by Sean J Leith
The Captain dropped his blade, fell into the mud, and writhed in agony. “What? You!” He coughed up blood and cursed before he passed into the next life.
Noren embraced her tightly. “I couldn’t, Lira. I couldn’t stand there watching!” His grip loosened as the two other commanding soldiers tore him away.
Biggs shoved him against a tree and was about to slice a blade across his neck—until the other stopped him. “Take him with us. Arrest him. He can be used for the new jail. Vicks said things were being prepared for something important.”
Wedge put a gag over her brother’s mouth, and dragged him away with the other recruits, who looked upon him with despair.
“No!” Lira screeched from her hands and knees, hair covered in mud. She cried as strongly as the rain pounding the ground.
Biggs walked over with two others to pick up the dead Vicks. Lira scrambled to strike him but was struck with a gauntlet again, sending her into a daze. “Look at this.” They mumbled a few words to each other, but she heard the word ‘exempt.’ “—and she won’t be crossing anyone again anytime soon,” Wedge said. She was driven to the ground again, only able to see the company walk down the road. She felt powerless. She was unable to do anything to save Noren; all she could do was stare helplessly at him being dragged away.
Before long, she rose again, and ran forward after them until and a hand grabbed her and pulled her back.
“Lira, stop!” Looking back, her childhood friend Calvin, stood with beady, concerned eyes staring into hers. “I’m sure he will be pardoned. It’s best you aren’t taken as well. Please, I don’t want that.”
Bawling, she shook her arm away from him, and collapsed to the ground. “You don’t know that,” she said quietly. He blinked twice and shook his head. It was an odd thing he always did, when he was stressed, or something was off. Seeing her brother and so many other friends taken, she wasn’t surprised.
“The rumors aren’t true. I promise. I couldn’t handle both of you being taken. Maybe you could visit him?”
She nodded, and sniffed, barely able to handle the tears flowing from her eyes. “Okay,” she blubbered. Walking away, she stormed back into her home and slammed the door on his face as he approached.
* * *
For days, she could only stare at the walls of her home. Her clothing went unfinished, and she didn’t bother answering the door. It could be them again. They could be back for me. If she stayed inside, Noren wouldn’t have been arrested. She felt suffocated by guilt, finding it hard to breathe. She could hear Noren, blaming her, in her mind. If you did what you were told, I wouldn’t be in jail. You wouldn’t be in danger.
How could you? she heard him say.
Another knock echoed from her door. “King’s business,” a voice said, this time, calmly.
Lira rose to her feet with shaky hands. They’ve come for me.
When she opened the door, a well-groomed soldier wearing intricately embroidered leather handed her a letter. “Lira Kaar?”
Lira clenched her fists, trying to calm her nerves. “Yes?” she accepted the letter.
“Your brother has been jailed in the Southwestern Loughran hold. As your father is part of the Orinde Monastery, he has given up his name. You are the next of kin, and this is your notification.” The soldier bowed and walked away immediately after speaking.
She read it carefully with one thought etched into her mind. I have to apologize. I must see him. I can’t live with the guilt.
The day after, Lira packed some of her things, and travelled a few days to the Southwestern Loughran hold with a supply caravan from Solmarsh. But when she arrived, the news was what she feared most. “He’s been moved to another location.”
“What? Where was he moved?” Lira asked. Under orders from Drayfus’ god, Lornak? Lira wondered. He was the opposer of her goddess, but Lornak was said to be powerless. But fated to return.
“Isn’t he ‘missing’ like the others?” another guard piped up, cocking a side smile.
The warden turned his scar-ridden scowl to his subordinate. “Shut your mouth, boy. I’ll have you strung up for the crows with another comment like that.” He turned his glare to Lira. “State business. Ask further, and I’ll make sure you follow his footsteps, girl,” the warden growled. “I could name you one of those savage Scions of Fire, and you’d be jailed for certain.”
“But—”
“One more word, and I’m throwing you in and sending you with him. Understand?” The warden slammed his fist on the wooden desk, leaving a dent where his gauntlet hit it. “Get out of here. Best forget your traitor of a brother even lived. You’re better off.”
Lira drew back. Forget him? How? And why? Is there no chance he’d ever be free? she thought. I want to find out where he went. Is he missing? She had no idea how to go about it. Noren told her to stay safe in Solmarsh. But how could I abandon him? With all that’s going on, the rebellion, the war, and the rumors about prisoners never being released—or even executed—I can only imagine what horrors he could be put through. On her trip with the caravan home, she wondered what she even could do. She was hardly a proficient fighter, or a traveler as a whole.
She holed herself up in her small home meant for two, worrying endlessly. She prayed to Shiada, for a means to save her brother. Some thought prayer and gods were worthless, but Lira knew their power was real. Before bed, she said one final prayer. She hoped in the morning she could muster the courage, or a means, to find him. He could be killed, or something even worse.
She couldn’t stop the tears from welling in her eyes as she tried to sleep. Soldiers were everywhere in Loughran, the savage Scions of Fire scoured the lands, and thieves plundered vulnerable towns.
And I’d be searching aimlessly, alone, she thought, drifting off to sleep.
* * *
A gentle knock pattered at her door. It was softer than a state guard, or so she assumed. She inched toward the door, passing by the rays of morning sun gleaming through her windows. The rule of three. Bad news comes in threes, Lira thought.
The first visitor was the recruiter, leading to Noren’s arrest.
The second brought his location, and Noren went missing.
She prayed for hope the night before; she wondered what came this time. As she cracked open the door, a bronze-skinned man stood half a foot below her eyes.
A subtle flame flickered over his messy black hair, and the shoddy boiled leather armor covered in cuts and frays contrasted the large blade encrusted with bright rubies upon his back. “Lira Kaar?” he said kindly.
“Yes?” Lira stuttered. It was strange for someone with a sword so large to speak kindly, let alone a Blazik, in Loughran.
“Sohgra, the owner of the inn here in Solmarsh and a friend of mine, sent me to you. May I come in?” he spoke gently.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I do not know you.” Lira held the door tighter. She carefully leaned behind the door, and grabbed a dagger from the wall, holding it behind her left forearm.
“Indeed, my apologies. I am here on business, regarding your brother. I have heard of your situation, and I have a proposal you might find interesting.”
Lira looked left and right. It had only been a few days, and almost thought her situation lost. “What proposal?”
The Blazik cleared his throat. “I can help you find him.”
Lira’s eyes widened. “Wh—what?”
“Please, I must speak with you in private,” he said, glancing down the road.
She opened the door wider, keeping the dagger hidden.
He bowed his head, and carefully stepped into her home as she closed the door. “I don’t believe I know your name,” she said.
“I didn’t give you my name.” he kept a close eye on the door, waiting until the door clicked closed to continue. “I tend to keep it quiet until in private. I am Jirah Mirado.”
Lira’s eyes widened. “The—”
“—the leader of the Scions of Fire, yes.” He
sighed, looking out her window. “I’m here to offer a chance. An associate of mine gave you a shining recommendation, and from what I’ve heard, I could use a woman like you.” He turned back to her and stared into her eyes. “I’m offering a chance to find your brother. All I ask in return is loyalty. You may leave at any time, but I ask you do not speak of us after you decide to leave.”
Lira scratched the nape of her neck. A woman like me. “But what could I do?” she asked. I’ve only heard stories of their savagery. But if I could find Noren…
“Fighters aren’t the only thing needed in a war. You can teach someone to fight. You can’t teach a sense of loyalty and morality. I’m going to ask you once, and then I will be gone from here.” He stepped forward, staring up into her eyes with his dark, almond-shaped ones. “Will you join us?” After seeing what could be best described as a child in awe and fear, he turned. “Take a moment to think.”
Lira stared down at him. He was much shorter than she expected, but he had a strong presence. I have only heard awful things, Lira thought. But if I don’t go with him, I may never see Noren again. She couldn’t leave Noren to die.
If she joined she was a criminal—and could only imagine what would happen if she was caught. But most of all, she couldn’t live in Solmarsh forever wondering what could have been. She stood for what seemed like minutes, and he simply waited, looking toward her window with a sharp eye.
Wondering what could have been, she thought again.
The pain of mystery.
She couldn’t bear the thought. It was risking her life in order to avoid pain for a lifetime. She bolstered all nerves within herself, straightened her posture, and nodded. “I will.”
“I’m glad.” Jirah took a piece of parchment out from his bag and placed it on a small table by a lantern. “From here, it will be seven day’s time before you reach this destination. Come to the camp and await further instructions. Follow this map and tell no one. Memorize the landmarks and burn it as soon as possible. I’ll send a scout to inform them of your arrival.” He gave his hand, and Lira shook it with the one not holding the dagger. “The land needs help. I’m glad you will be part of it. I won’t be back there for a time, however. I have more business to attend to. I assure you, though, the officer present there is more than trustworthy.”
As he bowed and turned to go, he turned with a smirk. “You would want a sharper dagger. Yours looks fairly dull.” He gave a light chuckle before walking down the road with a cowl over his head.
Lira closed the door, pressed her back against it, and slid down to the ground. With their help, I can find him. She swallowed tightly, let out panicked breaths, and stifled her fear with a thought. I’m coming, Noren. I promise. It’s my turn to protect you.
Chapter Two
The Unsullied
Lira Kaar
It was a peaceful night in the blackwood forests of Loughran, and Lira knew there was no going back. The moon’s bloody red glow barely shone through the canopy above to illuminate her convoluted path. When she was a child, her father told her a blood moon was the sign of unity—but also of change. In recent days her life changed significantly. She became a criminal.
Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo… the owls hooted around her. A blanket of shadow covered nearly all with accents of crimson from the moon; her dark copper skin was none but a shade of red. The branches around her scraped against one another, the leaves rustled in the howling wind, and the owls didn’t let a moment go silent. Hoo…
Are you asking who I am? Lira thought. I thought I knew. This isn’t me at all. But without my brother, I feel I’m only half a person. Noren went missing a fortnight ago from the jail he was kept in. She had to find him. If anything bad happened to Noren, it would be her fault. Not only that, but she would lose what little family she had left, save for her father. The twigs snapped beneath her feet, and she stumbled over a large tree root coiling out of the hard ground. She checked her bag to make sure everything was still there. She didn’t bring much: only some food and water, her bow, a spellbook, and her brother’s ring. She didn’t want to forget him after the sacrifice he made for her. I have to make sacrifices too. I’m not the only one hurt by the state.
Conflict always made Lira anxious; armies, rebels, kings—she didn’t want to get involved. But Noren’s disappearance pushed her to make a change. Although, the dark forest wasn’t making her feel any better about it.
Jirah offered her a chance to find her brother and help others. And a chance to fight back, but I don’t like fighting, she thought. I just want to help. She wondered what kinds of unscrupulous characters she would meet in a rebel force—people she was nothing like, she was sure. Jirah told her she was welcome to join in the fight to stop all the terrible things the soldiers had done: the arrests, unlawful conscriptions, and murders. There had been a suspicious increase in arrests in the region, Lira heard, and they weren’t being released, or even put on trial. Mistreatment of commoners and disregarding wounded soldiers was nothing surprising, but something seemed very strange about the capital’s actions of late.
Lira stopped briefly and scratched her head. She came to a fork in the road, with paths curving into the darkness. She pulled out her map and tapped the end of her six-foot walking stick she had against her head to think. A bunch of scribbles on the parchment coiled through the forests north of Deurbin, but when it came to the fork, it stopped. Which way? Lira looked around, perking her ears hoping to hear something to guide her way. The owls stopped, the branches sat still, and the leaves fluttered gently in the wind. But then, the leaves above her rustled, a plop of leather on dirt echoed before her, and the glint of steel shone between her eyes.
“Who are you?” a raspy voice said harshly.
Lira jumped back. “Me?” she stuttered. She placed a hand to her chest, and her breath sped up to meet her pounding heart.
“Yes, you.” The voice vibrated subtly, as did the arrowhead pointed at her. “Make it quick, or I’ll let the arrow answer for you.” The trees rustled and swayed, and the crimson moonlight showed a woman’s face a foot below hers, with sharp features and a scowl decorated by a long, thick scar across her right eye.
When they locked eyes, Lira felt a strange painful sensation deep within her mind. The woman’s pupils glowed a faint blue, and she winced as Lira did. At first it was a mere sting, but slowly grew to an unbearable burning that felt like an inferno. She clutched her head and dropped to one knee. She yelped in pain and prayed for it to end. Lira looked up to see the red light above flicker and wane, and the moon flashed to a subtle violet and back before she closed her eyes again.
“What the hell!” the woman yelled. She staggered back and gripped her head too, struggling to redraw her bow. “You better give your name quick, or I’m going to take this damn headache out on you! Is this your magic, witch?” She glared at Lira and bared her teeth. Her amber irises were decorated by the strange blue-lit pupils, brightly shining in the dark.
“Lira Kaar! I didn’t do it, I swear!” Lira said. As they stared at each other, their breath slowed, but the pain only subsided a little. They stood up straight and basked in both the dark and the blood-colored light. “Who are you?”
The woman put away her bow. Her breath slowed, and her pupils faded to a deep black once more. She looked as if to curse or give a vicious retort but stopped in her tracks. “Kayden Ralta,” she said, raising a curious brow. After a peculiar stare, she asked, “What’s with your eyes?”
Lira didn’t know what to say. She was more curious of Kayden’s eyes. Did it happen to me, too? Lira looked up to the moon above, curious of what it meant.
After a long pause, the vicious woman, Kayden, sighed and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Come on, you’re late. I had to come out here to find you in case you got lost. You even looked lost. Do you even know how to read a map?” Kayden rubbed her head and started walking away. “Let’s go.”
Lira tried to stifle her loud, shallow breaths. It was finally starting to sink
in. She was going to be a criminal. Pattering up beside the woman, she said, “Are you part of the Scions, too?”
“Shh,” Kayden whispered. “Damn it, I can barely see out here. Quit talking about that so loud. Just follow me before you get lost again.”
I was only a little lost. Lira tried to keep up, but Kayden walked rather quickly for someone so much shorter than her. “Where are we going?”
Kayden sighed, and didn’t respond.
Lira rubbed her arms, looking around. All she could see was blackwood trees, and the dark silhouette of broad leaves on a backdrop of crimson moonlight. After a time, she could finally see the warm light of a campfire in the distance. It flickered and danced against the black trees, and as it grew, she saw more than a few individuals staring down the path at them.
Lira’s breath barely slowed. She crossed her arms and stared at the ground, looking time and again at the growing flame. The flame revealed a flourish of color as they entered the clearing. Kayden’s skin glowed a warm olive tone, and it revealed a thick, tangled mane of hair. The others in the clearing were a strange mix of individuals; some of forms she only saw in paintings and heard in stories.
Kayden passed the fire and those by it and leaned up against a tree. “Found it.”
“Thank you, Miss Ralta. That was quite kind,” a stone-skinned man said. He was a Terran, a human race touched with the power of earth. His voice was graveled, and without a hint of emotion.
Kayden shrugged. “I don’t like it when I have to wait around for stragglers.”
The slate-skinned man walked forward and extended his hand. “I am Gorkith Kildath. Sir Mirado is in another camp at the moment, and I have given them the task in his place. Please have a seat. Miggen will brief you.” He motioned to a log by the fire, where another woman sat.
She had a similar long nose and soft jaw as Jirah did—and was a Blazik as well. She passed her dark obsidian-black hair over a bronze-skinned shoulder, the flame flitting off into the air around her.