by Kate Sander
Glancing around frantically, he put a hand on his hilt. There was nothing behind him. The forest was perfectly still, birds weren’t chirping, there was no rustling of wind through the trees. The world was quiet.
Senka’s eyes glazed over and she stared past him. Jules raised his hand to put it on her shoulder, hoping to snap her out of it, then stopped himself. With her acting like this, maybe she wouldn’t stop herself this time. Maybe she’d kill him.
Jules wasn’t even sure if she could see him right now. She was frozen in time. His hand hovered a foot away from her shoulder.
“The monsters...” she signed quickly.
Jules spun around, drawing his sword, ready to fight. Senka was in no way capable of defending them right now. He wasn’t nearly as competent as she was, but he would have to do his best.
Nothing. The forest was quiet. Senka’s cryptic words from the morning popped into his head, “You would be too if you knew what kind of monsters were in there at night.”
They had been walking so long, both lost in thought, that they’d stayed out past sun down. The forest was darkening by the second. He had to squint to see even twenty feet in front of him. Scared, he faced the forest, guarding Senka. “You have to tell me where the monsters are so I can help.”
No answer. Vibrating, eyes glazed, she simply stood in the forest, eyes wide and fearful. Panic rose, threatening to boil over, “Senka, come on. Snap out of it! I need your help!”
Not even a rustle in the trees, the world was dark and quiet. “Senka!” he yelled.
She blinked twice, yet still didn’t focus. “We need to find shelter,” she signed, so quickly Jules could barely see her hands move in the dark. Her head darted around in terror. “It’s too late,” she signed quickly, “No, no, no, no. They’re here.” She ran to a large tree and sat in front of it, back against it. She held her head in her hands and rocked.
“Senka, where?” He backed up to a defensive position in front of her. The forest was quiet, the bright full moon shone in the trees. The fear and panic ebbed. There was nothing there. He expected heavy breathing of a giant monster or to be pounced on and pinned to the ground. Nothing happened. He waited a full ten minutes, sword drawn, back towards a rocking Senka. When nothing appeared and the forest stayed quiet and rather beautiful, Jules realized the monsters were in her head.
He sheathed his sword and turned towards her. She rocked, head in her hands. Jules crouched and looked at her. “Senka,” he said gently, again staying his hand which wanted to touch her on the shoulder, to comfort her. “Senka, what do you need?”
“Stop the lights,” she signed quickly with her right hand, left hand still on her head, rocking against the tree.
“There’s no lights, Senka,” Jules said gently again, watching her with deep set worry on his face. He kept his hands firmly on his knees.
“Stop the lights, stop the lights,” she repeated over and over, rocking against the tree.
Jules stood up. She wouldn’t get anywhere tonight. He needed to give her shelter, so he decided to start with a fire. At least then she wouldn’t get cold. Jules gathered some wood and dried leaves from the forest floor, keeping an eye on the woman rocking in the trees.
An instinctive, protective urge took over. He wanted to comfort her and he had never felt this way about anyone before. He had always only looked after himself and his own well-being was number one. This new impulse was scary and foreign.
Shaking his head, he focused on the task, ignoring the building feeling. Senka was better at survival in the wild than he was, but she had begun to teach him how to build fires and hunt. After a few tries he got a fire going and nursed it until it raged. He wanted it big so Senka could focus on it and forget about the “lights”.
“Senka,” Jules said, approaching her again. He crouched down in front of her, keeping his head eye level. “Senka I need you to come by the fire, okay?”
“The lights,” she signed over and over again.
“Senka, look at the fire. Are there any lights by the fire?”
She looked up at the raging orange and shook her head violently.
“Ok, let’s walk towards the fire.” Jules said gently. He offered his hand but wasn’t surprised that she didn’t take it. She rose shakily to her feet, eyes on the fire, light reflecting in her eyes.
“Good job. Ok let’s head that way.” He lead the way slowly as Senka shakily followed him, hands across her chest.
Her face danced in the light and Jules suddenly noticed how young she looked. She’d only seen this woman dominate the war ground, smiling when she killed. But she was barely older than a teenager, twenty-two or twenty-three at most. What had she endured in those short years, to beam at death yet cower in the dark?
Jules led her to the fire and sat down beside it, watching the flames dart and dance in the night. Senka followed suit, staring at the fire. The fire illuminated her face, bringing attention and shadow to the garish scar on her face. He felt the anger bubble up but shut it down. There was no room for anger tonight.
“Senka,” Jules said, “Tell me about the lights.” He told himself it was to help her.
But really, you’re just curious.
Senka frowned into the fire.
She really is beautiful.
The thought reverberated through his head.
“People have light,” she signed finally. Jules watched her closely, hoping she didn’t realize what he was thinking.
She’s a Zoya. For all you know she can read your mind.
“I see the light. It’s part of me being a Zoya. I see the light around people. It helps me judge if I will like them or not. It’s different colors for everyone.”
Jules stared at her, trying to keep his mind clear in case she really could read his mind. From a young age, he was taught to fear Zoya. To defend against their wrath. Zoya were crazy, all they wanted was blood and death and carnage.
But… This woman. There was something more to her. Yes, she killed, with an efficiency he’d never seen before. But the love of chaos? No. She killed in defense of people who were kind to her. She wasn’t like the monsters her mother told him about at night.
“Listen to your mother, or the Zoya will get you and drag you away.” His mother’s voice sang in his head.
“I’ve killed a lot of people,” Senka signed, snapping Jules out of the memory. “I’ve had to. I see their lights at night. They want me dead. In the forest they come out at night. Ever since I killed those mountain lion cubs. Their little pink lights come out and find me at night. Who was I to put out their lights?”
“Tell me about those mountain lions,” he said, curiosity getting the better of him.
“I woke up and didn’t know who I was,” she signed. She had forgotten to be guarded. The fear had her lost in memory, and any question he asked she would answer the truth.
“I wandered and a mountain lion scared me. I escaped, but went back later and killed it and its cubs. My master let me stay alone in the forest for two months as penance. But it wasn’t enough. They still come back in the forest every night. Their little pink lights. My master said two weeks each alone as penance. It wasn’t enough.”
“Where is your master?” He didn’t know why he was asking her these questions. Clearly she wanted to keep the memories buried. But he had to know.
“Dead.” There were tears seeping down her face. He wanted to gather her in his arms but he stayed still.
“I killed him.”
“How?”
“He told me to run when the Sun Gods attacked the village we were visiting. There were fifty armed men against a bunch of poorly armed villagers with little training. My master told me to take the children and run. I ran with them and led them to a little cave behind the waterfall. I didn’t want my master to die. I thought I was ready for combat. I left the kids.”
Jules watched her, nausea building, as the tears streamed down her face. He wanted to wretch. He didn’t know that the Sun Gods were
killing entire villages. He had been told they were missionaries sent for a treaty. He was lied to.
It seemed his life was full of lies.
“I went back for my master. All the village adults were dead. My master was fighting four men at once and the rest were standing around and laughing. I grew angry and dove at the nearest Sun God. I see his light too. It was dark red. I killed him. I killed a few more. My master was surprised to see me and broke concentration for a fraction of a second. The nearest Sun God stabbed him through the chest.”
Jules didn’t have anything to say. How could he?
“I dropped my guard when I saw it and they took me down. They tied my hands and the Captain started asking me questions. They wanted to know where the big Melanthios village was with all the Quicksilver stores. I told him I didn’t know. Then… Then they brought the children. I didn’t hide them well enough. I didn’t do my job. They killed them one by one and I told them I didn’t know. I see their lights. They haunt me in the forest.”
Jules was quiet and reached his hand out. She pulled hers away angrily.
“No,” she signed, eyes boring holes into his. “I don’t like to be touched. It was a two week journey home with a troop of soldiers who were angry that I had killed some of them. They kept me tied up in a wagon and… did things. But it was penance for those kids. Same with the torture and the prison time. I had earned it all for the kids.” She put her heads in her hands.
“No,” he said harshly, “No, you didn’t.” The anger was going to explode out of his chest. How could anyone do that to kids? He had been one of the Sun Gods and he wanted to kill them all. “Senka no one deserves what you got. And the kids weren’t your fault. They would have killed them anyway, if you had left them or not.”
“No,” she signed, looking up at him, “I know they would have found them. We left tracks. I knew where the village was and I didn’t tell them. My master had sworn me to secrecy and I promised. But I should have broken my promise to save those kids.”
Jules was silent again.
“That’s where we are headed. Should be there in another week. And I will see lights for my penance, and they will steal my light when they are ready.”
She lay by the fire and shivered despite the heat. Jules sat beside her, keeping an inch between them. He smiled to himself when she grabbed his hand and slowly relaxed.
Jules stayed with her until he was sure she was sleeping. The fire had burned low. He disentangled his hand from hers and rose. Keeping quiet, he sneaked away from the fire. After ten minutes of walking, he gave a low whistle. His raven, Atticus, flew towards him and landed on his shoulder.
Atticus had been with him for a long time. Jules had raised him from a chick. Atticus was always close and Jules knew he was never alone. Jules looked at his iridescent feathers and beautiful black eyes. Jules wiped a tear from his eye. He knew what he wanted to do, but he was too afraid to do it.
He stroked Atticus’ head again and whispered the words they both knew, but never thought he would utter, “Fly free Atticus, my boy. Hunt and roam. Fly free.” With that Atticus pumped his large wings and took off. Jules stared after him, crying freely. After ten minutes had passed and he was sure Atticus was gone, he turned and headed back to the fire.
Senka hadn’t moved, but the fire had burned lower and she was shivering. Jules built the fire up and lay back beside her. He grabbed her hand and smiled to himself in the darkness when she didn’t pull away.
Despite his greed from the past, he had made the right choice. Even if she didn’t return his feelings, he would stand by her and protect her.
He would never betray her again.
15
Armend
Armend made his way down a set of stairs in the castle. He was not going to the dungeons, instead going to see Alchemist Omega. He didn’t understand why Omega chose to perform his research and experiments underground, but as Omega was old and brilliant, he could do whatever he wanted. Omega recently developed a way to reduce the electric current, which allowed the Pulse sticks in the dungeons to be developed. It was such a drastic step forward in the hunt for peace that the King and Queen had given Omega riches beyond measure. He would never want for anything.
Armend wasn’t jealous, Sol XVII had made sure that Armend was the richest man in Solias before he passed away.
Armend pulled his cloak tightly around him. It was drafty in these halls. He got to the bottom of the stone staircase and opened the large metal door that led to the laboratory. Inside were giant metal vats, full of quicksilver and other chemicals and concoctions. Glowing blue Pulse lights cast the laboratory in an soft glow, and the many experimental devices flicked and burned with electricity. Armend didn’t know what anything was inside this laboratory and found himself on-edge. He liked to be in control, and here his ignorance made him uncomfortable.
He stood just past the doorway, unsure of himself and where to go. He had never been to the laboratory before. Straightening his shoulders, he chided himself.
This needed to be done and he had to be confident. Fiddling with his cloak and waiting awkwardly by the door, shifting from foot to foot. He hated being put in situations where he wasn’t the one in charge. He was here to get Omega on his side, but he didn’t know how to gain the upper hand.
Minutes ticked by and Armend grew increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, a boy of about fifteen hustled up to him. Blond with a fresh, handsome face, Armend smiled wide. Sometimes bargaining chips appeared out of nowhere.
“He-he-hello,” the young boy stammered as he gave a deep bow, his black robes billowing, “I am Assistant 2. Alchemist didn’t say we were expecting visitors, I am sorry to keep you waiting.”
Armend smiled and said, “That’s fine, young lad. I just decided to come and see the Alchemist and my visit is unexpected. Can you take me to him please?”
Blushing, he bowed again, then turned quickly and hustled away. Armend followed him through the maze of the laboratory. Different machines and mechanisms pulsed and glowed different colours, some sparked violently and others spun. Since his trip to the dungeons with Intelligence, Armend made sure to pay attention to his surroundings so he could find his own way out of here.
The boy led him to a small sitting room, with deep leather chairs and a dark wood table. Alchemist Omega rose from one of the chairs unsteadily, leaning on his cane. He walked to Armend and gave a small nod of his head, “Peace!” he said shakily, licking his lips. His skin was peeling in parts of his face and his white wispy hair was thinning quickly. “Come in, come in. What a surprise,” Omega continued.
Turning to the young boy, he said, “Fetch us wine and then you are excused for the day.” The boy bowed and hurried away.
“Come in, sit down,” Omega continued. He turned, tremors in his hands, and headed back to the deep leather chairs. He sat down with a sigh. Armend followed and took the chair across from him. The assistant hustled in again and with an awkward bow he placed wine on the table with a couple of glasses then hurried out. Armend noticed Omega’s gaze linger on the boy.
It felt good to be right.
“I am sorry to hear about the disappearance of your wife,” Omega said, “You must be devastated.”
Armend had a quick flash of his hands around her neck and slamming her head into the floor repeatedly. “Yes I am quite worried, but she has always been a free spirit. She left a note saying she has left me for a blacksmith of all things,” Armend wiped a tear from his eye, taking the moment to shut down the memory of the satisfying crack her head had made against the marble and the flow of blood seeping from her skull and ruined face.
“I suppose I am back on the market,” Armend continued. He leaned forward and poured the wine, allowing one tear to drip on the table.
Omega nodded sympathetically, “That is the problem with women. They cannot be trusted. You are a fine specimen, I have no doubt you will find a woman to spend your life with. As humans we crave companionship.” He glanced at the do
or where the Assistant had left earlier.
“Indeed,” Armend said and took a sip of his wine, “I will have trouble replacing her. She was a flower amongst the weeds. I only hope she has found happiness.”
“You are a better man than I. I would have sent the entirety of the Sun Gods to track her down and bring her back to me, only for me to leave her. But I am petty and old, and often do not understand these matter of the heart. I am in love with my work and my work alone.”
Armend nodded, “I wanted to, in the beginning. But she was unhappy, and I didn’t know how to change that,” he looked down and noticed the claw marks she had left on his wrists. He quickly pulled his cloak down to cover them. “Thank you for your sympathy.”
Omega nodded and tried to sip his wine as well, but the tremors in his hands made it difficult. Wine splashed over the rim of the glass but he seemed not to notice. He replaced the glass on the table and absent-mindedly began to itch. “Peace, though I appreciate the visit, I cannot help but wonder the reasoning. You have never visited me before.”
Armend listened to the man scratch himself and hid the cringe. That sound grated on his nerves. “I just came to see how you are doing. As my wife has left me, I find myself with more and more free time I need to fill.”
“I lost another assistant this week,” Omega grumbled, “They keep dying on me. I don’t know why. It starts with the usual, the tremors and the hair loss. Then they lose dexterity and they complain of bugs crawling in their skin. Finally they go mad. Tell me, why have I been able to stay in this lab for over forty years when I started as an Assistant to Omicron, and yet my Assistants die every four years?” He huffed, “Kids these days.”
“I believe it is a lack of discipline from a young age,” Armend replied, “They grow up soft and live soft lives. This sickness is starting to affect everyone in Solias, and I think it’s because everyone is soft. You don’t see the Sun Gods dying at the age of thirty from going mad.”