Starfall (The Fables of Chaos Book 1)

by Jackson Simiana

  “Just you wait ‘til you see Shadowshore!” Landry said. “Largest city in the kingdom. Thousands of people. Walls as big as towers, city blocks like entire towns in and of themselves.”

  Tomas could not even fathom such a place. Brittlepeak had about a hundred residents in a sort of cluster by a river. The tallest structure they had there was the old windmill! How would so many people fit so tightly together in such small places?

  “I can’t imagine. Even Barrowtown was a sight for me!” Tomas said.

  “Shadowshore is a thousand times larger!”

  “I would love to see it, one day.”

  “It will blow your mind,” Landry chuckled.

  Tomas thought he heard a noise. He sat up straight and listened over the rustling of leaves and the crackling fire. It sounded like some distant commotion and… a muffled call?

  “You hear that?” Tomas asked, concerned.

  The noise was faint, but Landry could hear it too. “What is that?”

  Tomas began to panic. Rilan.

  Tomas stumbled up out of his bedroll, sprinting to the edge of the grove to where he thought the sounds were coming from. Landry followed.

  “I think it’s Rilan!” Tomas said. The wind began to pick up. In the distance, Tomas heard a branch snap a faint cry for help. Tomas immediately broke out into a sprint into the dark woods in that direction.

  “Tomas, wait!” Landry called. “Let’s get some help! We’ll get lost out there!”

  But there was no stopping him. Tomas raced into the gloomy forest, pushing through bushes and shrubs, and leaping over fallen trees.

  “Rilan!?” he shouted.

  No response.

  The wind began to howl. The entire forest began to sway and shift, the titanic tree trunks groaning as they danced.

  Tomas waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark, squinting to try and look for something. Anything.

  Another noise, this time the sounds of shuffling and muffled groans.

  He wasn’t too far away.

  “Rilan!”

  Tomas raced further in, searching for his friend. Where is he?!

  The commotion was getting louder, he was going the right way. It sounded like a struggle. Tomas heard more shouts from other men and punches being thrown. Then, he heard Rilan.

  “Get off me!”

  Tomas could not see anything but jumped through some thick brush before squirming between two thick tree trunks, grazing his forearm on some rough bark.

  There before him was Rilan, face down in the dirt with two brutish figures on top of him.

  Ref and Styna.

  Rilan’s trousers had been pulled down to his knees. Ref was pinning down his arms. Tomas froze.

  “Help!”

  “Quit your shouting, boy,” Ref threatened, smacking Rilan’s head into the dirt from above.

  “Nah, I like it when they struggle!” Styna sniggered. The brute was awkwardly attempting to remove his pants.

  Tomas felt sick in his gut at the situation before him. He was completely petrified. His hands began to twitch; every muscle screamed to run the other way.

  No. I will not abandon him.

  “Get the fuck off him!” Tomas reached for his scabbard or knife belt but was quick to realise he had left them both at the campsite.

  Fuck. He had no weapons.

  Ref turned to Tomas smirking. What teeth he had left were blackened and chipped. Styna struggled with his tattered belt as Rilan squirmed beneath him.

  “We’re just having a little fun with your friend. Get outta here, or you’ll be next,” Styna threatened. His voice was rough and cold.

  “Get… off… him!” Tomas repeated.

  “Have you no sense, boy? You wanna be fucked bloody as well?”

  Ref stood up from holding Rilan down and strode towards Tomas, pulling a small dagger from his pocket.

  “Don’t try anything stupid, or this dagger’ll be the one fucking you.” Ref laughed. His breath was rotten, his teeth black.

  Ref stood guard as Styna pinned Rilan down again, his greasy hair covered his face, but those dog eyes stood out, piercing.

  Tomas’s mind went completely blank. His legs felt as though they weighed a tonne. He heard Rilan’s cry for help, and his mind raced backwards in time.

  Fear gripped him.

  He was paralysed again.

  “Tomas, help.”

  Rilan flailed about as Styna pushed his face into the dirt.

  Tomas didn’t think. He only reacted.

  Tomas charged at Ref, ramming into the brute from the side before he knew what was happening. The dagger was flung from his dirty hands.

  Tomas swept Ref off his feet, knocking him into Styna. All three fell into the dirt.

  A clap of thunder echoed through the dark woods and rain suddenly began to pour from the heavens.

  The dirt turned to mud, as Tomas leapt to his feet, enraged.

  Ref was clambering for the blade on his hands and knees. Tomas sprinted at him, kicking Ref hard in the face and feeling a sudden shot of pain explode from his ankle as bone hit bone.

  Ref coughed up blood. His face was split open. Thick mud enveloped him as he dropped.

  Tomas groaned, his ankle aching. It felt as if he had kicked a stone wall. He left the brute there to wallow in the pain of his broken face.

  Lightning flashed above.

  Styna jumped up, hunch-backed with dripping hair. He looked like a wild animal. The brute waddled over with his pants half-down, tackling Tomas and throwing him down on his back into the thick soup of mud.

  A closed fist hit Tomas square in the face, knocking the sense out of him. He saw flashing lights for a moment. Rain and blood entered his eyes.

  Styna grabbed a rock and slammed it into Tomas’s face.

  An explosion of agony erupted from his mouth. He felt a tooth chip and a burning sensation in his gums like a hot fire poker. He spat up blood, coughing to get it out of his throat.

  The vicious dog went to hit him again, but before he could, Rilan was up, attempting to pull Styna off Tomas.

  “Get off him!”

  Tomas, still on his back with Styna’s calloused hands around his throat, kicked up as hard as he could, his foot meeting Styna’s groin with a sickening crunch. The brute let out a bellow, doubling over.

  Tomas ignored the pain, wiping the blood out of his eyes and climbing to his feet, covered in mud. He and Rilan both rushed into Styna, throwing him down once again.

  Tomas and Rilan stood side by side, faces bleeding, clothes drenched and covered in mud as the rains fell.

  Another flash of lightening lit up the forest for an instant before the roar of thunder clapped.

  “Are you alright?” Tomas asked.

  Before Rilan could even answer, Tomas felt a hand grab his leg from behind. He lost his balance as Ref, lying in the mud with a split down his face, yanked Tomas to the ground.

  Ref rolled on top of Tomas, dagger in hand, placing the crooked tip straight into the side of his neck. He pressed so hard that Tomas felt the sting of his skin breaking.

  But he did not slice, holding the tip in place.

  “Back off! Back the fuck off!” Ref screamed at Rilan. “Or I’ll cut this bitch’s throat.”

  Rilan took a step back, then another, holding his hands out to try and calm Ref down.

  Tomas lay frozen, enveloped in mud. The point of the dagger dug deeper into his skin, enough to make it bleed. He closed his eyes, scowling at the sharp pain.

  I’m going to die. I’m going to die.

  “Let him go, please,” Rilan begged.

  Styna, still writhing in the mud with his hands on his groin, began snickering. “You’re fucked now, both of you!”

  “Please,” Rilan said. “He’s all I’ve got. Let him go.”

  Ref leant down and whispered into Tomas’s ear. “You hear that, boy? You’re all he’s got.” The thug cackled.

  Tomas heard something whiz through the air.

&
nbsp; In an instant, Ref was flung backwards off of Tomas with force. The dagger went flying. Tomas sat up, hand against his throat, unsure of what just happened.

  Ref had an arrow stuck in his shoulder. He rolled around in the mud, shrieking in agony.

  “Get it out! Get it out!”

  Tomas and Rilan, wide-eyed, ran to each other. Out of the darkness, Landry came running with a bow in one hand and another arrow in the other.

  Landry loomed over Styna, nocking his arrow, and fully drawing the bow. The arrowhead was aimed straight down at Styna’s face.

  Landry looked straight down at the squalid man, making sure that he truly understood how close to death he really was.

  “P-p-please, don’t,” Styna begged.

  Landry did not blink.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t,” Landry hissed His hands remained perfectly motionless; arrow pointed straight at his eye.

  “We was only havin’ some fun, no harm done,” Styna said.

  Ref snickered in pain. “No harm done!”

  Tomas and Rilan, crippled with fear, remained still, waiting to see what was going to happen.

  Landry was in control.

  His eyes remained locked on Styna. “You lay a finger on anyone again, I will hand you over to Gharland and he will castrate you on the spot,” Landry threatened.

  Styna whimpered in the mud.

  “I’ve seen him do it, and you’ve seen him do it. One thing the Captain hates is insubordination within his ranks. You know this. Do I make myself clear?”

  Ref and Styna laughed nervously. Ref pulled the arrow from his shoulder in one swift move, a trail of blood spraying out with it.

  “Better yet, if you so even look at us for the remainder of this journey, so help me, Creator, I will send an arrow each through your cocks. And trust me, I never miss.”

  Landry glared over at Ref, a hole in his shoulder. A great shot- not lethal, but very painful. The arrow landed right where Landry had wanted it to go.

  Landry backed away from the two brutes.

  “You will regret this, boy,” Ref warned. He continued groaning in pain and snickering alongside Styna.

  Landry walked away with Tomas and Rilan, heading back for the camp. Rilan held Tomas up with an arm, his face was bleeding and the cut in his neck was bruised and aching.

  Ref’s voice shouted once more. “Mark my words, you will regret this!”

  The three ignored the threat, but heard it echo in their minds. None of them said a word in response.

  Chapter 15 - Outside of the Circle

  A crisp sunrise sent the shadows of night running as dawn fell over Ravenrock. The bells of the city rang as flocks of grey gulls flew out to sea for their morning hunt.

  Lamplighters strode around town extinguishing the thousands of glowing lights as rays of sunlight peaked from behind the clouds.

  High tide would be approaching later in the day as Rea and Ixo were expected to be bright in the sky that night. Fishermen set out down the shallow canals and into Stonesilt Harbour to collect their catch as the city awoke.

  Atop Castle Bower, Katryna sat alone on the terrace, holding down her knee to stop it from bouncing. The open section of the upper castle let in a pleasant amount of the morning sun. Palms grew tall in the open gardens, skirted with iridescent wildflowers and long-leafed starferns.

  Katryna played with the plate of food before her, using her fork to push the fruit pieces from side to side before stabbing them. She had slept a little, but still had not worked up a proper appetite.

  Katryna felt a little uneasy, sitting alone in a castle she had once known.

  Walking between two Infinity Guardsmen, Rashel Bower entered the terrace wearing the same dress as the day before. She had bags under her eyes and her thinning hair was unkempt.

  Katryna rose and gave her aunt a warm embrace, before dismissing the two guards.

  “Aunt Rashel, thank you for coming,” Katryna said.

  “Thank you for asking me to come,” Aunt Rashel said, smiling with appreciation.

  Katryna had asked Aunt Rashel to attend a breakfast- she knew the old woman was exhausted. She had spent who knows how many days in a row by the king’s bedside, anxiously awaiting his potentially final breath with each passing moment.

  The pair were seated at the table, looking up at the trees surrounding them as they danced in the breeze.

  “How’s father?” Katryna asked.

  “Same as last night, I’m afraid. No better, no worse.”

  Katryna nodded. “I barely got any words out of him when I saw him.”

  “He’s been like that for weeks, now.”

  “I’m surprised he has held on this long.”

  “He’s a fighter, you father is. Always has been.”

  Katryna pushed a second plate of sliced fruit over to her aunt.

  “Oh, thank you, dear. I’m starving,” Aunt Rashel said before digging into the fleshy summer fruits. “Where’s that gorgeous handmaiden of yours? Tracy, was it? The blonde one?”

  “Trish,” Katryna corrected. “She’s with Tulip at the stables.”

  Risha smirked. “Her and that servant boy haven’t kept their hands off each other since she arrived, I’ve noticed.”

  “She will attend to Tulip. She is a loyal friend.”

  Risha nodded, not wanting to give her niece the wrong implication. “How about you? Are you going to eat?”

  Katryna looked down at her impaled food. “I’m not all that hungry, to be honest.”

  “Oh, nonsense,” Aunt Rashel said as she took a mouthful of grapes. “I remember you as a child, you basically lived on prickly peaches and mangoes!”

  Katryna could not hold back a smile of her fond memories of being a child, back before everything went wrong. Back when she was so innocent.

  So naïve.

  “Each time at supper, you mother and father would have to force you to eat your soups and your meats by tempting you with fruit for dessert!” Rashel laughed.

  “I won’t lie, I haven’t had prickly peaches since leaving Ravenrock. They don’t grow so far west.”

  Katryna took a nibble of the prickly peach on her fork. An explosion of sweet, tangy juiciness filled her mouth.

  “It’s almost as good as I remember.”

  “I’m glad. If you ever travel down south to Ember, you must try smoked gecko!”

  Katryna nearly coughed up the soft fruit in her mouth. “Smoked what?!”

  “Gecko,” Rashel laughed.

  “As in, the small lizards?”

  “It’s a delicacy in Ember, dear. I once visited in my youth and could not get enough of them. They spice them with tangy sauces and herbs. The meat is too good to even describe. I have crates of the stuff sent up to Camridia for myself!”

  “Sounds…delicious?” Katryna said, smirking.

  “Oh, hush you. Don’t comment on it until you have tried it! Most of us would never have found our favourite meals if it weren’t for the sharing of such cultural curiosities. Perhaps we can travel together to Ember, when all this is over. I would love to see the capital and the red deserts again.”

  Katryna was cheerful at the thought. Some quality time with her aunt sounded like just the thing to reconnect and breath fresh life into her.

  “That sounds fantastic, Aunt Rashel.”

  “And you can try some smoked gecko!”

  “If you insist.”

  “Let’s make it happen, then! You and me and nothing but a whole country to explore.”

  The pair continued with their meal, admiring the natural beauties around them on the terrace while discussing their other favourite foods.

  Some small, finch-like rockbirds flew down from above and landed in the branches, singing their peaceful songs to one-another.

  They spoke of the past few years, family affairs and events in the kingdom. Aunt Rashel proudly boasted of Finn’s luck with the ladies, given his dashing good looks, shining eyes and innocent personality.

 
“I am hoping for some great nieces and nephews soon!” she laughed.

  It felt relieving for Katryna to be away from all the turmoil she had been facing, even for a moment. It had been a non-stop barrage of emotion. Being able to step back and breath was exactly what she had needed.

  Eventually, Aunt Rashel changed the topic.

  “So, how are you feeling, love?” she asked, eyeing Katryna’s shaking leg.

  Katryna held her knee tightly with her hand. “I’m alright, I think.”

  Aunt Rashel took Katryna’s other hand from across the table. She looked deep into Katryna’s eyes.

  “Tell me the truth. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your trembling hands and legs since you returned.”

  Katryna paused for a moment, looking away to compile her thoughts. Rashel was observant.

  “I’ve had trembles like this since the day I left Ravenrock. They come and go but are always there in varying degrees. Some days I feel like the whole world is shaking beneath me, while others it is like a quiet yet strong quiver from within.”

  “You are anxious, dear. And who can blame you, with all that you have experienced, and how you must be feeling with your return under such dire circumstances?”

  “I’m overwhelmed, Aunt Rashel. I want to be strong; I need to be strong. But I am conflicted.”

  Aunt Rashel patted her niece’s hand. “Go on, love. Let it out.”

  “For half my life I was treated like a monster by those closest to me. Running away did not work for me; I see that now. But coming back, and facing it…” Katryna shook her head, “coming back is more than I can handle.”

  Aunt Rashel leant in closer, still holding Katryna’s hand to try and comfort her. “When I was young, no older than you and Willem were, your father nearly burned down half of Castle Bower.”

  Katryna burst out laughing as she wiped away a tear. “What?!”

  Aunt Rashel nodded. “I’m serious. He would have been around fourteen at the time. You father was angry at the priest for making him study long hours- longer than any of the other children had to. In response, your father snuck into the chantry one night and attempted to burn the priest’s copy of the Words of Power with a flaming torch!