by B. T. Narro
“My son!” his father said, his face twisted as if he might cry.
Unused to seeing this emotional side from his father, Leo couldn’t help tear up as the two threw their arms around each other.
“Are you all right?” Darren asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m well, and very happy to see you.” He glanced over at KRenn and the Analyte next to him who Darren surely didn’t recognize.
“Teyro?” he asked, shocking Leo.
“DVend!” Teyro said. “Yes, it’s me.”
“How did…?” Darren paused as he turned to Leo. “You went to Gesnia, and Teyro was there.”
“How did you know?”
Darren lifted his eyebrows. “It was actually Rygen who helped us figure out what you were doing.”
“Is she all right?” Leo asked.
“Yes, and she’s very much looking forward to seeing you.”
Leo glanced around, secretly hoping to find her here.
Apparently, he wasn’t too discreet. “She’s in the capital with Erisena,” his father said. “Though I don’t know what she’s doing. Lane and I have stayed here while Erisena has been in discussions with the kings. Messengers relay information to us, but I haven’t heard anything about Rygen.”
“But are you absolutely sure she’s all right?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Nothing could’ve happened to her. She wasn’t here during the attack.” Darren gestured at the palace. Leo was surprised he hadn’t noticed men working on repairs. One part of the roof looked black, as if it had been set aflame. Much of the grass around Leo had been burned away as well.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You have to tell me what happened to you first,” his father said. “And where is Andar exactly? I assume he’s all right or you would’ve said something by now.”
“Yes, I think he’s fine, but I still plan to bring him back as soon as he lets me.”
“What do you mean as soon as he lets you?”
Leo noticed KRenn and Teyro speaking with a woman Leo deemed to be Lane, given his father’s mention of her. All three of them appeared worried as they shot looks to the east as if expecting guards to come for Teyro at any moment.
Leo started to worry, but then he realized his father would know what to do. He always did.
“I will tell you everything that happened since we left the capital with KRenn,” Leo said. “But then you have to tell me the same.”
“Deal.”
Word of their arrival was sent to the capital as Leo spoke with his father. By the time they finished catching up, Leo was aching for a bath and a set of clean clothing. Both were arranged for him in the palace.
He scrubbed himself clean as he thought about the things his father had told him. Leo had suspected there had been some sort of ambush in the capital, but to actually hear it in full detail brought on a fear that Leo couldn’t shake. Jarrel and Gavval had far more troops than the rest of them combined. KRenn and Teyro might even the battlefield, but only if they were in full health.
What made matters worse was that Darren had warned of a mage Leo had heard whispers about, Owen Harell. This was a mage who knew the same technique as KRenn and Teyro of not only holding a complicated link but using it to transfer power from one thing to another. It was something Leo had hoped to learn from KRenn or Teyro, but he hadn’t felt right asking them to exert themselves any more than was necessary.
Darren had told Leo to stay away from Owen if there was a battle. Normally, Leo would disagree and want to fight, but he understood that he and his brother might be needed to destroy Jaktius Perl.
Or if everything failed, Leo would have to get the survivors out of Aathon.
Leo finished his bath and dressed in clothing that was not his. He didn’t know who they belonged to, but the shirt and pants fit fine. He was clean and couldn’t be more excited. Now he would find Rygen.
He opened the door and gasped when he saw her standing in the hall as if waiting for him. He was so shocked that three questions came out at once.
“Rygen, how did you know I was…have you been here lo…were you waiting for me here?”
She laughed. Gods, her smile was beautiful. He became lost in her eyes as they exuded joy.
“I have been waiting to see you for a long time.”
He tossed his arms around her and pulled her in, dreading that she might not reciprocate the embrace but unable to contain himself any longer. Her arms clutched his back, fisting his shirt. He felt as if he might burst. Not only was Rygen here safe, but he could feel in her tight embrace just how happy she was to see him as well.
Leo’s closest friend had finally come back. He would never separate from her again.
He tried to think of something that would poetically express how his heart seemed ready to leap out of his throat…how his chest burned almost painfully from passion…and how it felt so right to hold her close.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” was all he managed to say. Then he cursed himself inwardly.
“Me too,” she said.
They held onto each other for a while longer before Rygen finally pulled away. “I spoke with Andar earlier today.”
“Gods, I think I spoke with him as well.”
“You did?” she asked excitedly. “What did he tell you?”
“I don’t know if it was a clear message. It felt instead like everything he’d experienced since I had to…wait, do you know what happened to him?”
“I’m dying to find out!” she cried.
They laughed together.
“We have so much to catch up on,” Leo said.
“And we have the time to do so. Andar said to wait.”
“Yes he did! Now you have to tell me how you heard that from him?”
“I wish I could explain it. I was in the capital, training—by the way, I’ve been training a lot.” She put her hand on his arm. “I’m sure you’ll be very impressed with my incredible archer skills,” she said sarcastically. “I didn’t start training just because I want to use a bow, by the way. There’s this creature I’ve been trying to convince that I’m strong. You see, rift creatures need to respect their masters before coming over, but I…am not on topic anymore. Gods, Leo, it is just so good to see you!”
She hopped up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Whatever reply he was about to give her was lost in a confusing mess of emotions. His heart yearned for him to do something so she would kiss him again. What could he do? What could he say?
He felt his cheeks go hot as he noticed Rygen blushing and looking down.
The moment slipped away.
What were they speaking about? Leo could think of nothing but her lips.
“So, uh, what were you…?” Then Leo remembered that the last thing she’d said was that it was so good to see him. He wanted to slap himself in the forehead. He had not replied to that. Was it too late now? It seemed too late.
“I’m sorry about that,” she said to the ground, then gazed up at him nervously. “I was saying…nothing important for right now. What I was trying to get to was that Erisena recently came to me with a rift stone I had never seen before…not that I’ve seen many rift stones…or any rift stones for that matter.” She laughed nervously, then looked up from the ground again as if to check on Leo’s expression.
She was so darn cute he couldn’t think about anything but kissing her.
Gods, was she waiting for him to reply?
“Uh, I, yeah I haven’t, either. Well actually, that’s not true. I saw a few rift stones here in the palace when KRenn demanded every gem be brought here. There were quite a lot actually.”
“Ah.”
Leo wanted to die in the awkward silence that followed.
“Anyway,” Rygen said, “Erisena brought this stone to me that was blue and shiny.” She paused. “That’s not a very good description of it.”
“That’s okay,” Leo said.
“Right,
so she brought this stone to me and said she thinks she’s hearing Andar…by using it.”
“What?” Leo asked, not understanding what she meant.
“That’s what I said! What? Erisena explained that she felt the presence of another person, but in the gem. She had experienced something like this before but only when reaching creatures in the other realm. In communicating with this person, she was able to gather certain thoughts and feelings and reply similarly. Apparently, she figured out this was Andar and that he was in a rift of some kind.”
“But not in Jaktius Perl?”
“No. There must be another rift whenever he is, and he entered it. There is probably no kasigerr there. He could still be in the rift right now. Oh, I should’ve brought the stone with me! I gave it back to Erisena in case Andar tried to tell us something else. She was better at understanding him.”
“What else did he say?”
“That he and Siki were safe and he needed more time. I told him I was worried about you. At least I tried to tell him that. I think all he understood was that you might be in trouble. You’re all right, though?”
“I’m fine. What about you? My father told me how you were leaving Jatn when the barbarians attacked.”
He was surprised when she didn’t reply with the same vigor, pausing to look away from Leo.
“I wanted to go back for your aunt, but I wouldn’t have been able to make it in time. I sent Jin because he’s much faster than me, but even he couldn’t get to her.”
Leo could see the pain she was in, but he had to know something. “Why didn’t she leave with you before the barbarians arrived?”
Rygen let out a breath. “We argued. We’ve never fought like that before, but she was adamant that both of us would be nothing but a burden here. I was insulted.”
“She was wrong to say that.”
“I think she was scared. Actually, I think she’s always been scared. She lived through some dark times after she and your father escaped from prison. She doesn’t do well in poverty. She’d made a life for herself in Jatn, and she didn’t want to leave it. I shouldn’t have yelled at her. She told me things that turned out to be true.”
“Like what?” Leo asked, but Rygen looked as if she’d just revealed a secret she hadn’t meant to.
When she didn’t answer, Leo said, “It’s me, Rygen. You can tell me anything.”
She was hesitant to reply. In the look she gave him, it seemed that she did trust him, but Rygen still didn’t speak.
Perhaps if Leo went first. “I’m not sure what happened to you,” he said. “Some things happened to me too. I had to do things I didn’t want to in order to protect myself, and I would rather not speak about them. Even thinking about them makes me feel sick. But I remind myself that this is a difficult time and I’m still alive. As long as I keep doing what I need to protect myself and the others I care about, then I know I can live with what I’ve done.”
Leo saw something in her eyes, then. Behind her face of innocence was anger. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of what she’d done. It was that she despised whoever made her do it. Leo realized then that he felt the same way toward Aaron, the leader of the cavaliers who’d tried to murder him and KRenn just for wanting to destroy the rift.
Rygen’s look reminded Leo that there were other men out there even worse than Aaron. Jarrel’s actions made Leo furious, and Jarrel was still alive. Leo was certain he would see the commander again. But after he watched Rygen let go of her anger with a few slow breaths, her affectionate gaze dissolved Leo’s fury. She was one of the many people he wanted to fight for. Yes, he had anger, but there was so much good left in the world as well.
“I’ve killed people, Leo.” Rygen spoke the words in a whisper, as if they were dangerous for anyone else to hear. “Bad people, but people nonetheless.”
Leo tried to imagine her doing it. He thought of her wrapping her small hands around someone’s neck. Rygen was strong, but not so much physically. She must’ve used a weapon. What had driven her to do this? His thoughts went wild with possibilities. What weapon did she use? Probably a dagger. But it was hard to imagine her going into a shop and spending her hard-earned coin—wait, it was my coin she spent. Did that make Leo partially responsible? Who were these people? Did he know any of them? “People,” she’d said. She’d killed more than one!
Gods, how can I judge her so harshly when I’ve killed as well? These people must have endangered Rygen. His heart fell as he thought of the worst scenario. Had they tried to force themselves on her?
“Leo?” she asked with a tremble.
Wait, no! Gods how could he forget? There were people out there who Rygen had already marked as vile before Leo had left. Celia, the summoner who had killed Rygen’s mother. Then there was that man who had grabbed her when she was a child. The way he’d looked at her in his drunken state had made Leo want to strangle the man himself. The man had drawn his sword on Leo’s brother, ready to kill Andar just for trying to stop him from doing something to Rygen. Leo did not remember his name, but he had a feeling that there was no need to remember it anymore.
“Was it Celia?” Leo asked.
Rygen nodded.
“And that man who came in and grabbed you before we met the good commander. He’s dead as well?”
Rygen nodded again. “I caught him trying to do something…to a young girl like I was.”
She didn’t go on.
“Is this something you want to talk about?” he asked, his voice gentle.
“I’m not sure,” she said with obvious fear. “I’ve never told anyone.”
Leo didn’t know why she was terrified. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and keep her safe, but perhaps this was one of those things that he could not fix. It was the same way that he was scared to bring up Aaron. Rygen’s touch might make him forget, but this was not about forgetting. What was it about?
Then Leo realized that it was simple.
“Rygen, they are bad people who would hurt and kill others if you did not stop them. The men I killed are the same. We are not like them. I’ve been scared to think about what I did, but why should I be? Why should either of us be scared? If you could go back, would you do it again? I know I would. It’s not that I wanted to, but there was no other way.”
She stood upright and looked straight into his eyes. “You’re right. I would do it again. I think I’m just…so angry that there are people out there who make us do this, and it seems like there will always be more of them.”
“I know the feeling. But there are more of the opposite people. We have friends like Erisena and Lane looking out for us, and we have family like my father and brother who will make sure we are safe. I want to do the same for them, and for you. Whatever happens next, we will get through it together now.”
“I believe you, but it just feels like there’s too much to take on.”
“We just have to do one thing at a time. Right now, I just need to speak with my brother.”
Rygen grinned. “You’re right. That’s easy.” She looked down at his hand as if she might reach for it. “I’ll take you.”
He hoped she would touch him, so eager was he to feel closer to her. He swallowed nervously and offered his hand. She slid hers across his palm and wrapped her fingers around his knuckles. A smile broke out on his lips as the warmth from her touch ran up his arm. She smiled back at him, until they heard shouting from outside.
Gripping each other’s hands tightly, they ran to the nearest window for a look down at the camp. The shouting came from a group of Analytes. Leo recognized his father watching from the outskirts of the group. He had his hands up as if ready to say something, but, like Leo, he probably didn’t know the language.
“What’s happening?” Rygen asked.
The window was large enough for them both to see, but they nestled against each other as if there was not enough space.
“Oh gods,” Leo grumbled as he realized what this was about, recognizing Teyro as the tann
ed Analyte screaming in the king’s face. “He’s going to get himself killed!”
“Who is that?”
“I’ll try to explain on the way. We have to hurry.”
Leo sprinted, nearly dragging Rygen behind him, for she wasn’t as fast. He told her all about Teyro ignoring Dasfis’ order to betray Leo’s grandfather during battle, and how he’d fled to Gesnia afterward.
Fortunately, Teyro’s head was still attached by the time Leo made it outside and started down the hill.
Rygen dropped his hand. “You go! You’re much faster.”
Leo sprinted down the hill, his legs barely moving fast enough to keep up with his momentum. He didn’t see KRenn. The mage was probably resting after their long journey, which meant Leo had even more responsibility to stop Teyro from inciting the king.
Darren had pushed Teyro back by the time Leo arrived. “I don’t care what you’re saying,” Darren was telling the fuming mage. “You help no one by screaming like that.”
“You should understand. Your family lost the battle because of him.” Teyro pointed at Dasfis.
The Analyte king started to reply, but Darren spoke up. “May I please interrupt, sire?”
“Yes.”
Leo was a little surprised at how much the king seemed to trust his father.
“All of us have made mistakes,” Darren told Teyro. “This is not the place to correct them.”
Teyro glared at Darren as if wanting to strike him.
Darren told him, “If we don’t work together, all of us, Jarrel is going to win. Do you know what that means? Do you understand what kind of disaster we’re looking at if we can’t defeat him?”
Teyro’s face slowly untwisted.
“I lost myself for the moment. It won’t happen again.”
“Tell that to your king.” Darren stepped aside.
Teyro drew a breath. “I apologize for my behavior, sire. I…” His legs wobbled as he reached out, trying to regain his balance.
“What’s wrong?” Darren asked him.
“Nothing is wrong,” Teyro said, but then his face fell as he noticed Leo close by. “Nothing,” he told Leo, then turned his attention back to Dasfis. He spoke in Analyse and lowered his head.
