by Justin Sloan
Alastar stared, caught in his own words. “I’m not sure I can ever truly not be a paladin. It’s everything I believe in. It’s honor, duty, justice for the people who can’t fight for it by themselves.”
“And wars with people like me and my daughter, and now your sister.”
“No, it’s not.” Alastar stood tall, refusing to back down. “It was like that, but I mean to change it. I’ll recover the Sword of Light, not because I believe it is truly blessed or whatever, but because I know that the paladins will listen to me if I have it. They will follow me, and we can unite the land, the paladins and the clan warriors, together against the greater threat that has invaded.”
“And the vows?”
“A vow is a vow…” Alastar’s face was stern.
“It might be, unless the world in which you made that vow changes substantially, or maybe a good enough reason comes along to abandon those vows.”
“That wouldn’t happen.”
Donnon turned to him, then pointed past him and said, “Even for her?”
Alastar’s breath froze at the sight of Estair. She was at one of several long tables beneath the trees, where groups were eating from wooden bowls. Her blonde hair fell across her face so that he almost couldn’t be certain it was her, but deep down inside, he knew.
Layla stepped up beside Alastar and smiled, following his line of sight. “She arrived with the latest bunch of them. More and more areas are falling to the paladins on the one side, the remnant and the sorcerers on the other.”
“We can’t stay,” Donnon reminded Alastar. “Your sister and my daughter need us.”
“I know, just… a moment.”
He walked up to the table and was almost upon it when Estair looked up and took him in with wide eyes. At first, her eyes went wide with excitement, then narrowed.
“You’re not here with your sister?” she said, setting down her hunk of bread beside her soup and staring at him.
He shook his head. “She’s been taken.”
Her frown remained a moment longer, then creased into worry and compassion as she stood and ran over to him. She took him in an embrace that he was more than happy to reciprocate, and then kissed him on the lips, right there in front of everyone.
A tingling spread from his lips to his fingertips, caused his chest to flutter, and then almost made him dizzy before he pulled back in alarm. His vows. He couldn’t… he shouldn’t… He nearly forgot he was surrounded by people, only a couple of who even seemed to have noticed him.
With a guilty smile, she shrugged and leaned in to whisper, “Might want to go along with it here. Don’t want anyone thinking you’re one of them.”
He was about to respond, though he didn’t know what he would say, when she took him again, pressing her lips against his and slipping her tongue into his mouth.
In that moment, he knew it didn’t matter if there had ever been a Saint Rodrick or what the reason was he and his sister could do magic. None of that mattered, because all he could think about was the soft touch of her warm tongue, and the longing to pull her in and have more of her.
His fingers were running through her hair, his other hand caressing her waist, moving up, almost to the side of her breast when—
“Sir,” she said, slapping his hand away with a giggle. “We are in public.”
A small chorus of laughter rose up from the table nearby, and he turned to see Lokane and several other men he recognized looking up at him.
“They needed that,” Estair whispered in his ear, then took his hand and said, “And I need something, too.”
He blinked, trying to clear his head and regain his senses, but felt them sleeping. It was only when Donnon intervened by clearing his throat that he remembered himself.
“Yes, right.” Alastar stood tall, making sure to glance around at the others nearby. “We have to stop this chaos. We can’t stand around doing nothing while—”
“You were hardly doing nothing,” Lokane said, earning him more snickers.
“Is this really the time to be making jokes?”
“Definitely,” Lokane said, standing now, his smile vanishing to reveal harsh lines of sorrow. “Because these men and women have all lost loved ones and need something to distract them, so they don’t fall down into their own miserable wells of depression and darkness. You know what I say to that? Hell. No.”
A small cheer rose up among those that could hear him.
“They are beatable, make no mistake about that.” Lokane nodded to the others now starting to listen. “And I believe this man is going to be one of the key figures in helping us to do so.”
“Why him?” one of the men yelled.
“He don’t look so special,” another chimed in.
Lokane was about to answer, but Alastar held up a hand and said, “I’m not claiming to be some great hero. All I can do is tell you the truth.”
“You sure that’s wise?” Donnon asked over his shoulder.
With a nod, Alastar continued. “I’m here before you in clothes much like your own, but my usual armor is white and gold.” A gasp sounded in the crowd. “That’s right… I’m a paladin, or was, and maybe will be again. I don’t know, but what I do know is that I’m here because I see the error in the High Paladin’s thinking. We should not be fighting each other, we should be united. We should be one force, defending the land against these sorcerers and wandering remnant followers, and standing on the shores to tell Storm Raiders they aren’t welcome here. These are our lands, united under the fact that our ancestors lived here before the Age of Madness, and somehow made it work. We are blessed with magic, and yet we’ve let it tear us apart. And that is damned folly.”
He stood there in silence, waiting, and soon, several among the crowd were murmuring, nodding in agreement.
“And how do we know you’re not a spy of theirs?” a new voice said, heavy with years of harsh winds and warfare. The speaker stood from where he’d been sitting near a tree behind the crowd. He had wild eyebrows over stark blue eyes, pronounced cheekbones, and a wild mane of hair.
“In times like these, there’s only trust,” Alastar replied.
“And my word,” Donnon said, stepping forward to stand at his side.
“Mine too,” Estair said, taking Alastar’s arm in hers.
Gordon’s stare remained unchanged as he weighed the three, and then a smile crept across his face as he turned back to Donnon. “It’s been too long, friend.”
The two closed in on each other and met in an embrace, then took a step back and looked each other up and down.
“You’ve changed,” Gordon said with a nod of approval. “Looking stronger than I remember you.”
“And you’ve gained a few inches on me,” Donnon replied. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Gordon laughed. “You always did enjoy being the taller of us, I remember that now. Looks like the tables have turned.” He turned to Estair and Alastar as the others half-watched and returned to their food. “I don’t know how you two got wrapped up with this guy, but he’s trouble, let me tell you.”
“We already know,” Alastar said. “Trust me.”
Donnon nodded and added, “But also more help than you’d imagine.”
“Aye, that sounds about right,” Gordon said. He just then noticed Layla and thanked her before motioning the other three to follow him. As he led them over to a small stream to drink from, he told them about a time when he and Donnon had slept out under the stars and been attacked by what they thought was a wolf, but it turned out to just be a neighbor’s dog that had gotten out. Not many kept the old ways of having pets, but in the clans, it was more common. Especially dogs, since they could warn you about approaching remnant or wild animals.
“Nowadays,” Gordon continued, “it’s mostly been those damned Storm Raiders we’ve had to worry about.”
“Is it true what they say?” Alastar asked. “That they control the very weathers, arriving in dense fog so that you think you�
��re just as likely to choke on it as be killed by one of their swords?”
“Aye, it’s true.” Gordon’s eyes took on a distant look. “We thought they were the worst of our problems until this war broke out. Their raids were spread out, seldom, but terrifying and deadly.” He pointed out a river to the east, on the south of the cliffs. “That one wasn’t always there before. It’s been redirected for our defense, should we need it.”
Alastar imagined a squad of water mages using that river to obliterate invading Storm Raiders and shuddered. Of course, with the invaders’ ability to control the weather, it would likely be an even match.
Green grass covered the earth around the stream, and purple flowers were just starting to wilt. Fall wasn’t far off, though even this far north, it wasn’t like the old ones said from the days before. Their grandparents had passed down stories of intense cold and even something called snow. Alastar breathed in a deep breath of air, enjoying the scent of the flowers on the wind. The air was crisper here at the higher elevation compared to his home in the lowlands, and he wondered what life would have been like here.
For a moment he closed his eyes, trying to call back the light fairy, but he opened them and was let down to see that nothing had come of it. After a bit more rest, he would try again.
When they had their fill of water, Gordon’s serious expression returned and he asked how the other two had gotten wrapped up with a paladin on this adventure.
“He threw me in a dungeon,” Donnon said with a chuckle. “Who knew that moment would have led to this?”
“I’m not sure I see the humor there,” Gordon said with a wary glance in Alastar’s direction. “And you?” he asked Estair.
“He came to us in his time of need, as he comes to you now.”
“And what help can they give?” Gordon nodded back to the crowd of people around their table. “Them? You think they can form an army right now?”
“They would fight,” Estair said. “They would fight to their last breath.”
“But that’s not what we’re asking for,” Alastar said. “Simply a place to recover, until we can call on our… er… magic, again.”
He couldn’t help but notice Gordon’s raised eyebrow at his use of the word magic, but ignored it.
“We need the paladin’s magic to lead us to his sister and my daughter,” Donnon explained.
Gordon’s face lit up at the mention of Donnon’s daughter. “I’d heard, you know. They told me she had a daughter, and I… well, wanted more than anything to come see you two and meet your daughter.”
“Aye, but clan rules.” Donnon shook his head, then licked his lips. “If you were to help us save her, you would certainly get the chance to get to know her.”
“Can you imagine? A fire mage, a water mage, a paladin, and….”
“Name’s Estair, and I’m a fire-mage. I’m the only one known to also be able to heal, and… I’m deadly with a bow and arrow.”
“And we can get you set up with a great ax,” Gordon said to Donnon. “Assuming that’s still your weapon of choice?”
“Was when I was a kid, and is now,” Donnon replied. “Too bad I lost the one I had in the battle against the remnant. Whatever you have will do.”
“It’s settled then. The four of us will set off as soon as we’re ready… but where exactly?”
They all turned to Alastar.
“I’ve been trying to say, we need rest. My… magic… will show us. But it isn’t working right now.”
“How would your magic show the way?” Gordon asked. “I thought paladins were mostly about healing and granting enhanced fighting abilities, no?”
“He’s been visited by a spirit,” Donnon said with a smirk.
“Like a wee lad?” Gordon laughed.
“Make fun all you want,” Alastar said, waving them off. “But until recently, I didn’t even believe this was magic, and considering that my light fairy shows me the way to loved ones, as it did with Donnon here, this works for me.”
“I’ve never heard of a spirit doing that,” Gordon admitted. “It could be your magic is a different sort than ours.”
“Or it could be that all magic’s the same, I’m just learning how to use it differently,” Alastar argued.
At a look from Gordon, Donnon explained, “Some of the Arcadian mystics have been teaching their ways around the southern highlands. One of them had this theory that all magic is part of a shared energy, or some hogswash.”
“In fact, Estair, have you seen them?” Alastar asked, looking back at the crowd.
She shook her head. “I don’t recall seeing where they went, no.”
“They were good guys. I hope they made it out safely.”
“If I were those mystics,” Gordon said, “I’d return to Arcadia, or wherever the hell they were from, as fast as I could. This isn’t their war. They shouldn’t be here.”
“Something tells me it won’t be so simple,” Estair said. “I saw the looks in their eyes when the fighting broke out back at the Fortress of Stirling, and they certainly enjoy a good fight. Especially, it would seem, when the odds are against them.”
“Likely dead then.” Gordon glared back at Alastar, who had narrowed his eyes at that comment. “What? It’s a simple reality that people who go looking for trouble often find it. There’s always someone bigger and stronger out there, or in this case, more magical.”
“Based on what we’ve seen from my sister,” Alastar argued, “I don’t know.”
“Yes, but she’ll have to learn to control it, or it might consume her,” Donnon said. “And trust me, I’m the last person who would want to see that.”
“We get it, Donnon.” Estair laughed. “You have heart-shaped eyes for his sister.”
“You’re one to talk, Ms. Kiss-a-lot over here.”
She shrugged. “Told y’all I’d bend this paladin.”
“Not break?”
“Why would I want him broken if I mean to have fun with him yet?”
“Um, guys, I’m still right here,” Alastar said, raising his hand and waving. “So, can we stop talking about me as if I wasn’t here, and as if I were some sex toy?”
“It doesn’t count as a sex toy until the toy actually puts out,” Gordon said, joining in the fun. “So, paladin…?”
“You all can go stick your heads in each other’s arses,” Alastar said and returned to the stream for more water.
A moment later a shadow fell over him and then Estair was at his side. He drank his water, wiped his mouth, and then turned to her. To his surprise, she wasn’t smiling or seemingly planning some witty or sexual comment. She had a tear in her eye and was staring into the water.
“I’m sorry, I’m not used to this boy-girl thing,” he said. “But… is this normally part of it?”
She shook her head and wiped a tear with her forefinger. “Sorry, I know I put on this show, but… it’s not all fun and games like it appears.”
“Fun and games at my expense,” he added, but instantly regretted it when her sad eyes rose up to meet him.
“No, don’t feel bad. You’re right, after all.” She let one of her hands fall into the water and watched as the sun-sparkled stream maneuvered around her fingers. “Too many people I know died back there. I seek comfort, and go about it like a fool. And now this? Crying, really? I’m a fool.”
“You’re not a fool.” He leaned forward and took her hand from the water, holding it in his. “You’re a loving woman, one who has needs like everyone else here. Me included. And truthfully? I not only enjoyed that kiss, I loved it. The strongest healing spell might as well be a pile of goat dung for all the good it does compared to one kiss from you.”
“Corny,” she said with a smile. “But thank you.”
Her eyes rose to meet his, wide, glistening in the afternoon sun. Her lips looked so soft, the bottom indenting slightly as she bit it gently.
“If you didn’t have your vows…”
“We’d be going at it like bunni
es right about now,” he said with a laugh.
She laughed, too, but hit him. “Don’t tease me.”
He caught the hand that hit him, and now, holding both hands, placed them behind his head and leaned in for a kiss. It wasn’t even intentional, but seemed all he could do at that moment.
And she turned away, letting the kiss land on her cheek, then another on her neck as he leaned in, causing both of them to fall over with him on top.
“What about your vows?” she asked.
“My vows died the day I left the Order of Rodrick behind to save my sister. They went to hell the moment I accepted that my powers weren’t a blessing at all, but some form of magic.”
“And now you’d make love to me here under the sun, all those people’s eyes on us?” She laughed and pushed him back up, but held him there and then kissed him again. “You said you needed rest, let’s get you some rest.”
He cocked his head and she nodded, then motioned to one of the huts nearby.
“You mean…?”
“I mean get some sleep,” she said, smiling again. “I mean to come with you, and… honestly, you’re talking about breaking your vows and moving very fast immediately after. What sort of woman would I be if I allowed that to happen? I want you to be certain, and I want us to take our time with something like this.”
He blushed, realizing she was right, and then kissed her hand. “It’s just… I’ve never allowed myself to feel like this before.”
“Well, prepare yourself for a wild ride.” She cringed. “And no, I didn’t mean me… though,” she leaned into his ear and whispered, “if and when it does happen, you can be sure it will be wild.”
And with that she was up, casting him a last glance over her shoulder as she walked away.
Damn, he thought. His world was turning upside down on him, and it wasn’t happening nearly fast enough at that moment. He avoided Donnon’s amused stare as he walked by the man, and, after confirming with Layla that the hut would be the one for him to rest in, he found a small bed and made himself comfortable.
As he closed his eyes, he hoped Estair would change her mind and suddenly wake him with the caress of her lips against his, but before he could register disappointment that it wasn’t happening, he was asleep.