by J E Reed
“Not near the town, but a few caravans were attacked recently.”
Her thoughts were interrupted as two mugs slid across the table. “We can worry about monsters tomorrow. Tonight, it’s time to have fun.”
Scorpios shrugged and drank to Blue’s invite. Taking her own, she tried to smile, but cringed when the bitter burn ran down her throat.
“That is disgusting,” she said, wiping her mouth.
“You don’t drink for the taste,” he laughed.
“I think I’d rather just watch you make a fool of yourself.”
“Not gonna happen. I don’t drink alone.” Blue scooted the mug toward her again.
Scorpios bumped her and his sudden shift in position had her eyes darting between tables. She followed his nod to a group of young men whose gazes were fixated on them.
“Be ready, but avoid the magic,” he whispered. Her skin crawled.
“Hey there,” one called. “Why hide the lady? We all deserve to see that pretty face.”
His slur indicated his drunken state. Kiuno’s friends sat pensive, all scowling at those who leered. She needed to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.
“Care for a little dance?” he asked, extending one hand.
Pulling the hood back and taking a breath, she returned the sweetest smile she could manage. “I appreciate the kind offer, but I’m a bit tired. I think I’ll just rest here.”
His smirk twisted her gut. “I could help you relax more.”
Snickering, he elbowed his friends and they encouraged the behavior. Their drunken state made them too bold for their own good, or plain stupid. She guessed more of the latter.
“No thank you.” She tried more forcefully. The male pouted. She turned away, ignoring his burning gaze until something of more interest caught his attention.
Kiuno took a sip of the poison Blue enjoyed and caught Liam with balled fists, still glaring as though he might spring any moment.
“Relax Liam, no harm came of it.” It took a moment for his eyes to turn, and he took a breath to settle himself.
“Here kid.” Blue planted a mug in front of him. “Take a drink, it’ll help.”
“He can’t have that, he’s a child.” Kiuno grabbed the mug and pulled it toward herself.
“Says who? It’s a free world, let him have a drink.” Liam looked at her as if asking for permission, and for a moment she was torn. He was a child, but Blue was right. This wasn’t home, so what did it matter?
She sighed and slid it back. “Just go easy.” He looked at the mug, and she couldn’t stifle her laugh when his nose crinkled from the taste. Blue patted him on the back and Liam spluttered. He’d been pensive around her friends until this point, though she wasn’t sure Blue was the best of influences.
Blue got more drinks in Kiuno than she would have cared for and pulled her to the floor, twirling her in beat to the strange song. Scorpios was next in line followed by Maltack.
Each laughed as they danced, outside fears forgotten. By the time Liam joined them, Blue was showing him moves that had the whole place in an uproar. She clapped along, keeping time.
Kiuno eventually caught on to Scorpios and Maltack’s trick of switching their mugs with Blue’s. He never seemed to notice, but she’d already had too much before realizing it was an option. Clever tricksters.
As the night waned, Blue kept his pace on the floor, flirting with women who indulged his advances. Liam sat in a chair with his head down, the bitter liquid making his stomach turn while Maltack and Scorpios simply observed the crowd, content with the entertainment their friend provided.
Though she had had a few drinks too many, she was glad Blue brought them here. He wanted to defuse. If she wasn’t nursing too bad of a headache, she might thank him come morning.
Her mind spun as she told Scorpios she’d be back in a moment. Kiuno had been watching where people exited for a restroom and headed through the dancers in search of it.
An arm wrapped around her waist. At first, she thought it might be Blue, even if the action was a bit bold, but she turned to a stranger’s face.
“Finally decide on that dance?” His breath reeked of stale beer, and she struggled to control the contents of her stomach.
Scorpios stood, and she caught his eye, but she simply pushed the man away. “Actually, I just needed some fresh air.” Hopefully he would get the hint.
“I’ll escort you, wouldn’t want a pretty face like that outside alone.”
She forced a smile, working to pry his wandering hands from her body. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Come on, why not let—”
She gripped his arm, letting the intensity of her gaze be a warning. “Let me go.”
He returned the hold. “Don’t be like that sweetheart, we can head up to my room. I have a fire going.”
“I said no.” His grip tightened as he pressed his body against hers. The proximity made her heart race. Dark thoughts clawed to the surface. It was too familiar, too much like—
Her throat constricted, there were too many people, too much noise. She turned to Scorpios only to find a face that made her heart stop. Kikyo marched toward them, an angry scowl marring his face. She couldn’t let anything happen. Not again.
Kiuno wrapped one hand behind her assailant’s neck and slammed a knee into his groin followed by another to his face, then shoved him to the ground. Everyone around them took a few steps back.
“You stupid bitch!” he bellowed, trying to cover the blood streaming down his face. A few other men turned her way but Scorpios and Maltack stood at her side. Scorpios moved to place himself between them, but she pulled him back. One drunken idiot wouldn’t get the best of her.
With blood still pouring from his nose, he stood, smearing the red liquid across his face. In anger, he rushed forward, but she sidestepped, grabbing his wrist and kicking his knee out. His face planted to the floor.
A burly man attempted to aid his friend, but Scorpios stepped between them. Despite his size the man recoiled with his hands high.
Four men stepped from behind the counter. Two of them grabbed the one she’d injured while the others escorted his friends out the door.
“Thank you.” A round woman, close to Scorpios’s age, beamed at her. “We should have thrown them out earlier. I’m sorry they caused you trouble.”
“It’s all right.” Kiuno said and took a few steps back to their table.
“Be sure to have all you like,” the woman called. Kiuno had never seen Blue so happy.
Another hour and a few too many toasts later, Kiuno found herself half asleep with her chair pressed against the wall. It was nice to forget, or at the very least, let the troubles of tomorrow slip to the back of her mind.
She stiffened when a hand wrapped around her shoulder. “It’s just me,” Scorpios assured. “Come on, let’s get you to the room before you fall over.” She’d already fallen over. The wall just saved her from the humiliation.
Without argument, she let him help her up. Even this late, people still danced and carried on as if their tolerance was limitless. She wondered how long Blue would hold out.
Scorpios kept a firm grip around her waist, and she let her weight lean against him. The world spun, and she tried to keep her eyes on the floor for some stability. She’d be cursing Blue come morning.
“Don’t throw up on me.” Scorpios lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her hands around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. The world still spun, but at least she couldn’t see it.
He climbed the stairs and closed the door to their room bringing about sweet silence. He set her on the bed and she unwound herself from him. Scorpios sat on the edge, probably wondering if she would be sick.
She drifted, but when Kiuno felt him shift, she grabbed his arm. “Don’t go.” He hesitated, but she moved over, and he laid beside her. Scorpios stiffened when she curled next to him.
“I don’t think—”
Kiuno couldn’t st
ifle her laugh. “Relax, Scorpios. I’m not that kind of drunk. I just…miss him.” He paused, seeming to wrestle with something before wrapping one arm around her shoulder and folding the other behind his head. His breathing filled the space between them and she focused on it.
“We’re going to find Elite.”
Her throat constricted. “How do you know?” So much time had passed. So much could have happened.
“If he’s half as stubborn as I know you to be, he won’t rest until you’re in his arms.”
She smirked. “I’m not that bad.” She knew he’d be smiling, but couldn’t lift her head to look. “Will you stay until I fall asleep?”
“I can’t very well leave you by yourself. We left Maltack with the worst of it. He has a professional drunk and a child who is going to be twice as miserable tomorrow.”
She giggled. “Once we get home Mal will probably never visit a bar again. Are you going to carry them up too?”
“Not a chance, they can sleep on the floor if they can’t climb the stairs.”
“That’s cold, you carried me.”
“Because someone could take advantage of you.”
“Someone could take advantage of them.”
He let out a hearty laugh. “Somehow I doubt any of them would mind.”
She giggled again. “I guess not.”
The silence lengthened and her mind drifted.
“Kiuno?”
“Hmm?”
“There’s a few questions I’ve been wanting to ask. Would you prefer to answer them now or in the morning?”
“Why didn’t you ask earlier?”
“I wanted to be away from the others. I don’t want you to feel cornered.”
She propped her head up with one hand, trying to focus on his face. “What is it?”
“I know you lost your friends,” he hesitated, his eyes tracing her face to gauge her reaction. “Do the particulars of that situation still affect you?”
Kiuno’s mind felt sluggish as she tried to piece together his meaning. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“When we fought the creatures, there was a moment where you seemed caught off guard. Liam brought you out of it and just tonight, downstairs, it happened again. I only waited because I thought you’d be able to handle the situation, however, when I saw your eyes…you weren’t looking at me.”
Kiuno wasn’t sure how to respond. Observant Scorpios.
“No, I wasn’t,” she whispered. It was the truth, in that split second, she’d seen those blue eyes again.
“You have flashbacks?”
“A little.”
“Does it happen often?”
“No, it’s usually just the nightmares. Be thankful I didn’t burn the place down.”
At first, he smiled before realizing she was serious. “I’ll keep that in mind. How bad are the nightmares?”
“What you saw the first night is pretty consistent.”
“You’ve slept well since then.”
It was only now that she realized he was right. She hadn’t woken screaming in a few days. Maybe having familiar people around eased her mind. Maybe that’s why she didn’t want him to leave. If he did, the abyss would swallow her all over again.
“I have a second question, but I want you to know you’re free to decline an answer.”
What did he think could be worse than the previous? “I’m listening.”
“What color is your stone?”
She froze, but it shouldn’t have surprised her. Trying to hide anything from Scorpios was like a three-year-old trying to hide something from their mother. He saw everything, paid attention to the smallest of details. He must also know she had her reasons.
“In the morning?” she tried. She was too tired and though a bit of apprehension formed in her gut, she knew Scorpios wouldn’t look at her wrist while he slept. He had too much respect.
“All right, I’ll hold you to that. Now get some sleep.” She laid her head on his chest, allowing his rhythmic breathing to lull her into a place of colored dreams.
REALM: 5
DAY: 205
Kiuno groaned when the light woke her, a splitting headache bringing the first of many regrets. She turned to find Maltack asleep at her side and Scorpios settled near the fireplace. The rest of them lay sprawled just inside the door.
The image of Scorpios or Maltack having compassion and dragging them up the stairs made her smile, though she hoped neither were kept up long. Kiuno sat up, holding her head to ease the pounding. If the others were going to wake to the same, she hoped they’d sleep longer.
Her mouth was dry, and a bad aftertaste prevented further sleep. She needed something to wash it away. Creeping to the door, Kiuno struggled to squeeze through without bumping Liam and tiptoed down the stairs.
The atmosphere from last night had shifted. It was quiet, the air not quite as thick. The building was empty, save for the few who slept on the floor. Someone had cleaned up and even covered those unable to make it to their beds.
“Are you hungry?” Startled, she turned to a heavy-set woman behind the bar, who ran a cloth through a mug, inspected it, then rubbed it down again.
“A little.” Her stomach growled, but she wasn’t sure how much she could hold down.
The woman disappeared and returned moments later with a plate of bread and mug of hot tea. “I trust those boys are taking care of you?” A stern gaze searched for signs of distress, and Kiuno briefly visualized this woman chasing Scorpios with a frying pan.
Kiuno giggled. “Yes, they’re good friends of mine.”
“Good. Thank you again for your help last night.”
“No problem.” Kiuno nibbled on the bread while the woman busied herself elsewhere. The tea helped ease her headache, but as the night came back to her, Kiuno’s heart raced. Scorpios was asking questions, and it would be impossible to hide the truth. He had a keener eye than Elliott.
What did she fear? That Scorpios wouldn’t turn out to be the same person? Did she fear him and the others changing? Maltack and Blue were both themselves. If they were playing off a ruse, then it was an elaborate one.
Kiuno shook her head. They’d keep her secret safe. Her friends wouldn’t betray her. Kiuno’s heart sank, and she dropped her head to the table. They wouldn’t…right?
“You shouldn’t leave without telling us.” Scorpios sat on the stool next to her.
“I didn’t go far. Did you have compassion on them after all?”
“No, Maltack did, I just helped them in the door.”
“Explains things, I almost couldn’t get out.”
He chuckled. “It’s good for them to unwind, especially Blue. Being serious too much takes a toll on his humor.”
“I wouldn’t think anything could effect that.” She took a sip of tea. “I’m glad he enjoyed himself.”
“He wasn’t the only one.”
She smiled. “At least until the middle of the evening.”
Scorpios laughed. “I was impressed and glad to know you can handle yourself.”
“I held up against you.”
“You certainly did, but it was nice to see you do it without the magic. Sometimes we rely too heavily on one method of fighting.” When she didn’t respond, he glanced at her. “Something I said?”
She twisted her hands together. “I couldn’t use it until recently.” Her voice turned to a whisper. “I stayed with Liam and a man named Vincent through the winter. He helped me.” She knew the answer was vague and could see him struggle, wanting to ask more questions.
“You remember what I asked last night?” he started.
“Yes.”
“But you’re still hesitant.”
She eyed her wrist. “Last time someone saw it, people almost got hurt.”
“Your friends?”
“Yes, but that’s not why—” She shook her head. “The situation was handled.”
Silence filled the space again.
“I know it’s been tough for
you, so I won’t force you to do anything, but just know you can trust me. I’d never do anything to hurt any of you.”
His words brought tears to her eyes. Trust. Yes, she could trust him. This was Scorpios. He was the last person who’d ever betray her. He’d always been by her side even with the offer of joining stronger alliances. If he could be that loyal in a game—
Kiuno slid her arm under the table and untied the knot. Her heart clenched. She’d forgotten it’d been Kikyo’s. Scorpios’s eyes traced over the lines that etched her name on the smooth surface. His lips parted, but he didn’t speak. Instead he retied the knot and sighed, “I was afraid of this.”
“What do you know about it?”
“Just hearsay. Many think the stone plays a key role in getting us home but I think their hope is misplaced.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “They want an easy answer, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t think it’ll be that simple. The rules are clearly stated, we still have to make it to the tenth realm.”
“Rules?” She hadn’t heard it put that way.
“The book everyone talks about. It states what has been explained to most. It talks about the ten realms, magic, the beasts and small details of that stone with a simple caption attached, ‘Fire from the Sky’. It’s mentioned to be uncontrollable, yet the strongest, but that’s too vague a description to put my hope in.”
“You think they’re giving people false hope? That’s cruel.”
“Cruel, yes, but without it, many would have given up. Whoever put us here didn’t want that. They left too many supplies and hints for us to stay put. They want us to find a way out.”
“But why, what’s the point?”
“Hard to say.”
“If I find out we’re part of some crazy military experiment, I’m going to be really upset.”
He laughed. “You watch too many movies. There’s people from all over the world. Look at us. We lived across the globe.” That was true.
“What else then?”
“Could be a single person with an elaborate plan to entertain himself.”
“Or herself,” she added, “but entertainment just seems so…”
“Sadistic?” he offered.
