The Girl Born of Smoke

by Jessica Billings

  Arguing broke out in the crowd once again as Roxanne laughed and sat down, dangling her feet off the edge. Sitting down beside her, Aurora watched the ships slowly grow into ship-shaped spots, the brightly colored masts standing out against the blue water. “The Wizard's Army. They're the ones waiting for the wizard to be born, right? To make him their ally?”

  Roxanne nodded, pleased. “That's right. Not a bad side to be on, if you ask me.”

  Aurora cocked her head. “Really? Seems a little risky, don't you think? I mean, who knows if this wizard will even want to side with the army.”

  “Oh please, why wouldn't he?” Roxanne raised an eyebrow. “I mean, even the most powerful wizard could probably make use of an enormous army of soldiers who have pledged their lives to help him.”

  “So,” Aurora paused, “are you going to join them?”

  Roxanne continued to gaze out at the incoming ships. “I'm thinking about it. I never meant to stay in Kain all my life and a little vacation to the outskirts of places like Delobo just doesn’t cut it for me.” Smiling slightly, she turned to Aurora. “You should come with me. Think about it, we could see the world and be on the winning team when the time comes. There's no way we'll lose when the wizard is born. With him at our side, we'll finally be victorious and have a say in the world. Our lives will really mean something.”

  The crowd grew louder as the ships finally began to sail into port. Some cheered, waving blue and silver flags, while others jeered and angrily shoved the supporters. Roxanne and Aurora immediately sprang up, sidling away from the edge of the cliff as the crowd turned ugly. The man who had argued with Roxanne earlier wasn't so quick and Aurora watched open-mouthed as the crowd, acting as a whole, shifted toward him. The man pushed back, but the combined force of the mob shoved him to the edge. Waving his hands, he yelled and desperately scrambled for safety, but the loose rocks crumbled out from under him and he toppled backwards, over the edge of the cliff.

  Frozen, Aurora realized no one had even reached for him. The crowd shifted again and she tripped over someone's foot. Falling to the ground, she broke her fall with her hands, which were immediately stepped on. Crying out, she tried to regain her footing, but someone else unknowingly backed up into her, kicking her in the ribs. Roxanne quickly scooped her up and urged her in the direction parallel to the cliff, away from the docks. “Come on!” she yelled in Aurora's ear.

  The two slipped through the crowd, dashing around the scattered fights and leaping over the unconscious. Roxanne glanced back and flashed Aurora a grim smile. “Keep up. We're almost out of here.” Sure enough, the crowd became less dense and they slowed to a walk. Aurora doubled over, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Roxanne leaned on her, breathing hard. “Well, wasn’t that exciting?”

  “That,” Aurora panted, “that was horrible.”

  As they recovered, the sun dipped behind the low clouds near the horizon and the shadows melded together. A few other individuals broke loose of the mob and limped down the road. Finally, Roxanne straightened and pulled Aurora to her feet. “Come on, let's go get some dinner. I'll buy ya something.” She ran a hand through Aurora's hair, smoothing it back.

  Aurora nodded silently and the two headed down the road, leaving the roar of the crowd behind them. By the time they reached the main part of town, the sun had set and the soft lights of Kain were a welcome sight. The city was unusually quiet, but the tavern they ate was abuzz with rumors. Aurora watched as Roxanne eagerly shared her experience with the other customers, some of whom had also been in the crowd. Long after she had finished eating, they finally left the tavern and headed home.

  “Hmm,” Roxanne pursed her lips as they approached the house, “I hope Kirian didn't worry too much about us.”

  Aurora wrinkled her forehead in concern. “Do you think he'll be mad at us?”

  Smirking, Roxanne shook her head. “Don't you worry about a thing. I'll take care of it. You just head to bed, alright? It's late.” She opened the front door and Aurora bit her lip nervously, peering around Roxanne into the house. Kirian jumped up from the chair where he had been sitting and Roxanne strode into the room. Prodding Aurora toward her room, she turned to face Kirian. “Hey love, you didn't have to wait up for us.”

  Kirian walked wordlessly into the kitchen, followed by Roxanne. Tiptoeing to her room, Aurora quietly closed her door and went to lie down on her bed. When the shouting started, she pulled the blanket over her head, but could still clearly hear their voices.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Roxanne?” Kirian yelled, slamming something against the counter.

  “Oh please, don't give me that,” Roxanne shot back. “You worry way too much. We were just having a bit of fun. We're fine.”

  “You two could have been killed today! I spent my day working out in the fields, trying to earn a living, and you disappear with Aurora. That horror is no place for a little kid. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Why do you even assume that that's where we went. For all you know, we could have been out touring the countryside.”

  “Don't give me that,” Kirian snarled. “I know exactly where you were-”

  Aurora threw the blanket off her head and leapt out of bed. Sliding open her window, she clambered out and up the uneven brick wall, pulling herself onto the roof. Crawling to the peak, she sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. A breeze ruffled her hair and she gradually relaxed as she absorbed the silence, broken only by the crickets chirping off in the distance.

  Resting her head on her knees, she closed her eyes and tried to forget everything she had seen that day. She sucked in the cool air, savoring the sweet scent. A deep breath and the fleets turned around and sailed back, away from Kain. A deep breath and the man who fell was back at home, tucking his children into bed. A deep breath and Roxanne and Kirian were sitting in the front room, telling stories to each other and laughing while Aurora lay in bed. Drifting off, Aurora heard a clunk behind her and opened her eyes, startled. She jumped up as carefully as possible, turning to face the noise. Djerr's familiar face popped up over the edge of the roof. She shook her head, laughing quietly. “How'd you get up here?” she whispered.

  He pulled himself up, grinning mischievously. “I was just walking by and I saw someone sitting up here. I figured it was probably you.” He scrambled up the roof and sat down.

  Settling down next to him, Aurora regarded him curiously. “You took a walk in the middle of the night?”

  He smirked at her. “Hey, I didn't ask you why you're sitting on the roof in the middle of the night.”

  “True enough,” she admitted. Leaning back, she clasped her hands behind her head and looked up at the starry sky. “But you still didn't answer my question.”

  Djerr laughed out loud and leaned back as well. “That sounds like something Kirian would say. He's really rubbing off on you.”

  Aurora rolled her eyes. “I do believe Kirian would dare to disagree.”

  “Oh yeah?” He sounded interested. “How come?”

  “Well, you probably heard how the Wizard's Army arrived today? Well, Roxanne took me to see the whole thing and Kirian didn't approve.”

  Djerr grimaced.

  “It was horrible, Djerr. The entire crowd just started fighting with each other. I don't know what's going on.”

  “The army'll be gone soon enough. Then everything will be back to normal, just wait.”

  Aurora turned to face him and propped her head up on her hand. “Do you really think it will be that simple? There were people there, at the docks that said Kain's going to be destroyed. What if they're right?”

  Djerr smiled and shook his head. “Impossible. That'll never happen. Listen, if you're worried, I could stay here with you tonight.”

  “No. Don't worry about me. You should get home yourself.”

  “Nah, my dad's not going to notice me missing tonight,” he replied nonchalantly.

  Aurora sighed. “Oh.”

  The two were
silent for a moment. Shuffling slightly, Djerr cleared his throat. “So Aura, I was wondering...” he trailed off.

  “Mm?” Aurora looked over at him curiously.

  “You kind of like Kalib, right?”

  Aurora stared at him for a moment. “Kalib? That guy from that battle game we played in the woods? Djerr, that was ages ago. In fact, I saw him just a week or two after that battle thing with some other girl. What in the world brings that up?”

  He looked puzzled. “I'm sorry, it's just that I was talking to him earlier today and he asked about you, so I thought...” he trailed off. “I thought he said that he had been out of town with his parents all winter though. In fact, I remember him leaving just a couple days after that day in the forest.” He looked questioningly at Aurora.

  “Maybe he came back for a few days, then,” Aurora said, sounding disinterested. “Does it matter?”

  Djerr laughed. “I'm sorry, I was just curious. I shouldn't have brought it up. You know, you really should get to sleep, but drop by my house tomorrow and we'll hang out or something, alright?”

  “Yeah, alright.” Aurora yawned. “You get to bed yourself.”

  He echoed her yawn. “’Kay, will do. G'night Aura.”

  “Goodnight Djerr.” She smiled. They slid carefully off the roof and dropped off to the ground below. Djerr helped Aurora back in through the window, then waved goodbye and headed off. Yawning again, Aurora sleepily curled up in bed and realized the house had gone silent. Breathing a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes and instantly felt herself slipping into sleep.

  She awoke the next morning with a start, heart racing. She could hear Kirian and Roxanne arguing loudly again in another room, but she felt certain that wasn’t what had woken her. Sitting up, she felt a sense of danger. A warm breeze drifted in the open window, carrying a murmur of frightened voices and a strange, but familiar smell. Smoke.

  Aurora shivered involuntarily and sprang out of bed to peer out the window. Throngs of people hurried up and down the street, some stopping briefly to talk in hushed voices or gaze up at the sky. Confused, and with a growing sense of dread, Aurora quickly pulled on her sandals and climbed out the open window, back onto the roof. Above the bustle on the street, Aurora found herself with a clear view of the city in all directions. In the direction of the docks, small plumes of smoke rose into the sky.

  Fear shot through Aurora and she hastily slid off the roof, dropping to the ground below. Landing in a crouch, she scrambled to her feet and began running, leaving the small house behind. Her hair whipping behind her, Aurora slipped into the crowd, dodging people running the other way.

  The streets were full of people scurrying away from the city. Aurora hurried toward it, one thought on her mind: she had to find Djerr. The crowd was stifling and Aurora sighed with relief as she finally reached his house and broke free of the throng. Her face damp with sweat, she knocked on the old wooden door and anxiously waited. If no one was home, she didn’t know what she would do.

  Hopping from foot to foot, Aurora jumped back when Djerr’s father whipped open the door, a knife in hand. When he saw who it was, he lowered the knife. “You're Djerr's friend aren't you? What are you doing here? Get inside!” He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her inside the house, slamming the door shut behind them. “Come on, come on.”

  He hustled her down the hall to Djerr’s room. All the doors and windows in the house were closed, and the house sounded eerily quiet opposed to the roar of the crowd outside. As Djerr’s father opened the door to the room, Aurora peered inside and found Djerr huddled on his bed. When he saw Aurora, he jumped up and the two embraced. “You two stay here.” Djerr’s father ordered, closing the bedroom door.

  “Aura! What are you doing here?” Djerr sat back down on his bed, running a hand through his curly hair, his face creased with worry.

  Aurora sat down next to him. “Do you know what’s going on?” She ignored his question, not knowing the answer.

  Djerr shrugged. “Well, I guess I was wrong. Dad said the war’s started. The Wizard’s Army is attacking the city.”

  Aurora opened her mouth to ask another question, but froze when she heard someone pounding on the front door. Loud voices came from outside, infiltrating the silence of the house. The two sat silently, listening as Djerr’s father opened the front door, gruffly asking what the strangers wanted.

  “Put down the knife, old man,” came the muffled reply. “Either join us or die. This is your only chance.”

  Djerr and Aurora held their breath as the clash of metal rang out through the house, then a grunt followed by a thud. Djerr stiffened as the soldiers began laughing. Heavy footsteps grew louder and Aurora slid off the bed, pulling him with her. He offered no resistance and the two clambered underneath the bed. Huddled together in the dark, they silently kept watch on the closed bedroom door. The stale air under the bed tickled Aurora’s throat, but she ignored the discomfort as she concentrated solely on the door.

  Shadows passed by, blocking out the dim light coming in underneath the door. Her breath quickened as she heard the loud footsteps echoing throughout the house, opening and slamming the other doors. The shadows finally stopped in front of the bedroom and she squeezed her eyes shut. She felt Djerr’s hand close around hers.

  She heard the door slam open and she resisted the urge to cry out in fear. Opening her eyes a sliver, and saw a pair of boots stomping purposefully around the room. Djerr’s books, a bowl of brightly colored stones, and several other possessions came crashing to the ground, covering up the noise as Aurora squirmed farther back into the dark recess.

  Djerr’s hand tightened around hers. The boots paused in front of the bed and Aurora froze, not even daring to breathe. The black leather boots were close enough to reach out and touch. Speckled with brown mud, they looked creased and well-worn.

  She held her breath as boots stood, unmoving. She could hear the man breathing noisily and wondered desperately what was taking him so long. The floorboards creaked as the man shifted his weight, bending his knees. Knowing what was coming and unable to do anything to stop it, Aurora could only watch as the man’s beefy hands pressed solidly onto the floor and his face lowered to ground-level. He grinned when he saw Aurora and Djerr pressed against the wall.

  “Well, lookit what I found!” he boomed, grinning. He reached under the bed and grabbed Aurora and Djerr by the hair. Clawing desperately at the man’s arm, Aurora yelped as the man dragged her out from underneath the bed. In pain, she released Djerr’s hand and swung wildly at the man, who looked amused.

  Pulled to her feet, Aurora put a hand to her throbbing head. The man released her as two other men piled into the small room. All three were wearing identical blue and silver-colored armor, dull and scratched in places. Djerr stepped in front of her, protectively. His curly black hair looked tousled and stood up at odd angles.

  The men laughed. “How cute,” one said dryly. “So, how about it, kids? Wanna join the big bad army or just die here in this piece of crap house?” Neither Aurora nor Djerr answered and the man slowly drew his sword. Aurora realized all three men were armed.

  “We would never join you!” Djerr hissed, fists clenched.

  The men laughed ever harder. “Did you think he was serious?” one of the other men asked. “We don't need a couple of kids like you. Well, maybe the girl.” He winked at her.

  The man next to him clapped him on the back. “Gettin' a little lonely, eh?”

  Djerr darted forward with a short yell. The men immediately stopped laughing and he slid to a stop when he found the tip of a sword pushed against his chest. The man shook his head. “That wasn't a smart move, kid.”

  Aurora shut her eyes as the man's arm tensed and Djerr stood helplessly at the end of the sword's blade. A thud and her eyes flew back open. To her amazement, Djerr was still standing in the middle of the room and the armed man standing near the door had fallen.

  Everyone turned to see Djerr's father standing in the doorway,
doubled over. One hand was clutched over his stomach, the blood seeping out through his tattered shirt, onto his hand, and dripping onto the floor. His other hand held the knife, now bloodied. The man on the floor let out a gurgle while the two others stared at their comrade, open-mouthed. “What the hell?” one muttered. They turned their backs to Djerr and Aurora, facing the new threat. “Didn't we already take care of you?”

  Djerr's father let out a low moan and lunged toward the men. Both with swords in hand, they easily fended off his attack and one pierced Djerr's father through the chest with a sickening sound. Collapsing heavily to his knees, his arms dropped to his sides and he let the knife fall with a clatter. He let out a loud roar: “GO!”

  The men scoffed, thinking he was talking to them, but Aurora's eyes went wide with understanding. She grabbed Djerr's hand, realizing they had one last chance. In several steps, she had crossed the room, dragging him along behind her. Raising one arm in front of her face, she threw herself out the low, closed window. Djerr stumbled out after her.

  Hearing the crash, the men turned, reaching out after them, but Aurora was already on her feet, sprinting toward the forest. Realizing there was no way they could fit out the small window, the men ran for the door. Imagining every branch was an arm grasping for her, she ignored the twigs whipping her face and focused on trying to keep her footing as she half-slid down the dusty hill.

  Glancing back to make sure Djerr was still following, she gasped with surprise when the hill suddenly ended and she toppled off a ledge into the mud a small distance below. Covered in the muck, she crawled underneath the low ledge she had just fallen from, pulling Djerr in with her. Heart pounding, she waited and listened for what seemed like half the day. She realized he was shaking beside her. She put her arms around him, resting her cheek on the top of his head. He touched her arm and held it out in front of him.