by J E Reed
Pale green caught her eye, the wrist guard removed, no doubt by the men who did this. The green was in stark contrast to the puddle of red it lay in.
Though her fingertips burned his skin, she pulled the bracelet from his wrist. It didn’t resist. Nor did it burn. Could they only be removed after death?
Her gaze fell to Elliott, and she forced herself to crawl to him. She lifted his cold wrist, and a sob racked her body as she slid it over his hand. His eyes were closed, body frozen. What were his last thoughts?
Run.
Her shoulders shook. Why didn’t she listen, why did—part of the ceiling crashed beside her, and she jumped back.
A spark caught Kikyo’s leg. The same leg that carried the scars of his past.
Another beam fell, and splinters flew in her face. Fear and grief pulled her in different directions until self-preservation won over. She staggered to her feet, and ran out, the structure collapsing seconds later.
Frigid air burnt her skin as she fell to her knees, the smoke carrying all their dreams far away.
Three months…three months of planning, preparing and bonding. They were her family in the absence of her real one. They helped her, followed her, despite being given better options. Neither had a thought toward their own goal and she’d never even asked them why.
Why push her? Why care?
Kiuno clenched her fists, her body trembling between sobs. Why couldn’t she protect them, why had her powers waited, why had she frozen like a coward? Elliott told her to run, Kikyo might have survived if she had listened.
Her breathing shifted to rapid gasps, and she struggled against the burn in her lungs.
What was the purpose if they were all going to die? Was that the intention? To take pleasure in their misery?
They weren’t going home. Not now. Elliott would never see his daughter. Kikyo would never be reunited with his brother. The worst part was she didn’t even know their real names. She’d never be able to find their families, no one would ever know about the men who’d given her everything.
Kiuno laced her fingers through her hair, pulling, grasping for some piece of reality before letting out an ear-piercing scream.
It didn’t matter if anyone heard, she couldn’t stop this pain, she couldn’t bear the hollow eyes playing in her mind over and over again.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
The sun crept over the horizon, but it did little for her numb body.
She’d nestled against a tree, clutching her throbbing side as she watched the flames shrink to burning coals. Sleep wasn’t an option. Not with the resting place of her friends right before her. She clutched the bracelets, having nothing else to remind her of their existence. Nothing but memories.
Kiuno played the scenario in her mind time and time again. There were so many choices, so many possibilities that might have prevented this. If she would have just found a group or stayed in the last village until winter passed. If only she hadn’t rushed them to move forward.
Cold droplets fell from the gray expanse above. She’d been stripped of her cloak and weapons, everything lost in the fire. A shirt with ripped sleeves and torn pants were all that kept her warm.
Her hand shook when she looked at the bloody palm. Whether from pain or trauma she couldn’t be sure, perhaps a mixture of both. She needed help, but—maybe she should just lie there, die in that very spot and be with her friends again.
Kikyo’s scowl entered her mind and her body quivered, struggling for breath between the tears.
No. He died for her, at the very least, she wouldn’t let that be in vain.
She slid both bracelets on her left wrist and used the tree trunk to lift herself, screaming from the pain. She looked at the ash one last time before turning away.
Rain poured down, each icy drop sending a tremor through her body. Instinct told her to stay dry, but she’d gone all night with an open wound. She knew nothing about medicine and wasn’t even sure she’d survive.
Her body threatened to collapse with every step.
She was so tired.
If they were gone what chance did anyone else stand? How long before she’d have to feel this heavy pain again? What if she were the only one left?
Kiuno staggered along. She couldn’t do this on her own, and she didn’t want to. They guided her. They gave her direction. She needed their teachings, their encouragement.
Was she wrong to dream everything would work out?
She failed, and who was to say she wouldn’t fail again? Who would be next? Scorpios, Maltack…Elite? Would she lose her reason for existing?
Time faded as she trudged through the mud. She didn’t know whether to cry or be thankful when a town came into view. They’d been so close…
Heavy feet pushed her forward, one step at a time. Those at the gate ran to meet her, but not as fast as the ground. Her head collided with the earth, and she stayed there, unable to lift herself anymore. Strangers pulled her up, people she didn’t know. Why did they help her?
Muffled voices floated through the rain. Their grip firm, yet gentle. Had they seen her wound?
A door creaked open, and the heat of a fire burned against her skin. Droplets fell from her hair onto the floor.
Someone lifted her shirt and ran outside, his voice echoed, but she couldn’t make it out.
Her consciousness faded then emerged, like waves in an ocean.
There was a boy and an older man. She could discern that much. The older male knelt and placed his hand over her wound. Stabbing pain caused her to cry out, and she gripped his arm.
Stop. Just stop.
Warmth flooded through her side as the room faded. Was she still alive?
“What happened to you?” Young, concerned eyes looked her over. He was only a boy of maybe twelve.
She couldn’t answer.
They helped her change, wrapped her in fur and laid her before the fire.
Exhaustion hit hard, and her mind faded with a whisper.
“Sleep now Kiuno, I’ll take watch.”
REALM: 4
DAY: 83
Jolting with every thunder crack, Kiuno found it impossible to sleep. The raging storm coinciding with nightmares of a bloody blade. Each time the scene shifted. She’d move, she’d be brave, but no matter how hard she tried, it always ended the same.
The boy was attentive and tried to console her. His eyes were young, kind…but they weren’t the blue she longed for. Kiuno curled into herself, seeking sleep, yet fighting against it. Nothing could stop the nightmare that had become her reality.
The storm slowed as night fell and she gazed into the flames, letting their flicker take her deeper, to a place beyond the room.
She’d killed those men with the fire, but the magic eluded her now. Maybe it’d only ever work when it decided. Maybe she didn’t have a say in the matter. She choked on a sob. Only a few seconds sooner and Kikyo—
Her body trembled.
Powerless.
“You should try eating something.” His voice shook. She wondered if he was afraid she might lash out. Even so, he never left her side. The only thing she could offer was the shake of her head.
“What’s your name?” She looked at the bracelet on her wrist, then drifted to the pale green and gray that rested against the other. Why did the name matter when it wasn’t her own?
“Kiuno.” Her voice cracked, and another wave of tears consumed her. The boy fell silent and sat the food on a nearby table.
Fire. Death. Freedom. They’d saved complete strangers and she’d been proud of it. Yet it was the very reason she couldn’t save Kikyo. If she had to do it all again, would she walk away?
Kiuno clenched her fists. How was she supposed to feel? Angry? Maybe at herself.
Vengeful? Those that’d caused the pain were already dead. She let her hands fall into her lap and ran her finger over the stones for the hundredth time.
Lost. Lost to her purpose. She had friends. Her family was out there
. Elite was out there. But what if she couldn’t save them either?
VOICES OUTSIDE woke her. Morning. The rain had stopped, and the door creaked open. “Kiuno?” He paused when she didn’t turn. “Will you come with me? I want you to meet someone.”
She didn’t want to move, but she owed this kid her life. If not for him, Kikyo’s sacrifice would have been—
The wound.
Kiuno lifted her shirt to see a thin, pink line along her side. It was raw, but the skin had been knit together.
He fidgeted and wrung his hands when she looked at him. Was he the one responsible? Is that why adults had left her with a child?
Shedding all but one blanket, she stood, her body still numb to the world, almost as if she were on auto pilot. He opened the door and led them into the cold. Thin air hit her lungs like a dagger.
Outside, ice had frozen everything. Large icicles hung from the roofs and dangled from every shelf. The few people that braved the slippery world kept their gaze on the ground, focusing on their footing. She did the same, though it was mostly to hide her face. If she looked half as bad as she felt, people might stare.
The cold seeped into her bones. Somehow, it found every hole and crept through, causing her to shake violently. Most were dressed in heavy cloaks with fur that lined the hoods.
Were they afraid?
Kiuno bumped into the kid, not realizing he’d stopped. A cart passed, they crossed the street and rounded a wooden fence. This wasn’t the main wall. It only stood about a foot taller than herself. A small section squared off from prying eyes.
They entered a narrow gate, though it could hardly be called such. It was just part of the wall on a hinge. Inside, a cottage sat nestled in the farthest corner with a thin stream of smoke rising from the chimney. Pottery lined the walls and ice clung to everything with a ledge, it was difficult to tell what might rest beneath the layers of frozen water.
An older man, at least in his sixties, opened the little wooden door. He paused as if confused but greeted the boy with a smile. “This is her?”
The boy nodded.
“You look better than you did yesterday.” His eyes ran up her frame, evaluating. She met his gaze.
His strong shoulders spoke of authority, but a sense of tranquility also radiated from his presence. Why she wanted him to see her pain, she couldn’t grasp. Maybe she just needed someone to know, to understand if they could.
He stepped back inside for a moment, and she followed the young one to the porch where they awaited his return. The older returned carrying two staffs. “Please, indulge me.”
Kiuno looked at the weapon and back at the older male. She clenched the blanket tighter. Memories of countless exercises, the bruises and their laughter flooded her mind. They prepared. Planned. Their goal was to keep one another safe.
It had all been for nothing.
She’d thought Tyler and his companions were dangerous and insisted navigating this dangerous world with only the two of them. They could have traveled with a group in the next town over. She could have been more patient and maybe—
“The callouses on your hands tell me you’ve used a weapon. Is the sword more your preference?”
Punishment. Was that the reason? Was she being punished for the lives she’d taken? Had she been the cause of another’s pain and thus brought this upon herself?
Tears fell. Blood. Fear. It all clouded her vision as everything replayed in her mind. Elliott’s lifeless body. Kikyo’s hollow eyes. She wished she could hear them tell her to position her feet wider just one more time.
“I apologize. Please, come inside.” His hand lightly rested on her back, and she fought the urge to swat it. Inside, a comforting fire greeted them. She sat on a flat pillow, and a long silence filled the air.
“My name is Vincent. I have a second bedroom that you’re welcome to.”
“Why?” she asked.
He poked a stick into the fire and folded his legs beneath him. “Do you have anywhere else to go?” She didn’t speak. “That’s what I thought.” He added another log. “How is your side?”
“Better.”
“May I see?”
Slowly, she let the blanket fall. His icy fingers lifted the hem of her shirt and he pressed on the scar, a light glow emitting from his fingertips. Elliott’s words came back to her.
I’ve heard rumors of those able to heal injuries.
“You weren’t coherent enough for me to ask yesterday, but are you hurt anywhere else?”
Kiuno indicated her pounding head, and he wrapped his fingers around her temple, the relief instantaneous. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He returned to tend the fire. “I want to ask what happened, but I can see recent events have caused you pain beyond physical injury.” He glanced at her as if waiting for a response before continuing. “We’re staying until spring, you can come with us to the next realm then.”
“Will there be a spring?” It seemed so far off and who knew if the game wouldn’t shift. Maybe they’d be locked inside an endless winter.
“Let’s hope so.”
She could hear Vincent whispering to the boy in hushed tones and thought she heard her name, but she didn’t bother to ask. He was a child. It was natural to be curious. Instead of food, Vincent handed her a warm cup of tea, and she nodded her thanks.
Elite. If she wanted anyone right now, it was him. He always knew how to ease her pain, always found a way to make her laugh, even when things were at their worst.
I need you.
Her body was more tired than she’d ever felt in her life. She craved rest, but it never came. Nightmares plagued her mind at night and memories haunted her during the day. How long would it take for this ache to subside?
The boy left as the sun went down, and Vincent handed her another cup of tea. She took it, grateful, and let the warmth sink into her body.
“Despite how you might feel, not everything is lost.” He gazed into the fire. “We’ll always face hardships, that’s just how things are, but you have to pick yourself up no matter how hard the fall.” He turned to her. “You can’t blame yourself for whatever happened out there.”
She looked away. Couldn’t blame herself? Couldn’t forgive herself more like.
They remained sitting for what seemed like another hour, and he showed her the spare room. It was small, with a single bed crammed in the quarters. A dark curtain hung where a door should have been. Kiuno crawled beneath the soft furs and curled into a ball.
Dark shadows loomed over her companions as she ran, screaming their names. No matter how much she tried, neither would turn. Neither one of them could hear her. The shadows crept closer and closer, baring their teeth. Fangs pierced flesh, bodies ripped to pieces. She could do nothing as they reached for her, hollow eyes making her gut twist.
Vincent stood in the doorway when she bolted up screaming. The pull in her side made her yelp and gasp for breath. At first, she didn’t recognize the room, but soon it came back, and she dropped her face into her hands and wept. He brought more tea, leaving it on the bedside without question.
As the sun crawled over the horizon, Kiuno rose and made her way through the curtain to find Vincent already seated before the fire. She cringed, wondering if he’d been up all night. Perhaps he wouldn’t be as willing to have her here if he were going to lose sleep.
He gave her a small smile and handed her a large chunk of bread. “You need to eat, that should be easy enough on your stomach.” It churned as she nibbled on the piece.
Once finished, Vincent left her with the noise of the fire again, but the solitude was going to drive her crazy. Finding an extra cloak, she wrapped it around herself and opened the door.
Sharp air made her recoil, and the blinding white caused her to squint, but she found Vincent in the far corner trying to pry something out of the icy confines. He wasn’t surprised when she approached and simply handed her an ice-covered container. He pried off another and they headed inside.
Several jars later, she figured out his role. An herbalist. His ability to heal suddenly made sense.
“Why didn’t you bring them in before the storm?” she asked.
“I was careless.”
They spent the next few days melting and sorting. She’d researched nothing on plants and found his information helpful. They were dried, which prevented her from knowing what they’d look like in the wild, but at least she’d have a bit of knowledge should she ever need it. Yarrow, for example, helped with fever but could also be used on an open wound.
Vincent made a blend that afternoon, sending an array of aromas floating through the air, a mixture to ease her anxiety. Lavender was about the only familiar smell she could distinguish. The brew seemed to help as the twisted knot in her stomach finally eased.
“I don’t wish to pry, but how recent were the events that led you here?”
Kiuno looked at her hands. “Three days, I think.”
“Right as we found you then.”
She was thankful for the knock at their door. The child she’d originally stayed with peered in with curious eyes. He hadn’t visited since that first night. Vincent sighed, excused himself and ushered the boy out the door. When they didn’t return right away, she followed.
Outside, in the cold air, the two faced one another, staffs in hand. Teacher and student. It reminded her of those first days with Elliott. She sat near the pile of logs beside the door and watched.
Vincent danced around the boy with a grace that surprised her, though the young one wasn’t bad either. They exchanged quick blows, Vincent would give him some advice and then they’d begin again.
Blissful memories floated through her mind with every crack and groan. It felt as though life before this world never existed.
She stayed seated long after they were finished and watched the stars stake their claim in the sky. It seemed clearer in the cold. Perhaps the air made one feel how much darkness overshadowed the light.