by Lindsay Nall
“It doesn’t bother me. I guess in some weird way it’s almost like a love story to me.” That had his attention, how could documenting the lives of the people your wife killed be a love story? “Even after she was a demon he still tried to stay with her, to find some way to bring her peace, even though he knew he couldn’t.” Nyght nodded as she closed the journal and leaned into him with her eyes closed. It wasn’t right for Shadows to become involved but for now, she was ignoring the little voice that was yelling in the back of her head to stop caring about him. She wasn’t sure what was happening between them but she knew it was going to be harder than stopping a rolling boulder to end it.
“Nyght?”
“Hmm?” She felt his voice from where his chin sat on top of her head.
“Do you ever think about post-war?” His head raised off hers as he answered.
“Post-war?”
She nodded. “What would you do if the war ended?”
“Men will always find a reason to war with each other.”
“But what if there wasn’t war…”
“There will always be war Mari, I’ve seen and documented too many to think otherwise.” He just couldn’t let her have a moment, could he? Even if it’s a fantasy world she could still dream couldn’t she?
“Do you ever regret it?”
“Regret what?”
“Becoming a clansman.” He moved his head to the side so he could look her in the eyes.
“Why would I?” She shrugged and picked at an invisible piece of lint on his knee.
“It just seems like you picked a life of loneliness.” He gave her a quick squeeze and dropped his head further until she looked him in the eye.
“Do I seem lonely?”
“Right now? No, I guess not…” She shook her head and leaned against his shoulder hiding her face in his collar.
“What is it?” He knew there was more to her train of thought and at the moment wasn’t sure if it was cute or irritating that it felt like pulling teeth.
“You’re not allowed to love…or have families…what if you meet someone and you fall in love with her? What would happen?” He rested his cheek against the top of her head understanding why he had to pull teeth with her over this.
“I don’t know, honestly I never thought about it before…I never had a reason to.” Mari let out a quiet sigh hoping he wouldn’t hear the resignation in her tone. She wanted to go back to camp and just curl up in a ball of self-pity, to hide how she felt from him but she knew if she moved to run away now he would see something in it that she wasn’t sure she wanted him to see.
“It’s late.” She whispered a few minutes later standing and heading back to the camp. Nyght walked next to her both silent until the sounds of Reagan and Vander’s snoring reached them. Mari smiled at the two spread out, well sated and deep asleep. Nyght watched as she curled up next to the dimming fire with her coat under her head.
“Mari?” She looked up to him as he settled himself on the other side of the fire. “You are my reason.” She blinked at him and continued to stare at him as he laid down with his back to her. She knew she was blushing but she didn’t care.
The four traveled for six weeks all over the land, stopping in the towns they came across, camping out when they were too tired to trudge on, growing closer as friends and allies as they fought the demons they came across, protected each other and tended to each other’s wounds. As they traveled they helped the spirits Mari made contact with, still after so long Vander and Reagan couldn’t understand her need to help the spirits they came across but after Nyght gave them an abbreviated version of Mari’s mothers condition they devoted themselves whole-heartedly. Mari had been speaking to the spirit bound to the demon they had just destroyed when she called them over.
“What’s going on?” Vander asked. Usually, she talked to the spirits by herself and then told them what was going on.
“This woman asked a favor but I need to know you’re all on board with it before I agree, it may take up a bit of our time.”
“What is it?” Nyght asked reading the uncertainty on her face.
“Her husband was one of her victims as a demon and it left behind their daughter. She doesn’t have any friends or family in the town and her closest relative is her aunt two towns over. She said when she was bound to the demon she felt a strong pull towards the town like there was something special within its walls, she thinks it was her daughter. I’m thinking it might be something else…” Mari explained watching the three as they realized what she had said.
“You think she’s a Shadow?”
“I’ve already explained to her who we are and what we do, she said she would be honored if her daughter was to become one of us but the only problem is she has no idea where her daughter is in the village. The house and most of the village was destroyed and she doesn’t know where else she would go, we need to find her and either get her to her aunt or get her to the Silhouette.” The three men thought about what was being asked of them and to everyone’s surprise, Reagan was the first to speak up.
“We have to go, even if she’s not a Shadow she’s still all on her own, we can’t ignore that.” Mari smiled at him. Though they had been traveling together for quite some time she still didn’t know him too well but what she did know was that he was extremely thoughtful of other people.
“Alright, tell her we will take care of her daughter. What’s her name?” Mari asked the spirit and gave a nod. When she turned back to the others her eye was back to normal telling everyone the spirit had moved on.
“Her name is Kemi.” The three headed off for the town down the road noticing the broken trees, buildings, and farmhouses along the way. This town had been a battlefield for as long as that demon had been around and the closer they got to the village the more Mari worried about finding this little girl in one piece.
Deciding splitting up would cover more ground Vander and Reagan went one way while Mari and Nyght took another. After nearly six hours of searching through battered abandoned houses and broken buildings, they were still empty-handed.
“This place is like a ghost town,” Nyght whispered as they walked down a back alley behind a scattering of walls and stone. “Mari let’s get some rest and search tomorrow, we’ve been out here forever.” She stopped at Nyght’s request and shook her head.
“Were you ever afraid of the dark Nyght?” He froze.
“N-no!” She smiled at him over her shoulder hurdling a fallen wall, she should have known better than to ask something that would make him defensive. Men.
“I was. I was terrified of it. Every creak or shadow I thought was a monster coming to kill me but when I got scared I had people to reassure me, to protect me through the night. This little girl doesn’t have that and here the monsters are real.”
He jumped over the fallen wall and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re right, let’s keep looking.” They found a storehouse they hadn’t been in and were in the middle of searching room to room when Mari heard a quiet sneeze.
“Kemi?” A young girl, dirty from head to foot with a stuffed pony in her arms stood up from behind some old barrels.
“I knew it! He told me you’d come!” The little girl ran for Mari wrapping her arms tight around her waist.
“Who told you?” Kemi looked up with a smile and lifted her pony.
“My pony! He always tells me when good people are coming…but never why you all wear these weird jackets…” She eyed Mari’s coat but as she reached up to touch one of the silver toggles an explosion took out the wall closest to them. Mari covered Kemi with her body to keep her safe and once the dust settled looked up to see a demon where the wall had been.
“Mari protect the girl!” She looked up to see Nyght running at the demon from the other side of the room and nodded. Grabbing Kemi around the waist she took off and ducked down behind a few scattered barrels with her. The two watched from there as the demon blocked all of Nyght’s attacks, including his black fire
, before flinging him across the room with its tail.
“Nyght?!”
“I’m fine just keep her safe!” Nyght yelled getting to his feet, he was listing to one side and Mari knew if she didn’t help him he could get seriously injured.
“Kemi stay here no matter what alright?” She nodded as Mari stood whispering an incantation under her breath. A whirlwind surrounded Kemi though she felt no breeze. “It will keep you safe.” She whispered then went to join the attack. “Nyght! Shoot me with your lightning arrow!” Nyght faltered and stared at her.
“Shoot you?”
“Trust me!” He shrugged and did as she asked surprised when she pulled the lightning into her hands and used it as extra oomph to her physical attack blowing two holes through the demon. Unfortunately, she had to get close to it to land her attack and it grabbed her by the arm throwing her across the room into a pile of broken wood.
“Mari!?”
“I’m okay!” She stood shakily but quickly found her footing. “One more time!” Nyght did as was asked and watched as she combined her wind attack with the attack she had pulled from him making sure not to get too close to the demon this time. It screamed out in agony and lashed out with its tail catching Mari in the stomach and sending her flying again. She could vaguely hear someone yelling her name and as clarity came to her she realized it was Nyght. “I’m alright.” It came out as more of a croak and searing pain shot across her abdomen as she tried to sit up. Clutching at the spot that hurt she was surprised to feel wetness on her hand, looking down she saw that the last attack had cut her side open. Standing she watched as Nyght landed a few blows to the demon then got thrown into the opposite wall. “Nyght?” When he didn’t respond she panicked. She was running before her thoughts were complete, she wasn’t sure what she could do by herself but she couldn’t leave Kemi unprotected. Running through the wind barrier she had set up she collapsed on her knees in front of Kemi.
“You’re hurt!” Kemi turned to look at the demon. “Stop hurting the nice people!” The stuffed animal in her arms seemed to glow as a bright yellow light added its power to Mari’s wind shield and helped to hold off a blast from the demon.
“She is…” Mari whispered.
“Paranus fractures…” The demon tried to reach them again but the barrier held strong.
“Kemi listen to me, this is very important ok?” Kemi turned from the demon to Mari with a nod. “Nyght!?” A groan was her answer and she figured that was the best she was going to get. “When I count to three I want you to run to Nyght as quick as you can ok?”
“But then who will protect you?” Mari smiled and sat a hand on Kemi’s head.
“Don’t worry I’ll be fine. Just hold your pony tight alright? He’ll protect you.” Kemi nodded and turned in the direction Nyght was in. Slowly she got to her feet and turned to face the demon with her hands up drawing the wind shield tighter around them. “Ready Kemi? One, two, three, run!!” At the same time she said three Mari released the wind shield on the demon blocking it from being able to attack Kemi as she ran. Using the little strength she had left she managed to hold the demon in place with it. “Nyght! Get her out of here!”
“I’m not leaving you behind!” Kemi was clinging to Nyght’s hand as she watched Mari and the demon.
“She’s a Shadow! Protecting her comes first! You can’t risk her life!” Nyght clenched his free hand into a fist and swore under his breath.
“I’ll come back and help you just hold on!” Mari nodded not sure whether he saw it or not.
Nyght ran from the storehouse with Kemi in his arms stopping two streets away to try and hide her behind a half-demolished house so he could go back to help Mari but the minute he stood up from setting Kemi down the entire storehouse exploded.
“Mari!”
“Nyght!” Nyght turned to see Vander and Reagan running to him. “Where’s Mari?” He didn’t have to answer Vander’s question. Vander saw the answer on his face when he looked back at the storehouse.
“Take the girl I’m going to find her.” Vander shook his head and put a hand on his friends’ shoulder.
“You’re hurt, take her to the Inn on the other side of town, we’ll look for Mari.” Nyght shook his head and leveled a look at Vander that told him nothing would stop him from going. “I’ll take Kemi, Reagan go help him.” Reagan nodded and the two took off to the still smoking remains of the storehouse.
“How did this happen?” Reagan asked as they carefully picked through the rubble trying to find their comrade and avoid the bits of demon flesh that were disintegrating around them. Whatever Mari had done had obliterated this demon.
“I don’t know what she did…it was a hierarchy demon, second tier, a strong second-tier and she…” He stopped and looked around the destroyed building with a shake of his head.
Reagan followed his friend's gaze sweeping over the remnants, there was no way she could have destroyed a demon that strong unless it was already badly injured right? “It was already weakened though wasn’t it?”
“Still…I shouldn’t have left her.” Nyght leaped over part of a wall but stopped when Reagan put a hand on his arm.
“You had to protect the girl, that’s what Mari wanted wasn’t it?” Nyght nodded though he felt like he could have found another way. “Beating yourself up isn’t going to…” Reagan stopped in the middle of his sentence and sniffed the air a few times.
“Reagan? What is it?”
“I smell blood…this way.” Nyght followed behind picking up speed when he saw Mari’s hand sticking out of a pile of rubble. The two men made fast work of digging her out and Nyght pulled her into his lap. “Nyght…her side…” Nyght looked to where a laceration bout six inches long ran along her side and swore.
“Mari…you idiot…” He whispered trying to get a better look to see how bad the damage was.
“Nyght…?”
“Mari?” Her eyes fluttered a few times before staying open in tiny slits. “Stay still.”
“Kemi?”
“She’s fine.” Slowly Mari lifted a hand and put it to Nyght’s cheek.
“You’re…crying?” Nyght glared at her and shook his head.
“No, I’m not.” She smiled and patted his cheek. “You scared me you idiot, never do anything like that again you hear me!?”
“I’m sorry.” Mari fell back into unconsciousness after that and Nyght carried her to the Inn where Vander was waiting for them. In one of the rooms Vander carefully opened Mari’s jacket so Nyght could tend to her wound but as they cleaned the blood from her skin Vander gasped.
“Nyght…the wounds healing itself…” The two watched closely as the skin replenished itself slowly closing the wound that would have been life-threatening to anyone else. “It must be her fractures…amazing.”
“Lucky is more like it.” Nyght growled returning to cleaning the dried blood from Mari’s skin. He couldn’t help being mad at her for what she had done.
Mari woke in a bed and assumed she had been moved by the others. Looking around her she smiled at what she saw. Curled up next to her side was Kemi, on her other side Nyght had a hold of her hand and had his head resting on the bed as he sat in a chair next to her. Softly she squeezed his hand and whispered his name trying to get his attention without waking the little girl next to her.
“Mari? How do you feel?” She sat up to lean against the headboard and shrugged.
“A little thirsty but fine I guess.” The two looked to Kemi sleeping on the bed next to her.
“She refused to leave your side, she said she wanted to protect you as you protected her.” Mari smiled and ran a hand through the girls’ hair. “Your fractures healed your wounds, well the bad one, you still have some cuts and bruises.”
“That’s good. Are you ok? Were you hurt?” Nyght gripped the sheets next to him in a fist so tight his hand shook. “Nyght?”
“You’re a Shadow, part of that is being part of a team, you could have been killed!”
“Isn’t part of being a Shadow also to protect each other and the future?” She looked to Kemi with a small smile. “She’s young but she’s a Shadow, chosen my Paranus himself, there’s not many of us in this world right now I had to do what I could to protect her.”
“And what about you huh?” She turned back to Nyght watching as his gaze fell from her face to the floor, as he stood to walk away from her she grabbed his sleeve.
“You’re angry with me.” It wasn’t a question but a statement and Nyght shrugged.
“How do you know?”
“Just because I don’t have my eye on doesn’t mean your emotions aren’t written all over your face.”
“So what if they are? Damn straight I’m angry with you!” Nyght turned back to face her pulling his sleeve out of her grip in the process. “You idiot! You could have been killed! No one was there to help you or protect you and the minute you send me away… I thought I had lost you! You scared the hell out of me!” Nyght panted slightly as he worked through the worst of his anger but blanched when Mari started giggling. At her strange reaction, he leaned in close to her and began looking over her head.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for head injuries. I just yelled at you and you’re giggling, I’m thinking I overlooked a blow to your head.” Mari snickered as she leaned her head back so she could look him in the eye and placed a hand on his cheek.
“I’m giggling because I’m happy.” Nyght cocked an eyebrow at her. “I have an amazing friend who cares about me why shouldn’t that make me happy?” Nyght wanted to smack her but instead he let out a sigh and pressed his forehead against hers.
“Idiot of course I care.”
“Thank you.”
“Just don’t make a habit out of this ok?” Mari snickered again and nodded.
“Promise.” They sat like that for a moment just enjoying each other’s company.
“Are you two gonna kiss now?” The two went rigid turning to look at Kemi, who was now sitting up on the bed watching them with interested eyes, at the same time.
“What?!” They both asked.
“We were wondering the same thing.” They looked over to see Vander and Reagan standing in the doorway to the room with crooked smiles. Nyght and Mari looked to each other before Nyght backed away blushing deeply. Mari blushed but also broke out into another fit of giggles at the inanity of the situation.