by Unknown
The Ulfar howled.
Kyle raised the sword up again, bringing it down on the Ulfar's body. He heard a yelp, and closed his eyes, bringing the sword up and down again and again, until his arms were so exhausted that he couldn't lift the sword anymore. Then he opened his eyes, backpedaling rapidly, the sword dropping from his hands. He stumbled, falling onto his butt on the flattened grass, his eyes on the Ulfar.
Or rather, what was left of it.
A mangled heap of seared fur and flesh lay where the Ulfar had been, the smell of burnt hair and smoking grass making his nose and mouth burn. His stomach lurched, and he turned away from the gruesome sight, standing up and staggering away from the corpse. He stumbled through the tall grass, having no idea where he was going.
“Guys?” he called out. “Darius?”
There was no answer.
He felt lightheaded suddenly, and stopped in his tracks, his legs turning to rubber. They gave out, dropping him to his butt on the ground. He sat there for a moment, the world starting to spin.
“Hey kid,” a voice behind him said.
Kyle turned, seeing Darius appear through the tall grass. The bodyguard offered a gauntleted hand to Kyle, who hesitated, then grabbed it. He was hauled to his feet.
“You were only supposed to kill it once,” Darius stated dryly.
Kyle's cheeks flushed, and he lowered his gaze to his feet. The bodyguard strode toward the Ulfar, then returned moments later carrying Kyle's sword. He slid the sword back into its sheath at Kyle's hip.
“Let's go,” Darius said, grabbing Kyle's hand and pulling him through the tall grass. His legs were still a bit wobbly, but he could walk. The two caught up with Kalibar and Ariana quickly, and Darius motioned for Kyle to go to the back again with Ariana. Ariana said nothing, but her eyes were full of concern. She slid Kyle's arm over her shoulders, helping him walk much the way Darius had earlier. He felt rather pathetic having to rely on a girl; he couldn't help but wish he were more like Darius...brave, confident, and completely self-sufficient. Still, he appreciated Ariana's silent support.
It wasn't long before the tall grass ended, revealing a narrow dirt road beyond...a road that looked awfully familiar.
“Is that...?” Kyle asked, glancing at Darius.
“Yup,” he replied. “The side road we took to get to Crescent Lake.”
“Excellent,” Kalibar stated. “We'll continue west; it'll connect with the main road to Stridon soon enough.”
“Maybe we can catch a ride back then,” Kyle reasoned.
“Not a good idea,” Kalibar countered. “We have to get back to the Great Tower to warn the Grand Weaver and Grand Runic without Orik knowing about it. He'll almost certainly try to have me killed if he finds out I'm coming...and in my state, he might succeed. If we hitch a ride, I'll risk being recognized.”
“Oh.”
“We should walk through the bordergrass flanking the road to avoid being seen,” Kalibar suggested. “At least once we reach the main road.”
“All right,” Darius agreed.
“Let's go,” Kalibar urged. “We need to get as far as we can before nightfall.”
They continued forward then, following the narrow road as it twisted and turned through the wilderness. No one said much of anything, and Kyle fell into a sort of trance, barely even noticing the burning in his legs as he walked. The sun peaked overhead, then descended slowly before them, forcing Kyle to keep his eyes on the ground to avoid its glare.
In this way, one foot in front of the other, they pushed ever-forward, their shadows following close behind as they made their way to Stridon.
* * *
The sun had just began to set by the time the narrow, winding road joined the main road leading to Stridon. As per Kalibar's instructions, Darius led them through the tall bordergrass a dozen feet off of the road to avoid being seen by any late-night travelers. They'd only taken a single break since that morning, to eat lunch. Now, Kyle's legs felt like lead weights, and his belly was complaining bitterly for dinner. In fact, his stomach growled so loudly that even Kalibar, walking a few steps ahead with Darius, could hear it.
“Let's make camp,” the former Grand Weaver declared.
“I'll find a site,” Darius replied. He turned away from the road, leading them through the tall grass. Eventually the grass gave way to forest, the trees having no doubt migrated as far as the bordergrass would let them. Darius found a small clearing, and ordered Ariana and Kyle to help him gather wood for a fire. With the three of them working, they soon had a large pile of wood in the center of the clearing. That done, Kalibar created a large gravity shield around the camp.
“Don't make the fire too large,” Kalibar warned. “We don't want to risk drawing attention.”
Darius complied, and soon the campfire was crackling gently, modest flames licking at the gathered wood. Dinner was made – the usual fare – and everyone huddled together before the fire. Kyle gazed at the smoke rising from the fire, watching as it reached the domed gravity shield above. To his surprise, he saw a small hole in the shield at the top, allowing the smoke to escape. Kalibar, as usual, had thought of everything.
“How is everyone doing?” Kalibar asked.
“Good,” Kyle replied automatically.
“Tired,” Ariana answered. Kalibar smiled at that.
“So am I,” he admitted. “It's been a long two days, hasn't it?”
“Yes sir,” Ariana replied.
“Please,” Kalibar urged, “...call me Kalibar.” He frowned. “I don't think I ever properly introduced myself, Ariana,” he added. “I apologize.”
“You were Grand Weaver,” Ariana stated. “I saw you once when I was little.”
“Ah, yes,” Kalibar murmured. “That I was. So you were a prisoner of the Dead Man,” he added. “I apologize if I came off a bit...harsh when we first met. I had trouble trusting that you weren't one of them.”
“I know,” Ariana replied. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”
“Thank Kyle and Darius,” Kalibar countered with a smile. “Tell me, where are you from, Ariana?”
“Mortown.”
“Ah yes,” Kalibar stated. “I've been there a few times. A beautiful village.”
“Yeah,” Ariana mumbled. She stared at the ground in front of her, laying her cup of soup on the ground beside her. Kalibar frowned.
“What's wrong?” he asked. Ariana shook her head, saying nothing. But Kyle saw tears welling up in her eyes. After a long, awkward pause, Kalibar's expression softened. “I'm sorry, did I say something to upset you?”
“It's okay,” she replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly. “It's just...there is no Mortown anymore.”
Silence fell over the camp, the only sound the crackling of the fire. At length, Kalibar sighed.
“I see,” he murmured. “May I ask what happened?”
“It was a little over a year ago,” Ariana replied, her voice quiet, almost a whisper. “It was late, and I'd just gone to bed. I remember my mom putting me to sleep.” She smiled a little, hugging her arms to her chest. “She tucked me in, and told me she loved me.”
Kalibar said nothing, facing Ariana attentively.
“After she'd left, I fell asleep,” Ariana continued. She paused, taking a deep breath in, then continuing. “I woke up sometime in the middle of the night. My room was filled with this gray fog. It was so thick that I could barely see. Then I heard someone scream. It...it was my mom. She ran into my room, I saw her come through the fog. She was...her hands were covered with blood.”
Ariana swallowed, her lower lip trembling.
“Ariana...” Kalibar began.
“It wasn't her blood,” Ariana interjected. “It was my father's.”
She stared off into space, her damp cheeks glistening in the flickering light of the fire. The shadows it threw across her pale face gave her a haunted look.
“She almost reached me,” Ariana whis
pered. “She was so close. And then the Dead Man was there behind her.” She shook her head. “My mother didn't even see him. He just...”
Ariana said nothing for a long moment, staring down at the ground in front of her. When she lifted her head, fresh tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“The Dead Man took me outside and lined me up with the rest of the kids in town,” she continued. “Then he walked up to the first boy in line...he must have been eight or nine. The Dead Man stood there for a moment, then shook his head. A Death Weaver took the boy away. I never saw him again.”
“Monstrous,” Kalibar muttered.
“He went up to the next boy, and shook his head. They took the boy away. Then a little girl, one of my friends. They took her away too. He shook his head at everyone. And they were all taken away.” Ariana sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. “Then he stepped in front of me.” She turned to look at Kyle then, and gave a bitter smile. “I thought I was going to be taken away too. I was ready to die.” She shook her head. “But the Dead Man, he just smiled, and patted me on the head. And then he brought me into one of his black carriages. I remember staring out of the back, before they closed the doors. The whole town was on fire. Everything was burning...there was nothing left.”
With that, she fell silent, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kyle scooted over next to her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Kyle glanced up at Kalibar; the former Grand Weaver's head was downcast, his hands clasped in front of him. And Darius...Darius was staring at Ariana, his expression as unreadable as ever.
At length, Ariana recovered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
“I spent every day in the Arena,” she said, her voice angry now, “dreaming of escaping, of killing the Dead Man, of being free. And now I am.” She shook her head. “But I don't have a home to go to. I don't have a family anymore.” She gave a bitter smile. “Before I was trapped and now I'm just...lost.”
They sat in silence then, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Kyle thought about his family back home. He had more in common with Ariana than he'd imagined...but she had lived through far worse. At least his parents and friends were still alive.
Kalibar lifted his head, rubbing his hands together slowly. Then he stopped, clasping his hands in front of himself.
“I'm so sorry, Ariana,” he murmured. “Believe me, if I could have done something...” Ariana shook her head, putting a hand on Kalibar's.
“Thank you for saving me,” she replied. Then she smiled. “I remember visiting Stridon once, when I was younger,” she said. “My parents wanted me to see the city. I saw you there, a few years after you'd stopped being Grand Weaver,” she added. “I only saw you from afar, but you were so intimidating. Everyone worshiped you...even my parents. I never thought you'd end up being such a nice man.”
Kalibar smiled, putting Ariana's hand in his own, and patting it gently. “I suppose I'm not so intimidating now,” he replied ruefully. Ariana shook her head.
“You were so brave, when...” she said, then stopped suddenly. “I'm sorry,” she murmured.
“Don't be,” Kalibar replied. “To be honest, I was terrified,” he confessed. “I knew what the Dead Man was going to do, but when it happened...” he paused, shaking his head. “I had nothing left but my dignity. I wasn't about to let the Dead Man take that from me.”
“Where are you from, Kalibar?” Ariana asked, changing the subject. Kyle was thankful for that; no matter what Kalibar said about that terrible night in the Arena, Kyle would always feel at least a little responsible for what had happened.
“I was born in Stridon,” Kalibar replied. “My father owned a large fishing company, and was quite wealthy. My mother had graduated from the Secula Magna...she was a Weaver. They'd been childhood friends, and when she finished her schooling, my father married her. I was their only son.”
“Did you ever have kids?” Ariana asked. Kalibar paused for a long moment, then sighed.
“That,” he muttered, “...is a long story.” Ariana blanched.
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't be,” the former Grand Weaver replied. “You were brave enough to share your demons,” he added. “It's time I did the same.”
Kalibar sat there for a long moment, as if choosing his words.
“I...before I became Grand Weaver,” he began, “well, before I even got elected to the Council, I met a woman. I'd just graduated from the Secula Magna, having more than inherited my mother's magical talents. I'd graduated top in my class, but I was sick of school at the time, and although I eventually wanted to become a Battle-Weaver, I decided to take some time off. I wasted a lot of time doing what young men do...which is to say I drank wine and chased women.”
Kyle glanced at Darius, catching the bodyguard smiling ever-so-faintly.
“Then I found a woman unlike any other,” Kalibar continued, a wistful expression on his face. “She was absolutely stunning...she took my breath away the first time I saw her. She wasn't a Weaver, or a Runic. She couldn't do any magic at all, really.” Then Kalibar smiled. “But she was magical to me.” He shook his head. “She was too good for me, really,” he admitted. “And I knew it, let me tell you! So I married her before she figured that out.”
Darius chuckled, and Kalibar joined him. Kyle stared at the bodyguard, realizing that he'd never heard the man laugh before.
“With my stipend from the Secula Magna,” Kalibar continued, “I was able to afford a house just outside of Stridon, on a small lake. It was a small home – barely larger than my living room now – but it was the only place in my adult life that had ever felt like home.”
Ariana smiled at Kalibar. Kyle smiled too; they both understood how important having a home was. Kalibar said nothing for a long time, until Kyle began to wonder if that was the end of Kalibar's story.
“It didn't take very long for my wife to get pregnant,” Kalibar said with a wry smile. Kyle caught Darius smirking from the other side of the campfire. “She wanted it to be a boy, so she could name him after me.” Kalibar shook his head. “That's how she was, always thinking of me. I was always feeling guilty, because I could never be as good to her as she was to me.”
Suddenly he stopped, taking a deep breath in, then slowly releasing it. He cleared his throat.
“It was hard to tell when she was going to give birth,” he continued. “She kept having contractions, and then they'd go away. We'd called the family doctor to our home so many times, he must have been sick of us!” He chuckled at the thought, then sighed. “When it was time for her to give birth, we called in the doctor one last time, and he stayed with us for...oh, I don't know...it was a long time. And then she started pushing, and we knew that this was it...the baby was coming.”
“She pushed, and pushed. She never yelled out, never complained. I held her hand, and put cold towels on her head. She pushed for hours. The doctor was afraid she would tire out, but she didn't.” Kalibar smiled at the memory, clasping his hands together so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“When I saw the top of my son's head...” He paused, then smiled. “He had so much hair! It was the same color as mine. She pushed and pushed, and his head came out a little more each time. Then it came out...” Kalibar held his hands close together in front of him, as if cradling a baby's head.
“His face was all smooshed up,” Kalibar explained. “But it was just...just perfect. The most perfect thing I'd ever seen.” Kalibar lips trembled, and he paused for a long moment. Ariana put her hand on his shoulder. Kalibar looked startled for a moment, then relaxed.
“She kept pushing,” Kalibar continued, his eyebrows furrowing. “But then everything stopped. He wouldn't come any further. She pushed and pushed, but he kept rocking back and forth, and he wouldn't come. The doctor pushed on her belly, pushed so hard, but he still wouldn't come. We tried to pull him out, but he wouldn't move.”
Kalibar turned his head to the sky, his blindfold damp with tears. “By the time we managed to get him out, it
was already too late. He was gone.”
Ariana rubbed Kalibar's back, wiping tears from her own cheeks. Kyle stared at his hands, feeling like he didn't deserve to be sitting here. He'd never seen a grown-up cry, not like this. And no adult, not even his mom and dad, had ever confided something so personal to him before. He didn't feel worthy of it.
“We gave him to my wife,” Kalibar continued. “She knew right away. Oh, how she cried. I'd never seen her cry like that before.” Kalibar shook his head. “And there was nothing I could do to help her. I was her husband, I was supposed to protect her, I was supposed to protect my son, but I couldn't.”
Darius, who hadn't moved since they'd started talking, put a hand on Kalibar's other shoulder.
“Afterward, she was so angry,” Kalibar said, his voice almost a whisper. “She said I should have been able to save him...I should have used my magic to save him.” His jawline rippled. “She asked me...she said, what good was it that I was at the top of my class, the best Weaver of my generation, if I couldn't even save my own son?”
Kalibar lowered his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. He sat there for a long time, saying nothing. Kyle and Ariana glanced at each other, unsure of what to say. Kyle glanced at Darius, but the warrior seemed lost in thought, his blue eyes focusing on nothing in particular. Then Kalibar stirred, raising his head. His red bandanna was soaked.
“And then she left me too,” Kalibar said, his lower lip trembling. “She left me so that she could be with our son.”
Silence came over the camp. Ariana sat by Kalibar, taking his hand in hers. Kyle and Darius stared at the ground. The wind blew through the forest around them beyond the shield, but the air inside the camp's shield was still.
Finally, Kalibar stirred.
“I hated her for that,” he confessed. “For leaving me. And I hated myself for hating her. I...shut down. At first I thought about joining my wife and son, but I...couldn't. I blamed myself for my son's death. I vowed to learn everything I could about magic, so that I would never feel that helpless again.”