by J E Reed
Vincent joined her, passing a bowl of broth. “Eat.” There was no room for argument.
“What’s his name?” she asked.
“Liam.”
She took a few sips and felt the warmth seep through her body. “You two seem close.”
“Is that so? He’s only been here a few weeks. Boy bothered me day and night until I agreed to teach him.”
“He’s not bad.”
“His balance is a problem.”
She might have smiled, but being able to use a weapon was the difference between life and death. He’d eventually have to fight.
How many have to die?
REALM: 4
DAY: 99
For the next two weeks Vincent saw to her care. He monitored her wound, which must have been more severe than she realized. If not for him…she shook her head. That shadow of death had passed.
With all the herbs melted, the cottage carried a pungent aroma that comprised various herbs Vincent used in his medicine. New visitors were rare, but people still fell ill, and he saw to their care.
The weather shifted as with any winter she remembered. Small flakes always fell from the gray sky. Vincent offered short words of wisdom when he found the time, and she suspected he was the reason Liam hadn’t bombarded her with questions. Solitude gave her time to think. To process and begin healing.
Nightmares still plagued her subconscious, but after the first week, Kiuno found herself able to sleep through the night. With rest, her mind cleared. She couldn’t give up on everything. Not after Kikyo’s sacrifice. She took a while to come to terms with Elliott’s death. That it hadn’t been her fault. But Kikyo… He’d given his life to protect her.
She’d never viewed herself so weak, but grief had a way of sinking its clutches down to anyone’s surest convictions. That time had passed. She had to find Elite and the others. She wouldn’t let herself be weak again, not until they were safe.
“Kiuno.” She leaned down, saw Vincent gesturing from the porch, and she jumped from the roof. She followed him into the cabin, and they both sat before the fire, trying to warm numb fingers.
He stirred the soup that hung over the flames in a black pot. “How have you been doing?”
She glanced at him and then away. “I’m surviving.” It was the best she could offer.
“That’s acceptable.” He sat back and took a drink of tea. “I want to know what happened out there.”
Pain. One moment of happiness turned to complete anguish. Elliott struck down instantly. The men taunting. Kikyo fighting so hard only to have his life stolen. Why did he need to know?
“With that being said,” he continued, “I will share mine first.” Relief and surprise mixed as she watched him. His expression shifted. Emotion, normally kept hidden, now displayed across his face unchecked. His feelings of shame, guilt and heartache. The desire to comfort him swept across her consciousness, but what did she have to offer?
“Everyone arrived in this world the same way. My story is no different. I wandered around, seeking shelter. I found the first realm to be self-sufficient. Everyone had a place to go, people they could rely on. I arrived at one of those places and naturally bonded with the people there.
“When it became apparent no one was coming, I set out on my own. Most were too afraid to leave, save one boy. He begged to tag along, but I refused. I thought leaving him there was the safest course of action. He promised to fill my role until I returned.
“I packed for a long trip, but the next village wasn’t far off. They’d gotten information about a larger civilization just a few days north and I headed that direction. Once there, I learned the truth and returned to that second village to fill them in. They packed and move on while I returned to the first.”
Vincent paused and clenched his jaw. “I’ll never forget the black smoke reaching toward the sky that day. It sent my heart racing, and I prayed for a miracle, but it was too late. Bodies lay scattered across the ground. At first, I couldn’t understand the horror of how people could do something so violent, then I saw the tracks. Foot prints of a creature larger than any I’d ever seen. None survived.
“It took me three days to dig their graves. I struggled with whether I could have made a difference. Perhaps I would have simply been another victim.” Kiuno stared at him, lost for words, then he gave an unexpected smile.
“But I didn’t give up there. I traveled back to that third village intending to contribute to the civilization I wanted those lost to be part of. With my knowledge in herbalism I could help the sick. It wasn’t much later that I discovered my abilities.” He sat forward, pouring two bowls of stew and she stayed silent.
“I can’t go back and fix what happened. Part of me wishes I would have taken the boy, that he would still be alive, but it wouldn’t change the fate of the others, and the guilt would remain. It’s difficult to accept, but if we linger in those dark places too long, that darkness will consume us.”
Silence settled between them as they waited for the food to cool. He knew pain, even if it differed from her own. He waited patiently, but where was she supposed to begin?
“We were attacked,” she tried, the words barely a whisper.
“How many?”
“Thirteen.”
“And you ran?” he offered.
“No.” She shook her head. “I would never run.”
He sat back and waited for her to continue. “Elliott,” her voice cracked, “died quickly. Five arrows hit him before we knew what happened, but Kikyo…he fought to protect me.”
“One person?”
“He had abilities.”
“Ah, a magic user.”
“But…I couldn’t do anything, I froze, all I could see was Elliott.” She took a breath as the tears fell and struggled to speak. “I was knocked unconscious shortly after, waking to find myself bound. Kikyo was still alive.” Hatred burned through her. “Those disgusting men sought to—do things. Kikyo became angry and used his magic. Once they saw that—”
“They killed him,” he finished. Silence echoed in the room as he stirred the bowl. “You were outnumbered, you can’t blame yourself with those odds.”
“I wasn’t strong enough.”
He sat his food down and looked at her. “Ki—”
“I can use magic too,” she interrupted, “but it’s difficult and I couldn’t reach it, not until it was too late.”
“That’s how you escaped?”
“I didn’t escape.” Their eyes locked. “I killed all of them.” She clenched her fists. “But I wasn’t able to get their bodies out.” More silence followed as they listened to the crackling fire, the noise trying to take her back to a darker place.
“Your friends had the burial of kings, it’s an honor.” She cried, and they were quiet again until her tears ebbed. “Why couldn’t you use your magic?”
“I don’t know.” She wiped her eyes.
“You’ve always had trouble with it?”
She nodded. “Kikyo worked with me, but it’s always been difficult. The only time it came easy was if the situation called for it.”
“What do you mean?”
“We got into trouble a few times, and it was like a switch had been flipped.”
“Forgive me, but how was that situation different?”
Kiuno allowed a smile to spread across her lips. It felt so long ago that they’d saved those people from being slaves. The pain of killing back then paled in comparison to what she felt now.
“Weeks before, we stumbled across a small village that was using people for their own…pleasures. We rescued them.”
“Just the three of you?” he asked, surprised.
“I was a bit impulsive. When the men were taken care of, I passed out and haven’t been able to reach the magic since. Not willingly anyway.”
“I see.” He stood and gestured for her to follow. Vincent grabbed two staffs from the corner before opening the door, and Kiuno draped a cloak over her shoulders.
Vincent had been keeping her from doing much due to the wound, afraid any small tear could lead to internal bleeding. Nothing felt restricted now. Excitement pulsed through her veins as she looked at her opponent, almost as though her body craved the movement. Kiuno smiled. Despite their deaths, their memories would live on. Her training would live on.
Kiuno took her stance and shifted the weapon. Vincent sprung first, his movement quick and precise. She spun around him with ease. His speed didn’t match Kikyo’s and the hits weren’t as powerful as Elliott’s, but he carried an elegance she’d not previously encountered.
“You’ve been trained well.” She smirked. All those grueling routines with Elliott weren’t for naught. They continued, each testing the other as they pushed back and forth. Her body remembered the counters, remembered the advances. It wasn’t a fight to determine a victor, but to remind her what she was capable. He didn’t want to break her, he wanted to set her free.
It was late when they stopped. Vincent held up one hand struggling for breath. “I’m used to sparring a twelve-year-old. I’m afraid I might be getting a bit rusty.” Sweat poured down her face, the cold wind almost painful against it, but she didn’t want to stop. There was still daylight and for the first time in weeks, she felt exhilarated.
“Sorry, I’m used to being pushed.”
“I can tell.” He took another breath before rising to his feet. “I’m going inside to warm up, care to join me?”
Kiuno looked at the staff. “I think I’ll stay out here.” He gave her a curious look, but nodded and went inside the cabin.
In the silence, she took a deep breath, letting the frigid air rush through her lungs. The gate in the corner drew her attention, and she wondered if anyone would stop her should she choose to leave. It wasn’t as if she were a prisoner.
The gate creaked when she pushed it open and a snow-covered path led to the main road. A few people turned when she looked both ways, but no one made a fuss. She walked down the center path, finally able to take in the town. The men that stood at the main gate glanced at her when she paused, but none attempted to stop her. If they remembered dragging her through the mud a few weeks ago, they didn’t mention it.
White covered everything as far as the eye could see. Footprints were the only thing that indicated a path existed. Kiuno walked a few paces before setting off at a dead run.
Cool air stung her face and her lungs cried out, but she pushed, running as fast as her body would allow. Her movements slowed when she veered into deeper snow, but she kept going. She needed this, after all the nightmares, after allowing it to fester with no way out, she needed to feel the pain, feel the burn, feel she was still alive.
Her heart skipped when she came across the familiar site. The cabin. Had they really been so close? It sat in a small pile, covered with snow, but she recognized the tree she’d sat beneath.
Kiuno crept forward, kneeling before the fallen structure. She ran her hand over the snow, a few pieces of wood jutting from the white. If she overturned those pieces, would she find those eyes staring back?
She looked up to the gray clouds and let her body fall back into the snow. It melted around her skin, sending shivers through her body, but she remained still. Naked branches swayed in the wind, appearing as skeletal fingers reaching toward a barren sky. Come spring they would be full of life and maybe their final resting place wouldn’t look so desolate.
A twig broke, and she rolled, reaching for the knife in her shoe. She cursed, having forgotten it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Liam stood with a cloak across his arm and a worried expression on his face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone too aggressive.
“I just…I saw you take off. I didn’t know if you were okay.” She studied him, watching his feet shift, and she took a breath to calm her racing heart.
“I’m fine.” She glanced back at the structure before moving to a log where she brushed the snow aside and sat.
“Are you coming back?” His innocent worry reminded her of her friend, Maltack. Though Mal was at least eighteen by now, she still thought of him as a kid. He was smart for his age and she hoped he’d found a way to survive. Maybe he’d run into a few of the others.
“Yes, I just needed…” she trailed off.
“To run?”
Kiuno smiled. “Yes, to run.” He came over and sat beside her, handing her the cloak. She wrapped it around her shoulders. “How did you meet Vincent?” She already knew, but starting conversation was better than silence.
“When the group I was traveling with passed through, I saw him training and wanted to learn.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to fight on the front lines and help get us home.” His answer startled her. This innocent boy wanted to fight at the front?
“What would make you want to do a thing like that?” she asked.
“Why wouldn’t I? We can’t get home if we don’t fight.”
“What happens if you die?” The words were out before she could stop them, but he was right. If no one fought, then no one would see home again.
“I won’t die,” he said, not bothered by her statement.
“I’ve heard others say the same.” Perhaps she shouldn’t have said that either, but he was young, he needed to understand.
“You’ve lost someone important to you huh?” She looked away, had Vincent said something? No, he didn’t seem like one to tell another’s private affairs, perhaps Liam could see it written across her face.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I have too, I think everyone has.”
“And knowing people have died, when we’ve only come this far, makes you still want to fight?”
“Yes, because they wanted the same thing.” She understood. Despite his age, this kid was well versed in the hardships of this wretched place. She didn’t know what he’d seen or what he’d been through, but he was right about one thing. By now, almost everyone had suffered for one reason or another.
“Kiuno?” She turned back to him. “Don’t give up, they wouldn’t want you to.” A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she looked back to the burnt cabin.
No, they wouldn’t.
REALM: 4
DAY: 189
Eternal darkness surrounded her. They screamed. So many screamed, but nothing gave her light, as if she’d gone blind or been swallowed by some monster. She knew their voices, their cries made her blood race. Kikyo. Elliott. Scorpios. Maltack. Elite…
Kiuno jolted, sweat caking her hair to her forehead. The thick furs were too warm. She threw them to the side and swung her legs over, trying to settle her breath. She cupped her face, wiping the tears. It’d been a while since her last nightmare.
The birds told her morning neared, so she walked from her room to tend the fire. It’d gone low, telling her Vincent was already gone. Throwing in a few logs she sat on the floor, letting her mind wander, but it only went back to the darkness. She couldn’t stand it. Vincent couldn’t spar that morning, and she didn’t want to sit around thinking about the haunting voices.
Kiuno slid on her shoes, lacing them up the side and stepped outside. Vincent had given her a new pair as her old were worn and cracked.
The cold stung her damp skin, but she walked toward the gate, finding Liam already stretching and running in place. They’d started a routine of running every morning, at least when the snow allowed. He must have remembered Vincent’s busy schedule.
They set off in silence, and she wondered if something in her expression gave away the long night or if he hadn’t slept well either. Whatever the reason, she welcomed it.
Melting snow dotted the landscape. The temperature had risen though the wind still had a bite to it. None of them knew what to expect with winter, but it’d been three long months of
cold, freezing rain and what felt like an eternity of ice.
Large snow drifts shut everyone indoors for days, forcing them to survive on what little they’d stored for emergencies. They would get a week of light snow, then the rain would set in, temperatures would dip, and snow would blow through again. It was an endless cycle of frigid nights.
Though Vincent was opposed to it, she helped the hunting parties whenever she could. He wanted her to rest and regather her thoughts, but she needed to move. Everything she did was based off a drive to keep going, and if she stopped, the darkness would catch up. She’d become another voice lost to its endless torment.
Their run started around the perimeter and then headed straight down a familiar path, the one her friends should have walked down. She always stopped by the burnt cabin, but said nothing. Maybe it was because Liam was with her, or maybe she just didn’t know what to say. An apology wouldn’t bring them back.
It wasn’t until they had the walls in view that they slowed.
“Are you all right?” Liam asked.
“Just didn’t sleep well.” He didn’t comment. He knew what that meant. Every day he was on her heels, even more so than he’d been with Vincent. It worried her. She didn’t want any ties here.
Liam followed her back to the cabin, and she threw him a staff. She usually sparred with Vincent, but trained the child on occasion. He needed to learn.
The magic still frustrated her, and she’d all but given up on it. Maybe there was a limit and it’d finally run its course. Kiuno felt empty without it, especially knowing she wouldn’t be able to defend herself against someone who used such.
Kiuno clutched her wrist, wrapping her fingers around the fabric that still hid her stone. She trusted them and maybe even allowed herself to love them a bit, but she’d never been able to convince herself to reveal the stone. She’d always trust Kikyo more, and he’d instructed her to keep it hidden.
After their session, the two went inside. She fed the fire and warmed up lunch. Food was mostly in the form of stew. It warmed the body.
The end of winter brought glorious relief. Flowers were beginning to break through the cold ground, and the trees were forming buds at the end of seemingly dead branches.