not going to repeat myself to you.â Sam shrugged carelessly. âYou wanted to be free of me, remember? So it shouldnât matter what I want. Answer my questions, donât, as long as you think you know the answers.â
Luckas shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. âIâm not going to hurt her, not like I did out there, itâs not who I am.â
âIf you canât look at yourself in the mirror, Luckas, then you donât know who you are. You think itâs your nature that makes you dangerous, but itâs not; itâs all your doubt.â Sam spoke, standing up and tugging on the sheet covering the mirror. âThe one thing, one thing, you should have learned from that healer, Luckas, and you ignore it.â
Luckas got off the bed and stood in front of Sam, ignoring the uncovered mirror. âI know what Iâm not, thatâs more than enough right now. Iâm not like my brother, like you, I donât have to break everything I touch.â
âLike me...â Sam repeated under her breath. The woman fell dangerously silent for a very long moment, staring down at her hands as if she was trying to remember something.
âSammy...â Luckas mumbled.
âNo... Donât...â She cut him off. âThatâs what you said, thatâs how you see me.â
âIâm just tired.â Luke sighed. âI didnât mean it like that...â
Sam heaved a long sigh. âI believe you.â She said. âI always believe you, Lukey.â Her tone was freezing cold unlike anything Luckas had ever heard.
For another disturbingly long moment Sam was just silently staring at her hands, fists clenching slowly, and Luckas wanted to know what was exactly going through her mind. Her expression was completely void and her eyes seemed to darken like the forest trees on a stormy night.
After the silence seemed to drag on for hours, Sam abruptly smashed her fist into the mirror opening her hand and pressing her palm against the shattered glass, sliding it down the cracked surface and leaving a bloody trail. She didnât look angry, or fazed by the glass shards sinking into her flesh, nothing. She pulled her hand away from the mirror and watched as the blood started to drip onto the floor as if in some sort of trance. She only seemed to snap out of it when Luckas moved as if to reach for her wounded hand.
âDonât... Touch me.â She muttered, anger finally showing in her eyes as she watched Luckas step back as though sheâd slapped him in the face, sitting back down on his bed and looking up at her. âYou think...â She sighed, calming her tone and turning her bloody palm to him. âThis is what happens when something breaks, Luckas. So, you think I broke you, fair enough; I did. I never denied that. I never lied about it... I answered your questions.â She laughed coldly. âAnd you keep asking what I want from you, but... What do you want from me? What do you expect me to say? Look in the fucking mirror Luckas.â
Luke shook his head. âSammy... Youâre bleeding a lot...â
âThatâs what I do. What Iâve done my whole life... I break things and I bleed. Maybe my father was right and thatâs all I am. Maybe youâre right and youâre not like me. And I used you. I used you to fool myself into thinking I wasnât alone. We used each other... And now weâre done.â
Luckas felt her words weigh a lot heavier than he expected, standing up from the bed as if he meant to reach out again, but sitting back down as if he lacked the nerve. âYour fath-...â He stood up again as she turned to leave the room without another word, not showing signs of wanting to listen anymore. She closed the door behind her and Luckas sat back down again, staring at the closed door with the look of an abandoned puppy. He stood up as though he meant to follow her, but sat down again soon after, staring blankly at the tiny pool of blood on the ground. He couldnât come to terms with what he was feeling. Moments ago he resented Sam, and rightfully so, but at the same time he didnât want her to leave... He didnât want to lose whatever the hell that was... âStupid. Fucking stupid.â He muttered. âIdiot.â
[4 months ago]
Luckas frowned slightly as he listened to Essâ words, absently scratching the side of his head in thought at her scenarios. âHarmful... love...â He mumbled softly to himself, suddenly recalling Samâs words on the Twins. âThe second case is pretty clear, okay, but... Abuse is a strong word for your first scenario, donât you think?â He asked, raising his voice to normal level again. âIâd say itâs more of a case of...â He sighed softly, pausing as he tried to remember specific words. âI read something in a book once... âNo man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happinessâ. Lena said that sometimes thatâs true... The first case sounds more to me as something like that, mixed in with a bit of denial...â He shrugged slightly. âI donât know, maybe youâre right... I donât quite understand everything, but... I can understand clinging to something, someone, anything just for the faint possibility of happiness and not caring whether itâs not real, whether itâs harmful... Lines can become awfully blurry then... When you want something so badly that things like âwrongâ, ârightâ, and âboundariesâ simply become meaningless.â He went silent for a few seconds as if mulling something over before speaking again in a barely audible mumble. âSome would argue that this is what you and I are doing here.â
After a small moment of silent contemplation Luckas smiled in amusement. âI suppose thatâs a risk I take... That one day I just wonât be able to leave anymore. As is, Lady, Iâd say you already have about ninety percent of me to yourself... Give or take...â He yawned quietly and nodded. â...And the remaining ten are beginning to feel slightly jealous...â
Ess moved her arm to support her head, glancing over at Luckas curiously. âI would tell anyone who had the audacity to look at our situation and say it was âharmfulâ or that how I feel or what I want is wrong....and smack them upside the head with a chair.â She smirked, slowly sitting up. âIf there are boundaries with us, they are ours to deal with, not anyone elses. I donât feel being your friend is wrong and it feels right to me. So screw âthemâ. I would not interfere with something that was right or good for you if that was what you wanted, just like you tell me if I want you gone, youâll go. So to me, some lines are pretty clear, but I understand how some can be blurry...I guess. Perhaps that is only us playing on our own fears and doubts..â Shaking her head she sighed, mumbling. âAlways easier to see from the outside than in...â Ess was silent, still staring at Luckas, her expression disappearing from curiosity to a vacant one. âI think...until recently....I had only been myself around one person, truly and now thereâs you. With that said, I am pretty sure I am only showing you what is real...a change I am getting used to more and more....so maybe I just donât..or wonât understand why someone could look at me and say this is risky...If itâs real and Iâm not causing harm..â
âHmm... Iâm not sure if Iâm okay with you hitting other people with chairs, Lady.â Luckas played, narrowing his eyes in a fake look of annoyance. âYour point, however, leads me to another question... hypothetically, of course... How does one know what constitutes abuse when the person on the receiving end of such abuse doesnât know where the lines are drawn? I mean, it is up to every individual to impose limits, but if they canât, or donât know when the lines are being crossed? Like the Boy in your example... If he canât see, heâs... Oblivious, you said... To how the girl is acting with him, he canât possibly feel violated, right? So who is to decide that for him? Is it even a proper thing to do, decide someone elseâs lines are being crossed?â His tone was honestly confused at the question as he stared at her with a nearly blank stare, seeming almost as if he had gotten himself into a trance of sorts. Staying like that for a few moments before snapping out of it and shaking his head. âSometimes... Weâre not aware of whatâs real or harmful... So, really, are you sure of that?â He asked.
Essence sighed, running her fingers through the ends of her braid, twirling the curly strands around her fingertips. âThat....is the question every child learns the answer to at some point, Luckas. Everyone makes decisions on what is abuse and what isnât...for themselves and for others. Honestly, tell me...what makes the second scenario so much easier to understand than the first? If the girl thinks her force of affection is normal, then can we really constitute that as abuse then? I say yes...â Clearing her throat, Ess frowned at a thought, her eyes narrowing as a memory came back to her. âLuckas...a few years back...before you and I met in that alley...I knew this butcher and his daughter. I knew them since I came to NewHaven, and I watched the little girl grow over the years. She always seemed happy, but slightly nervous and when I looked at her I felt...I guess you could describe it as discomfort. When she became a teenager, that light in her eyes, so to speak, began to fade and I noticed one day how âcloseâ her father was to her. Now some may argue it was normal affection, but for a second...one moment, I saw the awkwardness in that girlâs eyes when she looked up at me. Come to find out, the father was treating the daughter like a wife ever since she was small. Now...I know this is wrong...I know something like this needs to be stopped..but the little girl didnât understand why she felt so uncomfortable to something she grew up thinking was normal. Do you think it wrong of me to explain that to her or to take matters into my own hands?â Ess paused, turning her gaze away casually from Luckas as a few tears fell down her cheek hidden from his view. âIgnorance was not bliss...but a prison. The only reason it came to light was when the girl started to show she was with child. Of course the father made up some lame excuse of his daughter getting herself into trouble with a stable boy, but I saw...and I got her to tell me...and I swear Luckas, when I sliced that bastard from neck to belly, I saw the light come back into her eyes. There are some things in this world that just are. The other thing Luckas...is when the person who is crossing those lines, KNOWS what they are doing is wrong....it makes it wrong. When they donât know what they are doing is wrong...itâs called denial.â
Casually wiping away those tears she turned back around to face Luckas. âDo you think I am harmful to you? Do you think I would ever use you, purposely hurt you, abandon you? If you think I would, then...I think you have a lot to learn. We can be sure when we have something to believe in and trust. I can understand someone being oblivious but it doesnât change the truth of it all....and sometimes we just need to trust those feelings we donât understand. They are there for a reason...just like pain.â
âHmmm....â Luckas mumbled, taking his time to process what Ess was telling him. He didnât seem, or feel, less confused, but he was paying full attention and honestly trying his best, which, considering it was Luckas, was really a very big deal. After a few moments of quiet, the confusion never leaving his expression, he spoke. âI donât know if I can answer that, Lady, because honestly, Iâm not sure I have a clear view of what is hurtful, or even painful. I mean thereâs physical pain, and I understand that it is hurtful, but even that at times just doesnât seem like such a big deal; it was a great part of my ânormalityâ for quite a bit of time after all. Never something I could mistake for affection, but itâs just... Too familiar to bother me now.â He sighed, shaking his head and absently fiddling with the collar of his shirt. âThat said... I donât think you would intentionally hurt me, in any way. I know that you can, but I donât think that you would. Iâm not sure though, if you did, if I would actually mind that.â Luckas fell silent for a little while longer, scratching at the back of his neck as he lowered his head, resting his forehead against his knee. âThe difference, to me, between your first and second examples is simple... Itâs the, hm, physical aspect. I mean... This is something even I know; if a person touches you, you will always know what the intention is, you may not quite understand, it may not be apparent, but you will feel it if somehow itâs not an acceptable touch. Even if you are told otherwise. Generally, if someone has to say something is okay, itâs usually not, but even if the person in question canât make that distinction, it is still possible to feel that... Sickening feel in the back of your stomach... Like thereâs something crawling its way up your insides...â He snorted and let himself fall silent for a few moments before moving on. âWithout that physical aspect though... What constitutes abuse? I mean, Iâve been told that itâs not always physical, and not always exactly a violent act, so... What is it?â
âJust because something is familiar....doesnât mean you are immune. You still seem unsure of certain things, youâve made that apparent, but you say at the same time that âI could hurt youâ. Physically, yes I know, and I know you donât seem to mind that, because you keep coming back.â Ess smirked for a moment before it faded away. âItâs not right of me to do that you know. I shouldnât be smacking around people I care about....even if they do have it coming. And Iâll probably do it again at some point...â She half joked. âBut Iâm distracting myself now...you must have some sort of idea of what Iâm talking about if you think I could âhurtâ you. That itâs possible, I mean. But..why would you say you wouldnât mind it? Then it wouldnât be hurting you, would it?â Ess randomly bent down to pick up a handful of tiny rocks, and started chucking them against the trees, seeing how far she could bounce them, a delicate frown shaping her lips still giving her appearance an alluring aura. âThat distinction you speak of...the sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach...you talk about it like you understand it pretty well. I would get that feeling any time ANY man would even come near me. Think thatâs changing though..â
Essence sighed, trailing off and pausing to think of how to explain to Luckas what constituted abuse in a non physical way. âLuckas...do you understand what manipulation is? I can give you an example...Ebony. She was quite good at it too..probably her only talent besides running her mouth until someone got pissed off enough to get all stabby on her. For a time, that...slimy hag actually had me believing that I had no soul and that I was nothing. I think she did in fact break me a couple times, but to her annoyance it never stuck. For one, she didnât get to me until I was around eight and two, I met Jake. I still struggle even though I know better now. The entire incident with Asher and me thinking my son was dead....manipulation...that was not all physical abuse. Making someone believe in something good that is simply a lie, to twist it and break a personâs spirit would be a form of mental abuse. Ebony use to tell me all the time how ugly I was and I know now it was out of jealousy and to keep me under control. The will of a person, strengthened by their own determination for survival, revenge, family, friendship...whatever the source, I found to be a great weapon. That is what I think frightens those who seek control the most...when they realize they have lost that power...lost their leverage.â Essence groaned at herself, her fingers gently massaging the base of her neck. âItâs always about power...thatâs what rape is...rape of the body and of the soul.â
âPain exists to show us when weâre hurt, Lady. If you numb the pain, it doesnât make you any less hurt, it just makes you unaware.â Luckas mumbled quietly, lifting his head to look at Ess. âSo, me not minding doesnât necessarily mean you wouldnât be hurting me. That wasnât exactly what I meant either, but... never mind.â He shrugged, moving from where he was sitting to a spot closer to the fire pit. âFine, I think I get it, at least in theory, but... Not sure if I can say I understand everything... Not everything...â He frowned, trying to stifle a yawn. âSo, are you worried Sammy is manipulating me? Or something of that sorts? You said... You donât like things youâve seen... What does that mean exactly?â Scratching the side of his face and holding back another yawn Luke sighed. âAlso, by your definition, isnât Jake right to say Iâm no different from a rapist, Lady? If it is in fact a matter of control, thatâs kind of my thing.â
Ess quirked a brow, a confused look clouding her expression. â...When I was numb...I wasnât unaware....it was more along the lines of denial...and when I started feeling again....â Glancing over at Luckas she sighed and averted her eyes again before standing and scooting closer to where Luckas sat. âYou canât do that....I have this uncontrollable urge to know everything..and maybe I donât always ask what you were going to say but I keep thinking about it ...and right now...is one of those times you may wish you didnât just tell me that I donât intrude.â Ess smiled, a compassionate and gentle smile. âWhat did you mean then, because now Iâm the one who doesnât understand, Sweetness.â For the moment, Ess skipped over Luckasâ question on Sam, thinking about how to answer that one while she playfully bumped her shoulder into his. âOh, now you are going to start agreeing with Jake? Maybe I should...tell him....â She joked, giggling a bit before taking on a serious tone. âI agree that there are many who deserve what youâve done to them. I also see âRapeâ as taking away something against that personâs will. Maybe I can understand the memory snatching thing sorta...as a comparison...but then again I think someone I know....â Ess pretended to think hard of who she was talking about. â..someone said that we canât take away something that was already gone...or something like that. Many of those people had no souls...I believe. And I also donât feel like youâve taken anything away from me....instead quite the opposite. You...Iâm not afraid of you...I donât act differently in fear of your anger, or of some punishment, like most in controlling situations do. You have not physically hurt me...even if youâve said thereâs been a temptation.â Ess pulled her gaze away and towards the empty fire pit. âI dunno Luckas, I donât have all the answers..I canât explain everything I feel. Iâm just trying to be a good friend, the only way I know how. With that said...Sam, I am only going on instinct and feelings. I donât know for sure anything because well, I donât know. You donât talk about her and I donât ask....for the most part. When..her and I chatted...there were things I picked up on that would not necessarily be obvious or even completely correct from my short encounter. Letâs just say I know another great actress when I meet one. Is it wrong of me to worry about you? Even when you piss me off, I still worry. Just one of those things that just is and you will have to accept I guess.â Ess smiled, reaching towards Luckas to ruffle up his hair. âWe can sit here until the sun comes up and I think we may end up more confused because of the whole lack of sleep thing. Go back to sleep Sweetness...Iâll be here. Besides, we have lots to practice tomorrow.â
âI meant... I can understand clinging to some faint possibility of happiness and not care whether itâs harmful.â Luckas stated with a shrug. âThatâs what I meant. Which leads me to something I donât quite understand, since weâre on the topic of âthings we donât understandâ... I donât understand why you call me that.â Shaking his head Luckas frowned slightly, unamused by the thought of agreeing with Jake. âThatâs not what I said, and you shouldnât say that to him unless you want me messing with his memory. And I donât think you should judge what I do based on your personal experience Lady... At least not yet.â He said, a playful smirk crossing his features. âI was not nearly as rough on you as I couldâve been... And I paid you, so thereâs that.âHe chuckled softly, shaking his head. âI donât mind the comparison, I certainly didnât mind it as much as you did, if anything itâs only fitting that thatâs what it feels like to them, right?â
Luckas playfully leaned away from Ess when she messed with his hair, faking annoyance and straightening up some strands that fell over his eyes. âI should cut this shorter...â He mumbled, heaving a small sigh. âEh, whatâs one more thing after everything Iâve already learned to accept so far, right?â Failing to cover up his next yawn Luckas shrugged. âI donât need to sleep... Itâs fine... I donât want to go back there tonight.â
âClinging to the faint possibility of happiness...thought happiness was only found in moments.â Essence whispered, her tone slightly sad even though she still smiled. Quirking a brow she held back an amused laugh. âWhy do you call me âLadyâ?â She shrugged. âI am definitely not one by definition, although I am a woman....I mean not in the âculturedâ term it is taken as. âSweetnessâ is a term of endearment Luckas and it is also what my father use to call me. I use to not realize when I said it, years ago because...well you saw. Much was only for show. There was nothing behind the term then, but things change. I am sure the more time we spend around one another the more nicknames Iâll start using for you.â She teased with a playful wink. âMaybe I shouldnât judge by only my experiences, but really, how do we learn except by experience and the experiences of those close to us.â Leaning slightly against Luckas her eyes widened. âMaybe you just go too easy on me. Weâll have to change that.â Ess snickered. âWhat did you pay me for exactly? You werenât the typical customer and I always wondered about that. You know I gave that up so if thereâs something youâre after, youâll have to find another method of payment beside coin. Now that I think about it, ironic....huh...â Ess muttered trailing off as she realized she was thinking aloud.
âHuh..â Ess shook her head, flicking a strand of Lukeâs hair back into his eyes. âMaybe a trim...want me to do it? Not too much though...I like longer hair.â She smiled, exaggerating the way she batted her eyelashes. âYou just donât want me watching you sleep..which is just too bad because I could help keep you out of the box....or whatever it is you find yourself trapped inside of. Itâs only a few hours til sunrise, I wonât be going back to sleep at this point I think.â
âMoments can be faint, Lady... They can end before they begin... Or they can be eternal... It depends, I suppose.â Luckas replied, a bit amused at Essâ question of why he called her Lady, a slightly surprised expression crossing him as held back a laugh. âI didnât think âPretty Ladyâ was a complicated nickname... I thought I was being as obvious as I usually am with these things... I mean, you donât think to ask why I address Captain as such, itâs because thatâs... What she is.â He shrugged. âThe only person I had more than one nickname for was Lena, I think... Mostly because âEvil Bitchâ wasnât always a proper thing to say out loud. Hmm...â He mumbled, thinking for a few moments before moving on. âIâm not much for the âculturedâ meaning of things, Iâm a literal guy for the most part... So yeah... You are a Lady who I happen to think is Pretty... That is the reasoning behind most my nicknames. Stalker is lucky he didnât end up with âAnnoying Black Fuzzballâ... Iâd probably end up calling him âFuzzyâ though so I guess weâre both lucky.â He snickered. âWell, you know you can call me whatever you like and most likely Iâll answer, or possibly come running, but I like âLukeyâ better though.â
Luckas laughed in a childish way as once again he pulled hair away from his eyes. âI see...â He chuckled. âWell, if someone is to be holding sharp objects near my head, Iâd surely prefer itâd be you... Plus, you know what you like too.â He played. âSo, yeah, why not...â Yawning once again Luckas heaved an annoyed sigh. âYou know... Itâs not fair... You brainwashed me into taking care of myself and now I canât stay up all night anymore.â He complained, holding back another yawn. âI donât mind you watching me sleep Lady... Iâm a bit concerned with you hearing me now though.â Rubbing his eyes, and hiding his face in his hands in the process of doing so, Luckas suddenly halted and went back to a bit of conversation heâd overlooked. âWhat do you mean what did I pay you for? Your time, Lady... What I thought Iâd taken...â He shrugged. âNot payment in the sense of a business transaction, mind you... In the sense of compensation. Although I am constantly after something, if itâs something I can purchase itâs usually not worth it... Generally speaking.â He stated, raising his head from his hands to look at Ess. âWhat... Is so ironic though?â
Ess casually stretched backwards over the log, slow and dramatic like until her fingers found her belt upon the ground and snatched up her dagger, sitting up straight once again. She unsheathed the blade in one hand and stood so that she was taller than Luckas, her free hand gently running through his hair. âOk...you must be crazy..â She played. âNo one trusts me with a blade..â Ess giggled, sifting through his hair to find the natural parts, absently holding out a handful of hair and began slicing through at an angle. She started with the back, not holding still for too long as she circled Luckas a few times, her blade easily melting through the hair without pulling a single strand. âDonât wiggle...â She muttered sternly. âI didnât brainwash you silly....I donât think...well wasnât my intention...and I thought that was what brainwashing was...intentional.â Ess paused stepping back to look at her progress, her fingers reaching towards Luckasâ chin to raise his head and instead hovered over his face to motion for him to look up. âEyes on me...â She stated with a wink, carefully taking about an inch or so off the lengths around his eyes. âIâm a bit concerned on what comes out of your mouth while you sleep too....especially when youâre away. You know whatever you say around me stays with me, right? I donât believe in talking about people behind their backs....telling otherâs secrets.â Her gaze fluttered around his face before finally locking with his dark stare. âSo, you think Iâm pretty and Iâm worth it. Careful Luckas, youâll make me blush.â Essence sighed, circling around Luckas once again, thinking about the nickname âLukeyâ. âReminds me of when my father use to call me Essy...which by the way...donât call me that.â Ess winced, giving a playful shiver. âI hated Ian for calling me that...felt like when he did it, it was like a name for a prized cow or something. When my dad did it, I didnât notice half the time....but that is just different...family....personal...â Ess distracted herself for a moment, the blade cutting through the last bit of Luckasâ hair and into her pointer finger causing her to flinch and startle in surprise. âDamn..â She mumbled, sucking on her finger.
With a flick of her wrist she imbedded her dagger into the wooden log and used her free hand to sift and shake out the loose stragglers of severed hair, brushing away the scratchy pieces from his neck. âIronic...just how much has changed from that night in the Castle, Luckas. I met the Captain, life changing....I ran into you again...â She sighed, sitting down in front of him. âIt was like...an awakening of sorts. That night was the last night I...â Ess averted her eyes to her dagger. âI...the last time I abused myself...the last time I allowed a stranger into my bed. So yes...Ironic because I wanted something more and now Iâm searching for it. Looks like Iâm finally getting somewhere.â
âHmm...â Luckas held as still as he possibly could, his eyes obediently fixed on Ess in a manner much similar to a puppy. Overall, though, his expression was one of contemplation as he listened to her words. âI know you wouldnât go around telling people my secrets, thatâs not what concerns me actually.â He stated simply, not quite going into why he was concerned. âIs there some sort of danger to making you blush, Lady? I highly doubt you havenât been called pretty before.â He stated, a slight questioning tone to his voice, even though it wasnât exactly a question. âRegardless... I donât see stating a fact as paying a compliment exactly... But if I did, I would be implicitly complimenting you every time I address you, which happened hundreds of times in the past months... Iâd assume thatâd be enough to get used to it.â He said, a playful look crossing his eyes momentarily, but melting away in seconds as he continued in a very âmatter of factâ way. âI never quite liked being called âLukeyâ, but it sounds better when you say it. I donât know... I guess I like it now then.â He mumbled the last couple of words, closing his eyes for a little bit and letting out a long sigh as she mentioned her brother. âToo bad canât kill âem twice.â
Luckas opened his eyes when Ess moved to sit in front of him, idly running his fingers through his hair. âHuh... That was considerably painless...â He joked, snickering softly for a moment and then taking a serious tone as he gave a nod of agreement to her words. âLots changed, I see what you mean... And you know... That was a good night. I didnât sleep then either... I almost, almost, followed you home, I remember... Because the castle was so very boring at night.â Lowering his hand from where he had been still messing with his hair, Luckas paused to silently stare at Ess for a few moments as if questioning himself, after which he spoke, averting his gaze. âIf I... Uh... I was wondering about something, just out of curiosity but you donât have to answer...â Luckas paused again, scratching the back of his neck. âI remember you saying you have never âentertainedâ without a price... And you just moments ago described intimacy as something men pay women to do behind closed doors... Have you always seen it that way? I mean... Was there never a moment when you didnât? Even hypothetically so?â
Ess looked at her cut finger, satisfied that it should stop bleeding and retrieved her dagger from the log, flipping it over in her hand and tossing it into the earth between her feet. Again and again she retrieved it and chucked it into the dirt in the same spot. An uncomfortable feeling irked its way along the back of her neck at Lukeâs comment about her having heard that compliment before and she shrugged. âSure..you said so the night at the Castle and at first I had the same reaction I did when any man said that to me. That heâs full of shit. Do you realize the only other two men in my life who have said that to me, who I actually believed, were my family? My father and Jake. Any time that was said to me, it was either a lie, a form of manipulation, or some way for them to attempt to royally screw me over...literally sometimes too. So yes, to accept it now, is a big deal....especially when I hear it from someone who isnât family and isnât only hanging around me for one thing.â Essence twitched slightly, a look of confusion crossing her eyes as she looked up at Luckas, the blade in her hand which froze in place as she asked a question. âWhen have I called you Lukey?â Ess smirked. âI honestly donât remember...was I drunk? Iâm sorry if you donât like Sweetness...â
Essâ eyes narrowed slightly, intently absorbing the haircut she had just given him and nodded finally after a bit of silence in approval of her work. âLooks good, not too short...not too different in style from when we met...If I remember correctly...wanna see?â She asked, getting up to grab a shard of the mirror she had smashed the night she first had her nightmare and came back to her seat to continue tossing the dagger into the hole in the ground she was forming. She put down the piece of mirror between her and Luckas. âYou know, if you followed me home, I donât honestly know how I would have reacted.â She laughed, letting her smile close as she thought on Luckasâ question, not actually expecting something so personal to be voiced and at first she couldnât tell if she was ashamed to answer, angry, or simply embarrassed. Her expression contorted in several directions, each time she went to speak she stopped, changing her mind on how she was gonna answer so that she came off almost like she was stuttering. âWell...um...ok...remember how I said in the Castle that, well basically I mentioned it being only business and how I never...â Ess cleared her throat. âIn my experience...never enjoyed that kind of intimacy. I mean..can anyone really blame me? I never wanted to and it was always forced upon me..and at such a young age, so when it became a choice...I still didnât want to and it became a necessity instead.â Ess made sure to find Luckasâ eyes before she continued, a subtle glow emanating from her stare. â...Like you agreed, seconds ago...a lot has changed...and if I wasnât starting to accept the possibility of...seeing intimacy differently, then I would still be falling into âold habitsâ, no? I think I hope...even if foolishly, to not miss out on what it could mean for me, like so many others...even though Iâm not sure itâs possible. Intimacy is a big word and can mean many things. Like...a hug or a kiss.â Ess let a sad smile curl her lips, her tone softening. âNow that was always something I never did for money...that was always an âintimateâ thing for me to keep and use when I thought it meant something. I never let those bastards take that away from me.â
âNot drunk, more like sleepy...â Luckas replied when asked when she had called him Lukey. âThink was on the first night I visited here actually... Or... Hmm... No, it was the second time... When I brought you Jasperâs memory... I got up to wander about, ended up chatting with Beast Boy... Was when I came back from that.â He concluded, nodding at his own words, but stopping when the memory of what heâd almost done right after that came back to him, causing him to wince slightly. He made no direct comment on it though simply mumbling to himself. âGood girl, Tala...â Shaking his head as he pushed that thought away, he gave a slight shrug. âI donât dislike that you call me that, I was just confused by it I suppose.â He shrugged. âNothing that would call for apologies, Iâd say.â
Luckas stared quietly at Ess, seeming a bit intrigued when she asked if he wanted to see, sleep starting to cloud his thought process for a moment, making it so he didnât quite understand what she meant at first, only becoming clear when she brought the mirror shard. Lukeâs first reaction to seeing the broken mirror was jumping up from where he was sitting as if the harmless piece of glass was going to come to life and bite him, but after another moment he calmed himself and sat back down, still making sure to look at anything but the mirror. âNo, thanks, I... Donât need to see it.â He stated, trying to sound casual, but coming off a bit shaky, eyes still avoiding the general direction of the mirror shard; first looking away completely, but eventually focusing his attention on Essâ face as she spoke, nodding along to her words as she answered his question. âI see... I understand that, or least Iâm confident that I do...â He replied, a slight awkwardness to his tone. âYou know, you shouldnât use that word so much, âfoolishâ, âfoolishlyâ... The only times when you should make a fool of yourself are when you can have fun with it.â
Ess nodded, thinking about that night Luckas had visited with the news of her brother and Jasper, her eyes glittering at the memory of Jasperâs justified fate. âFor Jemma...â She whispered, thinking about her friend for the first time in a long while. She had been distracted with the thought so only caught Luckasâ reaction to the mirror piece with a bit of a delay. Ess stared at him in silence for a bit, not quite understanding what the exact issue was, but instead of asking she quietly used her dagger to widen the hole between her feet and dropped the shard into the hole, burying it. âOk...no mirror. Gotcha...eh I guess if you really wanted to know you could just look into my eyes.â She stated sweetly, opening a smile. âI donât say the term âfoolishâ in the meaning youâre taking it. I say it thinking, well a nicer way of saying idiot, or delusional...or for the end result in wishing or searching for something in vain. Perhaps in the past itâs even been entertaining for others to watch and enjoy, but never something I see as having fun with.â She shrugged, letting her smile falter and went silent. Essâ stomach twisted in a dull, sickened feeling, the conversation making her slightly uncomfortable, but it hadnât affected her quite as much as she had expected; she was able to talk about it and she didnât avoid it. Not knowing what else was left to say she just turned back towards Luckas and smiled, once again reaching out to ruffle his hair.
Luckas arched an eyebrow at Essâ explanation of foolishness and nodded. âWell Lady... Maybe you should just use my meaning instead. Because itâs better... Itâs way better than thinking things to be delusional or in vain ahead of time. Some time... We should be foolish with fire... Fire makes everything more fun, right?â He played, snickering and shooting a quiet glance at the spot where the mirror had been buried, shaking his head and once again trying to pull away from having his hair messed with. âI just gave you a perfect excuse to keep doing that, didnât I?â He asked, a look of amusement in his eyes, his expression gradually turning more serious as he stared at her. âIs it alright that I asked that? Youâre not... Upset, right?â He smiled. âWouldnât want to be intrusive or anything.â
Ess stood, sheathing her blade into her belt and leaving it beside the fire pit, her eyes searching for her boots. As she found them and put them on, tucking her pant legs into them she smiled, âIs it time already for another party? Since I threw the last one, I say itâs your turn to pick the...time and place for fiery fun, no? Only fair.â Absently she fiddled with her hair, re-braiding it and rolling it up into a tight bun, a few straggler curls dancing at the corners of her eyes. âYouâre tired...go relax...Iâm going to start early with my routine I think...so when you are ready..come find me by the river, north of the camp.â Moving around Luckas she let her fingers brush along his shoulder and sighed. âIâm never upset with you for taking an active interest in me. I would tell you anything, so long as you ask.â Walking away from Luckas she brought her fingers to her lips and waved, jogging off towards where her son slept in the camp. âI think Darrenâs slept long enough...â She muttered to herself.
[Present Time, Otium 17 nightfall]
Luckas stirred when he realized the room was starting to darken. His body hurt now from the training session, his eyes casting an eerie red glow upon the sheet of paper heâd been staring at. The drawing Ess had given him the morning he left the Nest hung loosely in his grasp, Samâs words still burning in his ears. âIf you knew what Iâve been thinking, Lady... You might just hit me with another chair...â Luke muttered at the drawing.
-----------------------------
[Otium 17, early evening]
âHow long are you going to sit there and mess up the floor?â
Sam snorted, looking up at Amber with a dangerous look in her eyes. âWhat is the one thing I told you to never ever do in front of me?â
Amber sighed. âNever ever be Lukey.â She smirked, changing her form to the redhead boy sheâd been at the Blackpond party. âWell, I had to get your attention somehow. That hand needs healing and youâre blocking the door.â
Amber had been jumping on Samâs bed when she came into the room, slammed the door shut and just sat on the ground leaning against it. She was still slowly bouncing on her knees as she tried to get the woman to at least say something. Her usually amused demeanor all but gone.
âI donât want any healing.â Sam muttered.
âOkay, what did he do?â Amber questioned, bouncing off the bed. âMaybe next time Iâll bite his ear right off.â
Sam laughed weakly. âThere wonât be a next time. And you... What the hell... He was very close to killing you.â
âNot nearly close enough.â Amber snickered, sitting on the floor beside Sam. âIâm sure I can do better.â
âThatâs not funny.â
Amber shook her head, reaching for Samâs hand and carefully picking some bits of glass from the bloody gashes. âIâm not trying to amuse you. Iâm just stating facts. I took it easy on him, I could have done a lot worse. I would have, but I was sure you wouldnât approve of that.â She smiled. âItâs either healing or stitches... Do you really want me poking at you with needles?â
Sam shrugged. âIf you want to stitch it I wonât stop you, but I donât want to see anyone; not Celeste, not Zeke: no one. There are supplies on my desk.â
âYou are such a child sometimes, I swear...â Amber muttered, standing up to pick up the supplies. âCan you at least get off the floor? Or you want me to carry you? Tuck you into bed? Sing you to sleep? The works?â
âI didnât bring you up here to be my caretaker Amber.â Sam mumbled.
âSomeone has to be, the way you are... You donât let healers in your room, Zeke is only useful for one thing, and that little weirdo youâre so enamored with can barely feed himself if left unsupervised.â Amber dropped the medicine kit on top of the bed and sighed, returning to Samâs side and offering her hand to help the woman off the floor. âIâm not actually carrying you.â
Sam accepted the offered hand and pushed herself off the ground with Amberâs help, stumbling a little bit and realizing she must have lost more blood than she realized. âDonât say that...â
âWhich part?â Amber smirked, leading the woman to sit on her bed.
âEnamored. Thatâs pathetic...â
âWell, then youâre pathetic, Mistress.â Amber shrugged, opening the medicine pack and finding alcohol, needles, thread and bandages. She stopped in her tracks when Sam suddenly ran her fingers through the short copper colored hair of her chosen persona. Amber smirked. âI forgot, you donât like red hair. I can change, if you want.â
âI didnât say I donât like it. I said Iâm not into redheads; thereâs a difference.â She smiled. âItâs shorter than when you wore it last time... I didnât know you could do that.â
âAh, I have my tricks.â Amber tilted her head to one side and shook her head as if to try to shake Samâs hand away, her own hands busy with sanitizing and threading the sewing needle. âI canât change individual facial traits, but hair is different. That I can play with. There other things, like, scars I can hide... Open wounds, as you can see; they remain.â
Sam frowned momentarily at the open cut on the redhead boyâs face. âYou should stitch that too.â
Amber snorted a laugh. âItâs clean and itâs not that deep. I wonât die of it. I can go to Celeste or one of the other blue bitches in the morning.â
âBlue bitches?â Sam arched an eyebrow.
âThey are. Donât think Iâve forgotten them from before. Donât think theyâve forgotten me either.â Amber shrugged, calmly cleaning and starting to stitch Samâs wounded hand. âYou didnât answer my question.â
âLuckas didnât do anything wrong.â
âThatâs what you always say.â Amber smiled. âSo what did he ânot doâ this time?â
âI donât want to talk about it, Amber.â Samâs tone was harsh and she tensed so much that her fists involuntarily clenched, disrupting the stitch work and causing her a great deal of pain.
Amber slapped Sam lightly in the face. âDonât move damn it.â
Sam responded by gripping the redhead boyâs chin with her good hand rather roughly. âI should cut off that hand.â She sneered.
Amber grinned. âYou definitely should, or else Iâll just do it again, but you wonât do that.â She continued working on the stitches, without looking, laughter in her blue eyes as she held the womanâs angry glare. âAmongst other reasons, you and I both know how useful these hands have been in the past three years.â
âThree years is hardly long enough for you to assume to know what Iâll do... Or that you know me all that well... Itâs that arrogance thatâs bound to get you killed one day.â Sam snorted, releasing Amberâs face. Her tone had been amused despite the harsh words. The trace of a smile that had formed itself upon her face disappeared when there was a knock on the door.
âSammy!â
Amber had finished the stitches and didnât even glance at the door. âLet him knock.â She reached for the bandages and snorted gripping the womanâs hand with a bit more force when she stirred, looking at the door. âLet him.â She repeated, calmly wrapping the bandages around Samâs wounded hand. âThree years ago I was nothing to you and now Iâm here. I think Iâve earned the right to be arrogant.â She shrugged, moving their conversation forward as though she couldnât hear the increasingly desperate banging on the bedroom door. âThere, all done.â She announced, releasing Samâs bandaged hand.
Sam heaved a long sigh, staring at her hands for a few moments and then reaching out to run both hands through the short red hair. âMy brother had red hair.â She admitted. âIt reminds me of him... this... Face... Reminds me of him... It doesnât look like him, but it reminds me still.â She let her hands rest in the back of Amberâs head just behind her ears, leaning forward to plant a firm kiss on her forehead. âYou were always something to me, even if I didnât know it yet.â She whispered, letting her hands trail down from the boyâs hair and sitting back with an aggravated sigh. There was no more knocking on the door, but he was still there. She knew he was still there. âLet him.â Sam muttered under her breath. She wasnât angry, not truly, but spiteful, yes; wounded maybe. That was new. She never wanted to hurt Luckas, or at least thatâs what she told herself, but right in that moment she couldn't help but enjoy the thought of him sitting outside her door. Like the pet she claimed he wasnât.
Headquarters of The Order.
Darren had spent the majority of his time positioning eucalyptus herbs in different corners of the temple and lighting them like incense, hoping it would help calm the injured and flustered as he recently discovered it did for him. The scent was heavy and intoxicating, but after breathing it in for a few moments, one could even taste it along the roof of their mouth, a slight menthol numbing effect tingling the tip of the tongue. Darren stood over the unconscious Indrani, tracing words with the smoke over her form as a matter of timing how long to let the scent linger before laying it upon the table beside the rest of the herbs and medical instruments. Once he had next finished preparing the fever tea, he made his rounds, administering it to the patients as he checked on them.
Kneeling down beside Andrew, making sure he was still conscious, he carefully brought the tea to the boyâs lips to sip. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sora dash past, back towards the entrance, a chorus of pants and yips as he quickly deduced a furry sibling had arrived. The two sisters dances around one another in greeting and then together they investigated the injured, almost as if Sora was showing Kaya her new âfriendsâ. Kaya was not as subtle and a few patients startled and began to whimper.
âItâs ok, we are all family, the furry ones, I swear.â Darren smiled, whistling to get the wolves attention and then was almost knocked over by the two as they sniffed, licked and tried to steal some bread Kenya was in route of bringing over. âNo. KayaâŠ.â Darren clapped slipped off his gloves and clapped, the noise only settling the wolves for a second, but enough to distract them back towards the entrance once again. âDonât yell or scream...it will only excite themâŠâ
Andrew reached out a hand as Kaya passed, letting his fingertips graze the tips of her fur and smiled. âShould we be expecting anymore to show up and startle the camp? Why do you even have...HOW...I ...are they like pets?â
Darren cursed as he caught Kaya momentarily dropping her plushie companion when Kenya tossed a piece of bread away from herself as if to lead the wolf away. Kaya looked over in the direction the food was thrown and then she simply circled behind Kenya and snatched a larger piece of bread and bounded back to her stuffed dragon. âLazy wolf...go get a mole or something..â Kenya simply laughed, and held the rest of the bread on a platter above her head, out of reach but Sora took that as an invited to play; a challenge and began jumping to reach the platter.
âSora! Come here girl..â He smirked as the wolf trotted back to Darrenâs side and laid down with her head on Andrewâs lap. âNo...they are not pets...they come and go as they please...see my Mother had puppies..â
âWait..your MOTHER had PUPPIES?â Andrew started to laugh, groaning in between chuckles.
âNo...hey, no, no..She found a wolf as a cub and took care of it and it stayed with her for years. The wolf recently gave birth to a litter of wolf cubs and they all...found someone to latch onto.â
Andrew smiled, his eyes growing heavy as he stifled a yawn. Darren nudged at the boy. âHey now...stay awake..stay with me..or else..â He snickered, waggling his eyebrows. âSora likes giving kisses...donât you Sora?â
The wolf perked up and started slowly inching towards Darren, her tongue lapping at the air playfully, her tail thumping in approval. Darren motioned towards the boy and Sora lept up and began to drown the boyâs face in wolf kisses.
âUgh..no...wait...thatâs so not fair!â Andrew laughed, unable to fight the wolfâs advances.
âIt does the job quite well though..â Darren signaled Sora to stay, as he stood once again, his attention drawn towards an approaching figure he recognized instantly. âJakey..so youâre the one letting Kaya run a muck, mhmm? Always letting children walk all over you, yea?â Absently, Darren slipped his gloves back on and glanced around the room. âIndrani is still unconscious...and there are survivors. Looks like the funeral is proceeding..â Darren whispered the last words, staring off into the night, fixated upon distant torchlight.. Sudden distant cries and pleas, pierced through the eerie silence, his heart sinking fast at the sorrow he could only imagine the families were feeling. It was hard to make out the words and at first, he only thought it was the grief, until he swore he caught the words, â Not Dead.â He took a few steps forward to leave the temple to investigate when Sora started to whimper and bark, dragging Darrenâs attention back to Andrew who was no longer sitting there with his eyes open smiling, now closed and slouched, the wolf frantically licking the boyâs face with no response. Again came the screams, even louder this time, the sound sending shivers down Darrenâs spine.
âAndrew? Hey...kid...heyâŠâ He poked the boy in the side, shook him some and began trying to force open his eyelids to see his eyes, but they were rolled up in his head. He couldnât see the boyâs chest move and had to lean in close to catch a few shaky breaths, but it was almost impossible to detect.
âJake...can you..go. see...would you?â Darren didnât even look towards his Uncle before running off to fetch Annie, all the while yelling her name. âThe kidâs out...canât wake him...barely breathing...and something is going on outsideâŠâ He called up the tower, feeling momentarily torn and useless where he stood, his face going slightly pale.
Jake had barely stepped into view and he heard Darren call for him, a smile crossed his features as the guy mentioned Kayaâs antics. âHey, Crys handles the discipline and I just spoil her with toys and treats, thatâs the deal.â He smirked, calling the wolf to him with a gesture; Kaya obediently sitting beside him and nudging his hand as though deciding she deserved praise. âThere, see? Sheâs a good girl.â Jakeâs smile shut as he thought about the dead bodies outside, deciding that he would actually go check on Shadow and then help put the pyre together, the man silently petting Kaya as his thoughts seemed to wander away for a moment only brought back by the commotion coming from outside. He scratched behind Kayaâs ears in a more playful manner before agreeing to Darrenâs request with a simple nod and leaving the temple towards the screaming; the wolf following him closely.
The screams that could be heard faintly from the temple became clearer and clearer until Jake finally spotted the woman clinging to her deceased husband; a knife waving in the direction of the two men trying to calm her down.
âWhoa, Raina, come on, thatâs not necessary.â One of them tried to reason. âSomeoneâs going to get hurt if you donât put that down.â
âNo! Youâre not listening to me! I saw it! He moved!â
âRaina, thatâs not poss-...â
âYOUâRE NOT TAKING HIM.â
Jacob silently commanded Kaya to stay put and the wolf laid down a few steps behind him remaining perfectly still as he continued to move forward towards the commotion. He walked close enough to the woman that, had he chose to, he could have disarmed her by force. He didnât think that was the best way to handle this, and it didnât seem to him like it was actually necessary. âExcuse me.â He called, as softly as possible. âI donât want to bother you, maâam, but the screaming is upsetting the patients in the temple. Is there something I can do to help, maybe?â
The woman turned momentarily to look at Jake, but kept her attention on her fellow Crimson. âAre you a healer?â
âNo, maâam, but Iâve worked with them, maybe I can do something for you.â Jake offered. âRaina, isnât it? Is this your husband?â
âI saw him move. He moved. Heâs not dead. I wonât let them burn him.â
âRaina, heâs been dead for hours... Thereâs no way to save him, why would we lie to you?â
Jake sighed. âAlright, alright. May I suggest something? Raina, how about I tell these guys to go away and in turn you give that knife to me? Then we can talk about your husbandâs... Condition. Can we do that?â
Raina agreed with a slow nod of her head and her two companions shook their heads in defeat as they turned to walk away. Only after there were a good distance away from her, the woman offered the knife to Jake, like they had agreed. Jake smiled kindly as he took the knife from the distressed woman. âThere. Thatâs better. Now, whatâs your husbandâs name?â
âJohn.â The woman replied, eyes glancing towards the deceased man she had been guarding.
âJohn. Seems like John was a very good man.â
âHe is a good man.â The woman corrected, stubbornly.
âRaina, John isnât alive. What you saw was probably a spasm, dead bodies do that sometimes.â
âIâm not tossing my husband in a fire over a âprobablyâ.â The woman declared, stroking the deceased manâs hair lovingly. âHeâs alive. I know it. Heâll come back to me.â She whispered, almost as if she understood how crazy the words actually sounded.
Jacob sighed softly; he found no joy in this, but he understood it needed to be done. âRaina, listen, I want you to do something, just for a minute... Close your eyes and think about your husband, think about the last time you saw him, the last words he spoke to you. Remember him then.â He waited for the woman to close her eyes and gave her a few moments, he knew she had done what his asked when tears began to roll down her cheeks. âNow open your eyes and look at him. Can you honestly believe that the good man you knew and loved, is still here? Can you see anything of him still left?â
The woman hesitated, seemingly unwilling to open her eyes and face reality, but eventually she did open them to stare at her husbandâs dead body. She looked straight into the manâs unblinking eyes, tears streaming down more intensely, but she didnât answer Jakeâs questions.
âI know this is difficult, Raina. Trust me, I understand that right now you donât want to think this is real. You just rather believe he will wake up somehow, that you will wake up and discover all of this was just a nightmare, or that something, anything, will happen to change things back to what they were before; to what they should be, but deep down I know you know that this is your reality now. Look at him, heâs not here anymore. He canât get hurt anymore, but you can. This denial is a knife through your heart.â
âWhat is your name?â She asked him suddenly. âI think I remember seeing you around here before, but I donât think I know who you are.â
âJacob.â He answered her. âI donât think Iâve been here many times in the past few years. I donât think weâve met before.â
âJacob.â The woman snorted in a mix between a laugh and a sob. âAre you married?â
âNot yet, no.â Jake mumbled, a bit startled by the question.
âYou do have someone though, donât you?â
Jake simply nodded his response, not sure how or why the subject had shifted to his personal life, but indulging the woman.
âDonât do to her what my John did to me, do you understand? He was a good man; too good sometimes. Good men like him, like you, donât know when to stop fighting.â
âI canât promise that.â Jake smiled. âI promised her that I wouldnât make any more promises.â
âSensible girl.â Raina nodded her approval, suddenly patting Jakeâs cheek playfully as though he was a misbehaved child. âYou hold on to that one.â
âI take it itâs okay to give you this now.â Was Jakeâs only response, returning the knife to Raina.
The woman nodded, returning it to her husbandâs belt. âWould you be a dear and tell those two to come back now? Iâm ready.â
Annie was already on her way out of Dastanâs room when she heard Darren calling for her. She quickened her step and practically jumped down to ground level, making her way to her medicine bag and finding a vial that seemed to be containing some sort of white smoke, staring at it in a brief moment of hesitation before kneeling beside Andrew, making sure the boy was laying comfortably on his back, checking his pulse and breath; that were considerably weak. âItâll be alright.â She smiled at the unconscious boy for a moment before handing the vial to Darren. âThis is in case I pass out; just hold it under my nose and open, should wake me right up. I havenât done this in a while now, not sure what will happen exactly, but should be okay unless I go unconscious. Itâs very important that I wake up right away. Otherwise I might... Not...â She mumbled the last few words in a softer tone and covering them with a little forced cough. It would be a lie if Annie told herself she wasnât dreading this, even a little bit; that she wasnât worried. Last time had been unpleasant and Alistair had wanted her to promise not to heal anyone until this whole illness thing was solved. She obviously couldnât agree to that. If such a promise had been made, this is where she would have broken it; because there was no other means to save this boyâs life. It was not something Annie felt she could turn away from, even if it meant taking a risk.
Annie inhaled deeply, placing one hand over Andrewâs chest and the other over his abdomen, golden flecks of light could be seen spreading across her dark brown eyes for a just a moment before they closed, a slightly pained grimace marking the girlâs features as she concentrated. It took more effort now than it did a few months ago and Andrewâs internal injuries were severe so what would normally take no more than a minute stretched on for several.
The act of healing was always exhausting; that was not new, but it had only briefly been painful during Annieâs early years and never quite like this. She could feel her work was done when the after effects began to set in, her head was pounding, stomach turning, before she even managed to open her eyes she felt around and grabbed a small bucket that at one point contained water; it was empty now, but not for long. Annie threw up into the bucket, spitting out the taste of rusted iron, her stomach hurt and now she became very aware that she had not opened her eyes. âUgh, fucking hell...â She muttered out, making an effort to stay awake, to open her eyes... Open her eyes... She needed to open her eyes now. Light stung, but gradually that feeling faded and she was able to see again, looking down she noted the red droplets staining her white robes and only then she realized the warm substance trailing down from her left nostril, raising her hand towards the bleed and leaning forward where she now sat on the stony ground. âWonât be doing this again anytime soon, I hope.â She mumbled, her voice a bit weak. âDarren... Letâs not tell Alistair about this, okay?â
âWait..is this ...really wise?â Darren was able to mutter between his instructions as a small vial was handed to him. He followed Annie close, and stood giving her enough space but close enough to catch her if she collapsed. His brows furrowed in a worried grimace, not liking the risk that was becoming unfortunately clear before him. âI donât like thisâŠbut..whatever you need...â He whispered as Annie placed her hands on Andrew, twitching and reaching out towards her in a childish helplessness as he observed the transition of pain. He knew not to touch her though but all he wished to do in that moment was hold her in his arms, feeling slightly sick at the idea of her not waking up. His light, blue eyes flickered, the color appearing to swirl within his irises yet unmoving as the tension unnerved him.
Andrewâs breathing became more steady, noticeably, which was what hinted to Darren that whatever Annie had done, seemed to have worked. The minor wounds on his face and chest had faded almost completely away, disappearing before his eyes. Her balance seemed off and as she reached out for the bucket to expel a reddish liquid, he figured as a result of whatever pain he could only imagine she was feeling. Where she moved, he moved, holding the vial ready incase she passed out. As she lowered herself to the stone floor, Darren knelt behind her, gently rubbing her back in circular motions with his gloved fingertips. â..Is it odd, that I find it attractive when you curse?â He whispered half in amusement and half complimentary. âDonât believe Iâve ever heard you curse at all during the few months Iâve known you.â
Once Darren saw Annie open her eyes, he set the vial aside, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing at the blood trail from her nose. He paused to lift her head, so he could see into her eyes, inspecting them carefully. Darren quirked a brow, shaking his head slowly, handing Annie the handkerchief to hold to her nostril. âI donât wish to get on Alistairâs bad side...but...if you take it easy and let me take care of you and help more...then I could be persuaded to keep my mouth shut.â Darrenâs smile was devilishly handsome, as if he were up to no good and trying to play innocent, while his eyes were gentle, sparkling wildly like firecrackers as he continued to stare at Annie. âWhite...is not a very convenient color for Healers..â He sighed, glancing down at the womanâs dress and the drops of blood staining the white cloth. âYou..did a very..brave thing..you know.â He whispered, leaning into Annie a bit, encouraging the woman to use him as support, sneaking a flask of water onto her lap.
Annie couldnât help but feel a bit of amusement at Darrenâs worry. It made her want to shake her head and laugh as if he was just being foolish. However, actually doing it would make her headache worse and probably cause the room to spin faster. She knew he wasnât worrying over nothing; this was really cause for concern, but she couldnât help but be amused all the same. âHeey, are you trying to blackmail me, mister?â She questioned, holding the handkerchief to her bloody nose for a little while, but pulling it away when she felt the bleeding was starting to subside. âBecause donât think I wonât tell your mother about this when I see her.â She threatened, giving Darren a pretty convincing angry glare for a few moments before letting her expression melt into a warm smile. âDonât worry, thereâs little work left to do here, a good nightâs sleep and Iâll recover. Iâve had worse. Well, maybe not worse, but Iâve had pretty bad before.â She shrugged calmly, letting her gaze fall to the blood stains on her robes and sighing at a thought. âI have a feeling that now is a bad time to start parading around dressed in red, so Iâm afraid white will have to do. Besides, weâd have to change our name and Crimson Shadows is already taken, even if thereâs only a dozen of them left... I see a lot of confusion, donât you think? The whole land might fall into absolute chaos!â She exclaimed, faking shock at the thought. Sarcasm wasnât something that showed very often in Annieâs personality and it was a part of her self that very few would expect to see; much like her occasional cursing. âI think the last person to hear me curse was Luckas, but then heâs more inclined than you to come find me in a bad day and bring me extra worries.â She noticed the flask of water sitting idly on her lap and drank from it slowly, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths in between sips until it felt like everything was a bit more steady. âDastan should come down eventually if I managed to get through to him.â Annie opened her eyes and was glad that the walls seemed completely motionless now. âBetter.â She mumbled under her breath. âThe man is in a very bad place right now. I donât blame him.â
âBlackmail? Not at all. I like to think of it as a mutual agreement between friends...but I would keep any secret you asked of me, so long as it does not endanger you. You seem like youâll live...so no you donât need to go tattle on me to Ess..er my Mother.â Darren smiled, rolling his eyes in fake exasperation. âBesides..she might just say Iâm a resourceful man around stubborn women.â
Darren casually stood, extending his hand down to help Annie to her feet, just as Sora appeared from the other side of Annie to lick at her cheek in greeting. âSleep? When was the last time any of us had a âgood night sleep?â Hmm? When was the last time you slept in general?â It was Darrenâs turn to try to give a convincing scowl of concern but instead he looked more like a puckered fish, holding his breath. He chuckled at Annie, taking a moment to look over Andrew is quiet amazement. Darren thought he saw the boy begin to stir, but he waited for the kid to come to on his own and after a few moments the boy opened his eyes.
âWelcome back, Andrew. How you feeling?â
âUgh...tired...and like I have to take the biggest piss ever..â Andrew mumbled, as he slowly got to his feet, leaning against a small table and chair. âThe pain..itâs gone?â
â.Thatâs...probably a bit more information than I needed, but ok, just..take it slow..â Darren snorted, wondering to himself if that were a side effect from the rapid healing, but didnât say anything. âYep. Those cuts and bruises look to be gone too. You sir, are good to go.â
When Andrew had wandered off far enough, seemingly a bit disorientated still, Darren turned back to Annie. âSo...did you figure out if Dastan is not to blame then? How should this be handled? Do we send word on what has happened or do we wait for Dastan?â
âTrust me, after this Iâll sleep whether I like it or not. I just have to hang in there and stay awake for an hour or so to make sure itâs safe.â Annie smiled, petting Sora cheerfully before accepting Darrenâs offered hand to pull herself up on her feet. Her brown eyes followed Andrew as he wandered off; a bit groggy but otherwise fully recovered. It didnât even look as though the kid was moments away from Death. âI donât usually keep secrets from Alistair, none of my own at least, but thereâs no need for him to worry over this when thereâs nothing he can do about it. He knows that Iâm sick, he knows that in situations like this I wonât turn my back regardless of risks; thatâs just who I am, he doesnât need to hear that this happened. Besides, if he worries about me any more heâll push me right over the edge of sanity, and no one wants that.â Annie silenced for a few moments. She had theories upon theories concerning what had happened to Dastan, but there was very little that she could actually say at this point. âDastan is not responsible. He presented symptoms of having suffered mental paralysis or manipulation. If my mom was still around sheâd be able to know for sure how and what happened, but as it stands... The only telepath I know who might be able to do this... Well, I donât want to say I donât trust him, but basically: I donât. And Iâm not sure whether the eclipse was natural or caused by shadow manipulation; I canât really speculate, could be either. What I can say is that Dastan was not responsible for what happened here. It doesnât mean he wonât feel responsible, or that it wonât be difficult for him to face all of this. So maybe we should let Jackson, and Indrani when sheâs better, handle him from here. Still, I want to talk to Crys and Jake about what happened here.â
The ruins of Brightvale, home of the Crimson Shadows