Rhapsody (Fantasy)

Del Blaine was no slouch when it came to sword play. The man met Adrastus' every attack with a quick and efficient parry, following it up with a counter attack that Adrastus often had trouble being quick enough to guard against.

The room was small. It was hard dueling in such a place, complicated even more by the fact that Adrastus had to practically dance around the girl on the bed. Del Blaine seemed more skilled when it came to this type of fighting, he was quicker. It was no wonder he was so much faster. Del Blaine didn't have to hold as much weight with his shriveled manhood.

As he did his best to keep up with his enemy, smoke began to fill the room. When Adrastus was able, he saw fire beginning to climb up the wall of the place. It was spreading quickly, but Adrastus knew he would rather burn alive then let Del Blaine live. He charged once more towards his opponent.

 

Kiva was standing now, though I could see nothing but shadows of her through the flames she had created. A good distraction, I must admit. It gave me an upper-hand to the battle. I was already very quick, and I was considered the best at one time, though being naked did nothing for the fight. The fire was starting to heat to point of singeing my skin, and with my inguinal region completely exposed, I was risking a lot of future birth defects.

I moved my blade to his side cutting into it as I moved my hip over to dodge his blade. I caught his armor, and missed, but the presence of the blade being on his side made him more aware of his side than me. I slammed my head into his nose once again, his gasp of pain loud in my ear. I locked onto his elbow and slammed again, his chin catching my forehead this time.

With blood over us both, he smiled and slammed his head against me. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t expecting his force. With all the pain I had felt before in my head, this new strike rattled me worse than a baby toy. I tripped backwards, my nose gushing blood as I tripped into the glass window behind me, breaking through it and falling from the second story of the motel.

I landed on small heaps of hay, my back catching many of the shards of glass that had once been attacked to the window panel. I moaned, turning myself over to my side and then pushing myself up with my blade. My hand had shards of glass sticking from it. I finally got to full height when my sword was kicked out from under me and many more tips were in front me throat. I opened my eye as wide as I could, noticing three soldiers in Military fatigues, surrounding me. I turned my head slightly to the right, noticing another three. I sighed. Blindness made things a lot more bearable, but human instinct to look had to ruin it. Three was a lot more bearable than the inter armada. I slowly raised my arms into the air. The night was very cold.

TOO cold.

From behind me, a door broke off the hinges, my pursuer rushing me from behind until he was in the open area enough to see what surrounded us. He slowed his assault until finally he was completely stopped, five feet from me.

He hesitated to drop his blade, but as the soldiers started to surround him, he let it go onto the ground. He looked at me, anger in his voice.

“Your neck is mine, Del Blaine.”

I laughed, my hands still in the air. “If you haven’t noticed yet, they seem to have the say in that one right now.”

The soldiers motioned for us to follow, putting us in chains before lifting and pushing us into the wagon they had come in. Two soldiers stayed at the inn, one gathering our swords, and the other making sure the inn burned to the ground.

 

I shivered as I once again watched things burn.

I had hoped that the fire would make the men stop; but they had continued to fight, driven by some need that I could not comprehend. I had seen the soldiers coming before either of them, and I had fled, helpless to do anything but watch. I looked down at my pack, the only thing I had thought to grab. Evan's pendants and book, the ones which he had protected so closely when I had first met him, were inside. Somehow I knew that I didn't want to tell him I had let them burn - if I ever saw him again.

I had done all I could. I made sure the man in charge of the ferry-house got out safely, as did his wife. They were gone already, fleeing somewhere, probably to the nearest town... wherever that was.

I picked up my things. I should do the same. I needed to keep moving east, if I was going to have any chance of keeping up with the Malnarcosus soldiers who had taken Evan and the other man.

Tears still streaming down my face, I turned away from the blaze, and walked out into the rain.

 

The rain was beating down upon the wagon with the pitter-patter that annoyed the living hell out of me. I waited for the coach-driver to strike the horse with the rains, the wagon etching, and then steadily moving forward. A guard walked by me, laughed, and dropped a blanket on top of my lap.

“Paint a tapestry,” I said with scorn, “it’ll last much longer.”

He didn’t respond. I sighed and looked down. I could only see half of my body. My arms were shackled behind me, and my blood was flowing freely from many open wounds. It hurt to breathe.

I looked up at my opponent across from me. He was looking over his body as well. His armor had been stripped off him.

“You hurt,” I asked nicely, even though I doubt he deserved it.

He remained silent for a long time, merely staring at me. If his eyes were daggers, they were stabbing me violently.

“It would be to your advantage, Del Blaine. Don’t think this means I’m not going to kill you.”

I smiled. Still strong. “Good. I’m glad.”

The wagon rumbled along the way, bouncing on a few branches every now and again. We were silent for most of the ride. He broke the silence.

“Del Blaine…In Greava, you looked as if you had forgotten who I am. Explain this.”

I shrugged, looking into his left eye with mine. It was funny. Both of our right eyes had a large gash through them. “I didn’t.”

He looked at me with curiosity.

“I lost my memory. I was barely lucky to be alive. To be honest, I don’t recall all that I had done. I remembered merely besting you.” I looked at him. My sincerity wouldn’t mean much, but I had to speak the truth. “I was a monster. I took pride in being the best, and I won’t deny that I did terrible things. I know I killed children. I know I killed women. I know I killed men. I did whatever was asked of me, just like any soldier. Just as these soldiers do here. I was their pawn.”

I stopped for a moment. He knew some of this already, I was sure. “I was trying to run away. Just get away from it all. That’s when you and the others showed up. I couldn’t take all of you, but I didn’t want to kill anymore.”

“That’s why I lost.” I smirked. “Or, at least, partially lost.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I think we are more alike than I have given you credit for. We have both done horrible things. We have both killed. War makes men do that and I cannot fault you for it. I don’t know what drove you to such extremes, nor do I care. All I know is that you took Shika from me, Del Blaine. Understand that, you, I cannot let you live, or I cannot live with myself.”

I stared at the shrubs and dirt-mud roads as we passed them. I nodded gently.

“I don’t blame you. I’ll take accountability for my actions.” I couldn’t smile this time. Kiva ran through my mind. “Don’t expect me to go without a fight though. Otherwise, I will always give you the opportunity to try.”

Adrastus reached up and touched the gash across where his eye had been. He didn’t look in pain, but maybe a little saddened by the lose.

“We will find a way out of this mess first, then we can finish this.” He stopped for a moment. “One of us will die, and one of us will live. Either way, the other can be at peace when it is all done.”

One of the guards walking alongside the wagon slammed his spear into the thing. “Shaddap, you two. No more talkin’.”

I held my tongue. Always a witty comeback away, I was sure. What more could they do to me, I guessed. I looked back at Adrastus and smiled.

”As you wish.” I stopped, waiting for the annoyance of the guard to return, but it hadn’t yet. “We can talk more in the cell.”[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

 

Mission 3: A Gargoyle, a Chase, a Flood and a Stab.

(I'm too lazy to edit it, so.... if it's really bad :redface: Sorry.)

The sky seemed to bawl, as huge droplets of rain fell nonstop. Most were the size of a large coin, and fell with force. It hit our backs like small pebbles, soaking our clothes and our bodies. Nathaniel shook, as the winds brought cold gusts, freezing us.

We walked at a fast pace through the woods, keeping close. My wings shielded him partially, but they were quickly getting heavy from the rain. We kept our eyes open for any kind of shelter, but the rain just continued to pour. I pulled him into my arms and my wings folding to cover him. I ran forward at a full sprint hoping to find some kind of shelter. My heart leapt as I saw some stone structures just meters into the woods. I stopped in front of them, my mouth open wide in awe.

There were four columns that surrounded a stone stairwell. At the top of the stairwell were two statues of ghastly gargoyles. One was broken, but the other seemed to look at me with its mangled face. I quickly ran up the steps and ran into the building. It was nothing but a roof, and three walls. It would do for now nonetheless. I sat Nathaniel on the ground, and we both stripped our clothes, hanging them off a shelf on one of the walls.

We quickly got on some dry clothes, and I started a fire from the dry wood within the building. We warmed our hands on the fire and didn’t say much. Our clothes dripped as the dried just about the fire. We kept close to the fire and lay down for a rest, blankets on top of us. I closed my eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

---------------------- ​

“ADDY!” I heard him yell. I jolted up, instinctively grabbing my dagger. He ran to me, and dug his face into my chest, sobbing.

“What’s wrong Natty?” I asked patting him on the head, looking around. Nothing seemed to be out of place.

“It moved Addy.” I heard him say. I felt a chuckle leave my throat as I looked down at him.

“What moved?”

He looked up at me, his eyes wide as saucers, “The statue moved.” He whispered into my ear. I looked at him, trying to find his lie, but he seemed to believe it. I sighed and got up.

“Statues don’t move Natty.”

“Just look!” he cried, pointing towards where the statue had been hours ago. I looked in the direction and dropped my dagger in shock. My mouth wide, I looked at the now empty spot. The statue had disappeared.

“Get your things.” I said in barely a whisper. I grabbed my dagger, and placed it in my belt. I quickly threw on my half-dried clothes, and put our things in our parcels. He looked at me worried, and I returned the look. I quickly placed him in my arms and took flight.

That’s when I heard the growl. I looked back to see the statue looking at me from its normal place, it’s eyes glowed yellow. I screamed and dove up, the rain hitting me in the face. I quickly flew forward, not sure how far I could get in the rain. My wings began to get heavy, and I began to fall closer to the ground, until I finally couldn’t fly anymore. Natty cried in my arms as we heard the growling from behind us.

I ran as fast as I could, as I slid through the mud. I noticed the water was rising, as it reached my ankles. I held Nathaniel close, and continued forward. I looked back and could see the gargoyle just meters behind me. I gasped and dashed forward with all my might. I stopped short, as the water reached my knees. I frowned. The river was flooding, and we had finally reached it. I placed him on the ground.

“Natty, can you swim honey?” I asked nervously looking back. The gargoyle was nowhere to be seen.

“Yes, why Addy?”

“The current is strong, but I know you can do it Natty.” I said as I nudged him forward.

“What about you?” he cried as he waded forward, the water now reaching his chest.

“I can’t swim and I certainly can’t fly. I’ll find a way to you. Continue forward, get to the border and find the rebellion. I’ll meet you Natty.” He waved to me, and began to swim across the river.

I quickly turned around and began to walk on the side of the river. I struggled to walk forward, the mud clinging to my boots. The water hurried past me. Suddenly I heard the noise of the growling gargoyle from behind me. I turned around and quickly took out my dagger as it flew down at me. I sliced at it as it brought me into the mud. His claws scratched at my face and his teeth aimed for my neck. I thrust it off me and quickly tried to pull myself up. I yelled out in frustration as the mud kept me down. I was stuck.

The beast quickly flew at me, but I was ready this time. I caught it in the shoulder with my dagger. It screamed angrily and began to claw at me. I put my arms in front of my face and managed to push it off this time. I pulled myself up, the mud clinging to my back. I looked around for the beast but it had disappeared again. I sighed in relief and headed towards the river. I really hoped swimming was as easy as it looked. I stopped when the water reached my shoulders. My body shook as I watched the water rushed past me.

I began forward when the beast grabbed me by my hair, pulling me into the air with it. I yelled and grabbed my dagger swiping at it. It grabbed my arm with its claw and I dangled. I yelled in frustration, stabbing it in the claw. I growled and quickly grabbed my dagger with its free hand. It thrust me upwards, stabbing me in my shoulder with my dagger. I yelled in pain, it looked at me with its glowing eyes. It gave me a grin as it let me go. I yelled as I fell into the rushing river.

I fell in, the force almost knocking me out. The water rushed pass me on all sides, taking my breath. The water filled my lungs as I struggled to catch my breath, but the force of the water pushed me down every time. My mind began to blur, and my body became limp. I could barely feel the hand on chest as I was pulled from the river.

My eyes shot open as I coughed up the water from my lungs. I looked up and gave a weak smile as Natty leaned in and gave me a hug.

“You saved me?” I asked, lifting my weak body from the ground.

“Kind of.” He said blushing, “But you saved mine too you know.” I smiled and got up from the muddy ground.

“We’re just a few miles from the border.” He said, pointing towards a new patch of woods, “We could reach there in a few hours.”

I smiled, and touched the dagger the now resided in my shoulder. My touch sent a jolt of pain through my body. I sighed. I’d have to wait to take it out. He handed me his dagger, as we continued towards the woods. I hoped we’d see a friendly face soon. I was getting tired of the woods all ready.

 

The Cells: Day 1--Adrastus Aleksandr

The cells were dark, but no darker than Adrastus had remembered them being. It wasn't the first time he had seem those cold gray walls, not even close. Adrastus could hear the occasional boom of thunder outside. It had been raining for a long time. The bottom of the cell was flooded and Adrastus had been forced up on his cold stone bed.

He could see Del Blaine in the cell next to him, but he refrained from speaking. Adrastus had found out a long time ago that it was best not to get to know a person you intended to kill. It was best, easier for Adrastus if Del Blaine were still the monster he envisioned him to be.

For Adrastus, that first night in the cells passed rather uneventfully. Occasionally a guard would stroll by and cast a wary glance towards Adrastus before finishing up his rounds. Adrastus did not sleep. It was too cold and wet for that, but throughout the night he could hear Del Blaine scrounging around, doing whatever it was men like him did.

 

The cells hadn’t changed over the years. The floor had been flooded, and I was sitting against the wall on my bed. Hopefully, the thing wouldn’t collapse. I was a little bit happy when they gave me tattered robes. I’d rather hide my shame than lose it to the bitter cold.

Occasionally, a guard would walk by my cell, and then by his directly next to mine. Too uneventful. I looked at the ceiling and sighed. Darkness.

I hated the fact that I was a talker, no matter how much of a loner I was. I looked about. I could see him, but I doubted he would want to talk to me. I sighed once again, laying my head against the wall.

“Hey, Adrastus,” I said aloud, the sound of thunder cutting me off. I stopped, waiting for the thunderous sound to end. “Hey, Adrastus. You ever wonder what it felt like to die?”

I waited for a response, one that I may never get.

 

"Hey Adrastus. You ever wonder what it felt like to die?"

Adrastus almost laughed. Most people wouldn't be able to answer a question like that, but in his attempt to heal Shika of death, a whole new world had been opened to him. He shuddered a little as he recalled what he had gone through. After a long silence, he replied.

"I know what it is to die, Del Blaine. It is none of the glorious light the priests will speak of. It is pain. It is darkness. It is isolation. But then...perhaps that it just for the likes of you and me. I do not know why we die Del Blaine, only that God will take us all eventually. Fighting it is as futile as fighting the sunrise or the moonlight. Do you fear death?"

 

I contemplated his words carefully. He was correct. Fighting would solve nothing, but the world was surrounded by the thought that it might. Peace didn't come from fighting, it came from proper actions and love. I smiled. I would love for the to be how fighting was solved, but that wasn't the world anyone lived in. It was the painful truth. Love could save the world, but violence would always destroy love, and in turn, destroy the world.

"Do you fear death?"

I thought about it for a moment. I didn't know how many times I had almost died, and I knew the feeling he explained. Monsters didn't get lights.

"Yes," I finally said. "I guess it's because I don't know if a monster like me will be forgiven, when I go to whatever is on the otherside. To be honest, I wouldn't forgive myself, so I don't know why they would."

I stopped, thinking for another moment.

"I don't want to be put in a purgatory where I see myself kill my family on accident repeatedly. It would surely be hell if that happened."

 

"I think any of us can be forgiven, no matter the sin, but we must be able to forgive ourselves first. Accidents happen, things beyond our control. We have to take it all in stride. It may not make sense now, Del Blaine, but perhaps they died because it was their time. You were just the unfortunate one to do it. If it weren't you it would have been another. It is part of a great circle. Death is the only escape from that circle. Wherever God decides to put me is where I will go."

Adrastus went silent again as thunder sounded outside.

"We need to get out of here Del Blaine. This is not a fitting end for either of us."

 

I smiled. Such a nobleman. I appreciated him talking with me though. I agreed with him. I didn't plan to rot in this flooded grave as much as anyone else wanted to. I remembered what the guards had said to us as they threw us in our separate cells. A hanging in three days.

Not a fitting death for either of us, in my opinion, either. Maybe it might be something to think about though. We would be outside.

"Two more days," I said aloud. "We'll be outside. I know the land fairly well, as do you. We could try to make a valiant effort of escape." I thought for a moment. I didn't know anyone in the military anymore, and I was sure he didn't either.

"What do you think happened to Kiva?" I finally asked. "The girl that was with me."

 

We interrupt this program to bring you...

Figured I'd update. Sorry if it's the wrong time...


The soldiers were long gone.

Well into the night, the beige dullness of the valley paused for one brief instant so that a stream of water could trickle its way southward down the rocks. Sare slid from Lucy’s back. The beast took a long drink, turned, and pissed unceremoniously on the nearest rock. Sare laughed for the first time in days and stroked the animal’s nose. Then she knelt somewhere upstream, cupping the cool water to her mouth. The taste reminded her of the river back home, and she surmised she was somewhere to the north of the old village. She felt a rush of homesickness, then fury and nausea when she remembered that it had been overrun by the Bad Ones. Like Greava.

Greava. She had to get there before the army did. She’d intended to go through her village and follow her tribe’s trail into the west, but that didn’t seem sensible now that the Dark Ones had taken the territory over. It seemed a miracle that she hadn’t run into one by now, though she was in the more deserted eastern region of the valley.

So… which way now? She could probably make it into the country, but she didn’t know the position of the city she’d been in, or even its name. She got her spear from where it was stashed alongside the saddlebag and hefted it. It hadn’t worked before, but…

“Greava,” she said, and the spear obediently lurched in the direction she had been traveling. “Oh, so now you work? Evan Del Blaine.” The spear seemed confused for a minute, then spun so quickly that she dropped the spear. Evan wasn’t in Greava, she realized. But then, neither was she. Something weird must have happened during that last fight. Had all the others been scattered across the world?

She remembered suddenly the nothingness just after the fight. That voice! It had talked about her parents, and how she’d been unfaithful to them. Where were they now?

“Aka Mayre,” she said, envisioning her mother. The spear did not move. She felt a chill. “Hal Mayre.” Again, nothing. And, though she had reason to doubt the spear’s ability she just…knew. Her parents were gone.

Sare stood up, sobbing, and went to Lucy’s side. She needed to keep moving, or the soldiers would overtake her. But there was nothing waiting for her in Greava. Did the gods hate her for her disobedience to her parents? Surely someone up there liked her… her mother used to tell her that angels loved everyone.

Angels. Sare saw suddenly a pair of beautiful white wings and then their owner, Adelaide, as she flew off to investigate a noise.

“Adelaide,” she said, seizing the spear. She couldn’t remember the woman’s last name and feared it wouldn’t work, but the weapon rotated and fixed firmly toward the northwest.

Sare climbed onto Lucy’s back and set off again, looking for her angel.


And now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

 

Adrastus leaned his head back against the wall.

"I lost track of her after the building caught fire. Either she burned or she got away...it is doubtful that the soldiers took her. Do you think she will come for us?"


weakest post ever))

 

I sighed. I hoped she didn't burn. I looked towards his general direction and smiled.

"She does have magic. She might come after us." My brain contemplated all the possibilities. "She could break us out of here, though she would only have three days to do it."

I remembered the old custom. Public Hangings.

"She might come after us when we're surrounded by people. They might lose track of her in the crowd."

I couldn't think of much else possibilities. "What do you think?"

 

Adrastus scratched at his scraggly beard and thought for a moment. Waiting didn't really strike him as a good idea. Even if the girl had power, the chance she would come for them seemed remote. It was made even more remote by the fact that they would be surrounded by guards until they were both dead.

"I say we find a way out of here now. This girl of yours will have a hard time helping us if we don't help ourselves a little."

He ran his hand over the swollen cut where his eye had been. The thing felt like it was getting infected in this place. A contingent of five well armed guards came down the steps into the dungeon, the light from their torches casting dancing shadows along the cell walls. They stopped in front of a dark cell with a beaten old man in it. The man began whimpering and crying as they dragged him away...to be hung no doubt. That was it. Adrastus waited for the guards to pass back up the stairs before getting to his feet and going to the bars that separated him from Evan.

"I've got an idea Del Blaine," he whispered. "We wait till the third day. When the guards come to take us up to be hanged, we rush them and put out their torches. Then, down here in the dark, away from the eyes of the masses, where no one will hear them scream...we kill them. That is our out. I hope this girl of yours likes you more than I do...we are going to need a distraction once we get up to the city."

 

I smiled. "I don't know how we'll let her know. Hopefully something predictable happens." I shook my head and looked at the water on the floor.

"Just like I remembered. Always hated the rain."

I looked at him. "Sounds like a plan." I couldn't rest. I wondered what time it was. I could feel the stubble of my beard coming in. Never was able to grow facial hair. I laid backwards again against the wall. "Rest, my friend." I smiled. I was sure he didn't think of me as a friend, or anything near one. I let it pass. "We'll need our strength."

 

Woot! Back in black and ready to rumble!

"You know what I just realized?" I asked the creature as we flew oover the countryside.

What? He thought. His 'voice' was beautiful, like a song almost. It was deep, sophisticated.

"I have no idea what your name is. I don't think we've been properly introduced." I grinned and patted his neck. I couldn't get over the fact that his fur was so soft.

Well, what with me saving you from the waterdragon and you accusing me of assisted murder, I'd say introductions were out of the question.

I smiled. "I'm Naomi Kaiser." I stroked his neck in replacement of a handshake. Or in his case, a hand-paw shake.

I'm Aralius. Pleasure to meet you. His voice carried a smile; friendliness.

"Pleasure to meet you as well." We flew in silence for a while dipping in under the clouds every once in a while to check our course. Above the clouds, however, the sky was a perfect blue and the clouds below us looked snow white. The sun shone brightly, glinting brilliantly off of the white fields of cotton.

The sun began to set after a few hours and Aralius was dipping down under the clouds more frequently.

We're going to need to find a place to stop and sleep. He thought after about the fifth descent.

"What is this sleep you speak of?" I smiled. He didn't seem to understand. "I'm a vampire. We don't sleep."

Oh, yes, that's right. well, then I need to stop and sleep. My eyelids are feeling quite heavy.

"Not a problem," I said. We descended onto the outskirts of a small forest along a dirt road.

Well stay here. Will you be warm enough?

"Um..." I said and pressed my hand against a piece of skin under his fur.

Oh my! He gasped. You're freezing!

"That's a vampire for you. I'll be fine. Sleep well." I said and leaned back to look up into the starlit sky.

Thank you.

I stared at the night sky for a long while, pondering a while on our travels. I still had no idea on which way to go.

I was completely and utterly lost.

 

I fled as best I could, heading into the night in what my best guesses told me was an easterly direction. I would come to civilization eventually. I steadied myself with that. The horror of the night's events had yet to fully sink in; the horror of the events of the past few days tugged at the edges of my consciousness, whispering thoughts of despair and luring me into a state somewhere between waking and walking amidst nightmares. I imagined, every now and then, that I saw the strange green unicorn which I had summoned to murder the only people I had ever known - the people who had turned against me. When flashes of lightning revealed the forest around me, I saw demons, shadows, ghosts of those who I had killed.

I did not look at them. I would not. Even the little jewelry which I had kept felt heavy, a burden; though at the same time I recognized that what little power I possessed was more valuable than ever. I had to be careful, had to use them wisely.

When I saw the horse in the clearing, I wasn't sure, at first, if it was real or another wandering figment of my imagination. The tall, black beast seemed to have sought shelter, as I had, among the beckoning trees. I stepped towards it.

"Shh," I said gently. "Steady there." I reached out an unsteady hand and stroked its side. "Where did you come from?" The gelding was fully equipped with a high quality saddle and bridle. He looked like a warrior's horse. "You must be hungry," I said almost as a reflex, moving to grab some dried fruit from my pack and holding it out to the horse's eager mouth.

"There you go." I smiled. There was something soothing about having someone to take care of, human or otherwise. My mind felt a bit clearer. We stood there for a moment, woman and horse, looking at each other. "Will you let me ride you?" I wondered out loud.

He seemed to look at me doubtfully, and I laughed, looking down at the no longer white skirt which I still wore and which, since it was, like the rest of me, soaked from the rain, clung to my legs in all sorts of weird places. "Alright, so I'm not exactly dressed very practically," I said, "but be patient." I pulled my pants out of the bag and changed quickly, blushing at doing this in such a place - but then again, who was going to see me in the middle of nowhere in the forest?

I touched the horse's side again. "Steady there." I put my foot into the stirrup and slowly pulled myself up onto the horse's back.

* * *

Full sunlight was dawning when I reached a town.

I found the bar easily enough: a ramshackle, bustling place pretty close to the city limits. The rain had paused for a moment, though clouds still threatened overhead. I gave a boy waiting outside a few coins to tie up my horse at the front and walked inside.

It felt like a rather familiar place, after such a long time in the wilderness. My father had certainly spent enough time in bars like these. I found myself a seat.

"Excuse me," I said to one of the waitresses as she came by, "but do you know if a wagon belonging to Malnarcosus soldiers has passed through here recently?"

She nearly dropped the pitcher she had been holding, flushed, and looked back at me. "You're not from around here, are you?"

I shook my head.

"You'd best go home, miss. Go back to wherever you came from." She started to walk away.

"Please..." I grabbed her wrist. "They took someone. I need to find him." The waitress stopped. "Please," I asked her. "There's no home for me to go to." It was true. In this broken world, Evan was all I had.

She sighed. "Look," she said, "wagons go through here most every day. This town's right on the route for those taking prisoners to the Great Prison of Malnarcosus. Your man is long gone by now. You want my advice? Forget 'im and move on."

"How do I get there?"

She stared at me. "Did you not hear what I said?"

"I can't forget him," I said honestly. If I forgot him, I would lose myself. I could sense that. The things which still tied me to humanity, which kept me from letting the jewels take over, were few, and the bonds grew more tenuous every second. "I have to go after him."

The waitress shook her head. "Follow me," she said. She stopped briefly to make some comment to her boss which I couldn't hear, to which he nodded, and then I followed her nervously into a side room. She walked over to a nearby table and hesitated. "Can you read a map?"

I nodded; the merchants who had visited our town used to show me maps of the greater world. The other woman beckoned for me to stand next to her and unfurled a small scroll. "This," she said, pointing at a small 'x', "is where you are right now. The prison is in the capital of Malnarcosus, which is right here." She pointed south, towards a large mark. "It will still take you about a whole day to get there, assuming you have a horse?" I nodded. "I don't know what your man did, but if it's serious, they won't keep him for long." She bit her lip. "I can't give you much, but I have a knife and a cloak you can use, and I'll give you some food for the journey." She found those items and handed them to me.

I looked down at the gifts. "Miss..."

"Carlotta," she said, smiling.

"Carlotta." I smiled back weakly. "My name is Kiva. May I ask why you're helping me?"

A shadow passed through her eyes. "Because," she said, "my husband was taken by those wagons, a couple years ago now." She looked away. "I never went after him."

I touched her arm. "I'm sorry."

"I know." She smiled. "Now go. You don't have any time to lose."

I began to leave, and then turned back. "Thank you."

There were tears in her eyes. "Good luck, Kiva."

 

Day Two

The morning sun hit my face, the warmth welcoming and agonizing all at once. I opened my only eye, looking down to the shadows the my cell to revamp my vision until it was focused and clear. The water from the night before was still there, but not anywhere near deep. I sighed. My body ached heavily. I looked up to see that he was asleep in his cell as well. I took the free time to check my wounds.

I lifted the robs and examined my breast, noticing a stab wound that was starting to bleed through the bandages the army medic had put on me. Redundant, in my opinion, since they planned to hang me by tomorrow evening, but I didn't care. Merely helped me escape when the time was right.

I took off my sleeve, seeing a portion of my bicep missing. Not much, but a painful look as it was. I'd miss you, muscle. I examined the other few cuts and gashes I had acquired, noticing my body was becoming more of a scratching post for swords than most could live with. Luck was on my side. He had been right about one thing last night. When it was your time, it was your time.

I looked up at my opponent-comrade. He was still asleep. I took the moment to lift move the robes away from my groin, checking to make sure the package God had given me was still in one piece: three parts.

It took a moment, was fine, and I quickly replaced the robes. I had no reason to spend a lot of time on any wounds. From his cell, I could hear him snickering.

Great.

I shook my head, looking out at the hallway by the cells. Breakfast would be coming hopefully soon. I yawned, laying back into my bed. Soon would be a few more hours. They didn't care.

I sighed, looking up at him again. "Morning." was all I could think up. He snickered once more before turning over in his bed. Rest and escape was all we had in common that morning.

 

The guard threw the bowl of water and some stale bread into the cell, spilling most of the water and getting the stale bread damp on the wet floor, after which it was promptly devoured by a pair of hungry looking mice.

"There's yer food you piece of rot," said the scraggly looking guard.

Adrastus kicked the bowl of water towards the bars and spat at the guard. "Your mother was a goat!"

The guard snickered and trotted back up the stairs, leaving Adrastus to lean back up against the wall of his cell.

 

I laughed at his words. I loved it. Goat mothers. I looked out as he walked up the stairs. Looks like we'd see him around dinner time, if we were lucky. I turned back over in my bed and rested more. My body was still aching.

After a few hours rest, I opened my eyes. My food had ended the same way as my comrade's had, and it had left my scared stomach hungry. I looked over towards him and smiled.

"Wanna make goat noises when he comes back?"

 

Adrastus reached a hand down and ran his finger over the heads of one of the mice. So many years of so many prisoners must have made them accustomed to people. Adrastus had a sneaking suspicion that, for more than one of the prisoners, the mice were the only company they'd had.

"He does that himself every time he opens his mouth."

 

I smiled. I looked down, and noticed many rats on my side as well. For me, I curled up a little tighter. I hated rodents. I looked out the bars of the cell and then towards the barred window high above my cell.

"Only another day."

 

Adrastus reached down and picked up the metal bowl. It was tough, but malleable enough for him to bend it with his hands. He began folding the edges of the bowl inward on themselves.

"Only another day," said Del Blaine.

Adrastus smiled. "That is good. I'm getting sick of this place."

When he finished folding the bowl, it had taken on a triangular shape. Adrastus tore off what was left of his leather gloves and wrapped the thick base of the thing with thin strips. He then began dragging the edges along the floor. The grating sound echoed through the dungeon.

"I hope you are good at fighting in the dark Del Blaine."

 

"I hope you are good at fighting in the dark Del Blaine."

I smirked, looking up at him. "I could hold my own naked in a small room in the dark."

The day light was slowly moving into the horizon. It would be dark in an hour or so. I hoped at least.