All the King's Traitors

by Keylin Rivers

  “Ion, just calm—”

  “I'm not going to calm down! You were there! Why should I be calm?” Ion sprang back up, breaking away from his mother's outstretched hand. “How long will Pa be gone? How soon will we get Kuba back?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied, dropping her head and shaking it slowly.

  “So Pa watches quietly as I get beat and now he’s gone and you can't even tell me why?” Ion shook with passion and rage.

  “No,” his mother said, looking straight up at her son with a fierce determination. “I can't. You’d never be safe again.”

  “Argh!” Ion shouted in a fit of anger and slammed his fist into the wall, his knuckles chipping the wood. He limped out of the bedroom and quickly came back with one of his hunting sacks, slamming the door behind him.

  “What are you doing?” Evie questioned as he shoved blankets and his father’s spare clothes into his sack. He did not answer.

  Ion stormed out into main room. The creaking of his mother’s steps on the rotting wood floors sounded behind him.

  “Ion, where are you going?” said his mother. Ion could already hear the tears in his voice and couldn’t bring himself to look back at her.

  He opened the front door and stepped out into the pink glow of the evening.

  “I’m going to fix this.”

  Kuba was relieved that they hadn’t left the mountain village yet. They had set up camp in a clearing in the shadows of the mountain, and the recruits had all been shoved into various tents. Kuba’s tent was on the very edge of the camp. He shared it with other recruits, all of whom were going to the army. The tent was black and barely let in any of the dusk light, but the dark colour warmed up comfortably, which Kuba was thankful for.

  He sat on the small cot they had given him to sleep on. It wasn’t anything like his fur bed at home, but it was comfortable. He sighed and turned to lie down on the cot. It had been an exhausting day, but it was much too early to be going to sleep. The red uniform he’d been given was on his pillow, and the sight of it brought back his sense of dread.

  Flashbacks of his brother’s limp body being lugged away by his Uncle Malek consumed his thoughts. He remembered the blood that Ion was coughing up. But the blood and the coughs were good, it meant he was alive. Would he ever see Ion again? Reflecting on the day caused the air to catch in Kuba’s throat. How did today go so wrong?

  A faint noise in the distance caught Kuba’s ear. The turkey mating season was nearly over, and it wasn’t odd to hear them in the lower forests. But this particular call sounded familiar. A soft purring, a sound that indicated that the turkeys were content. Hunters often used it to draw other birds in, to reassure them. To the untrained ear, the purr probably sounded fine, it did have a nice roll to it after all. But Kuba had been raised to be a hunter, and he knew the difference between the real thing and Ion’s horrid attempt to mimic a proper call.

  Kuba rose from his cot and listened intently to the noise. He swallowed the lump in his throat. His brother must have a death wish to be causing trouble again. The purrs continued at a steady pace.

  He walked cautiously across the tent and peeked his head outside. Most of his fellow recruits were sharing a stew by the fire, but he had opted out, certain anything that he ate would end up back on the forest floor.

  He nodded at the group as he stepped out of the tent, the significantly cooler air sent a chill up his spine. Most didn’t pay much mind. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked around for the source of the noise. His eyes met those of a soldier patrolling the camp, but he was not on guard—they were not prisoners, after all.

  It would be foolish to leave, to betray the God-King’s wishes. But Kuba wanted nothing more. He couldn’t breathe in this place.

  The noise echoed from the southern part of the field. Kuba was a little surprised that no one else was distracted by this odd-sounding turkey, but he supposed it really was all the same to an untrained ear.

  He crept to the edge of the forest, constantly looking over his shoulder. Everyone seemed to still be enjoying dinner.

  “Kuba,” a whispered hiss came from behind one of the tall pine trees.

  “Ion?” Kuba narrowed his eyes, trying to spot his brother amongst the trees.

  Ion whispered-yelled, “Here!”

  Kuba followed the voice, scanning the edge of the forest until he caught sight of an arm waving him down. He ran over to his brother, who was tucked in behind a tree on the forest’s edge and wrapped him in a huge embrace. “What are you doing here?”

  “Gently there.” Ion winced, carefully peeling Kuba off him.

  “Sorry,” Kuba tittered and rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” Ion coughed, his whole body shaking. The sight of his brother’s swollen eye made him flinch and instinctively rub his own. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  Kuba’s face lit up for a moment, and then went sombre. “We can’t just leave.”

  “We can and we will,” Ion said, grabbing Kuba’s wrist.

  Kuba stepped closer to his older brother. “They’ll find us and hurt us, like they did to you. And that’s if we are lucky.”

  “They don’t know these woods like we do. Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

  Ion took the lead, and Kuba jogged behind. They ran in silence through the trees, every so often Ion checking behind to see if Kuba was keeping up. Even though Ion was injured, Kuba was small and had trouble matching his long strides. The forest was getting darker as the sun set behind the thick canopy of trees. Ion hadn’t realized it was already so late, but he was thankful for the cover the darkness provided. If anyone noticed they were gone, they would have a tough time finding them in this light.

  Ion was leading them towards their favourite hunting spot: a solitary cave at the base of Mount Zar. Ion had never run into another person there. It would be perfect for now.

  It wasn't long before Ion broke out onto the pebbly shore of the nearby creek. He caught a glimpse of the darkening sky and stopped dead in his tracks. He felt Kuba slam into his back and heard him fall to the ground.

  “Ouch. Ion, what the—?”

  Ion heard his little brother, but he was already moving closer to the creek for a better view.

  In just a half hour, the clear, red sky had been flooded with the darkest clouds Ion had ever seen. He could see lightning flash, jumping from cloud to cloud, just waiting to strike the earth. He couldn't help but gape for a moment; this would be a terrible storm.

  The first loud roar of thunder clattered through the air, and Ion had to clamp his hands over his ears. Seconds later, a thick beam of lightning came hurling down towards a tree in the forest in front of them. It split the mammoth evergreen clean in two as thunder cracked loudly overhead again.

  “Ion…” Kuba whispered, horrified.

  Ion stared at the tree, its two halves collapsing into its neighbours as it began to slowly rise up in flames. The fire cackled and caught the dry pines of a dead tree, consuming it in an instant. He grabbed the collar of his brother's shirt. “Kuba, get up!”

  Kuba was frozen on the ground, petrified.

  “Kuba, get up!” Ion shouted, launching his brother onto his feet. His bruised muscles ached with the effort. He put his hands on Kuba's shaking shoulders. He needed to think fast. Where could they go?

  The cave with its clearing was their only option. It was still quite far, but they had to try.

  “Remember our hunting spot? We’ve got to get there now!” Ion watched his brother's eyes finally veer from the storm and lock with his. He pushed the little guy ahead of him. “Run! Let's go!”

  Kuba didn't even nod, he just turned and darted. Ion was immediately on his tail. The two brothers sprinted through the forest, sloppily dodging trees and stumbling on roots, the sounds of thunder trailing them and the flashes of lightning brightening their way. Ion kept looking over his shoulder, but no matter how fast they seemed to run, the fire kept getting bigger and closer. If
they could make it to the clearing in front of the cave, the fire wouldn't be able reach them. They would be safe.

  A giant bolt of lightning crashed about forty feet to their right. Ion quickly looked to his left, searching for Kuba. His younger brother was running just behind, following him. They’d be at the cave in a few minutes if they kept the pace up.

  “C’mon, Kuba!” Ion shouted at his brother, who seemed to be slipping behind. He looked ahead and could see the clearing. “Almost there!”

  Ion sprinted into the small, rocky space and whipped around to spot his brother. Just as Kuba came sprinting out into the empty clearing, a roar of thunder rocked the entire forest, and a stroke of brilliant gold came crashing down on him.

  It was not normal lightning.

  The beam of gold crackled as it hit the ground and bounced in all directions. The force launched Ion into the side of the mountain. He hit it with an audible thud and fell limply to the ground. He barely remained conscious as he warily lifted himself onto his hands and knees, searching for his younger brother amongst the scattered rubble. Branches and rocks littered the ground, and the air was thick with smoke. Through the debris, he spotted Kuba's mess of hair right where he had been struck down. His throat constricted at the sight of his brother lying motionless on the rocky ground. Ion’s body seared with pain as he used the rock face to pull himself up from his hands and knees, his eyes never leaving his brother. He had to get to him.

  Kuba let out a cough, and Ion's heart jolted with relief. And then, Kuba moved. Ion erupted in tears, watching happily as the young boy pushed himself up onto his knees. He yelled out, but the sound of the receding thunder drowned out his voice.

  Suddenly, Ion realized something was wrong with his brother. Kuba was frantically searching the ground, hands sweeping over the rocky surface. Ion pushed himself off the mountainside to step towards his brother, but he was too weak. He took a few uncoordinated steps forward, then painfully crashed to the ground.

  He tilted his head up from the dirt, looked through the smoke, and focused on his brother’s face. Something was very wrong. Kuba’s face looked… blank. Ion followed Kuba’s gaze and that’s when he noticed the shining, golden rock glowing right in front of his brother. Kuba was scrambling for it, what had fallen from the sky, what had almost killed them. And his brother seemed mesmerized by it—no not mesmerized, possessed.

  His brother reached out for the glowing rock. This was all wrong.

  “Kuba!” Ion tried to yell, though his chest was so tight hardly any air came out. “Don’t touch it!”

  But Kuba was in a trance-like state, and Ion watched as his little brother’s hand closed around the glowing stone.

  Then lightning erupted from the ground and everything went white.

  Chapter 5

  Reinbeck Forest, near the Village of Zar, 1st Day of the Month of Warmth, 1114 A.F.F.

  “Kid?” Kuba heard an unfamiliar voice float through the darkness.

  “Hey, kid.”

  His eyes rolled back into his head as he dizzily rocked it back and forth.

  “Here, let me try.” A familiar voice. “Kuba, wake up!”

  “Huh?” Kuba moaned. His brother was shaking him. Everything seemed to hurt. Why did everything hurt?

  “That's it,” the strange voice stated impatiently. Suddenly, there was a burning pain on his cheek as a hand made harsh contact with it.

  “Wake up, kid!”

  Kuba jolted upward, the slap pulling him from his half-conscious state. He looked at his torn clothes and bruised body. He was relieved to see he was all there. There was something else, though. He felt strange. He noticed a golden stone glowing in his hand.

  The strange feeling was emanating from the rock.

  He was holding the stone so tightly that a thin line of blood was trickling down the side of his palm, but he felt no pain. He dropped it.

  “What happened?” he asked. He could feel his voice crack as if he had been asleep for a long time.

  He turned to see his brother, who was kneeling beside him. Then he saw a tall girl with long blond hair that had been tossed into a side braid. Her pale olive skin seemed washed out, as if it rarely saw the sun. Kuba pointed awkwardly at the stranger, still feeling disoriented from the blast. “Who—?”

  “No time for that now. They'll figure out you’re missing soon,” she said as she pulled him to his feet. “Can you walk?”

  “What?” Kuba asked. He tried to keep his balance as he looked from the girl to his brother. He shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts.

  “Can you walk?” she asked again, her green eyes piercing into his. “Can you?”

  “Can you let him breathe for a second?” Ion said, pushing himself in front of the stranger.

  Kuba looked from the strange young woman back to his older brother. He quickly looked away, unable to look at the marks of the beating Ion took for him.

  “Y’okay?” Ion asked quietly.

  Kuba could feel his brother looking him up and down; his chest tightened. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Good,” Ion said, looking him over one last time. Kuba’s head hurt, and he could feel panic creeping up his chest, but he wanted to be strong for his brother.

  “We’re going to have to get going,” Ion continued. “They’ll be after us.”

  Kuba nodded.

  “Look, I don’t know what kind of trouble you two are in,” said the stranger, “but whatever it is just got infinitely worse.”

  “Why?” Kuba asked.

  “Because of this,” she said as she bent down and grabbed the golden stone, shoving it back into his hand. “Don't let it out of your sight. Now, let’s go.”

  “Hold up,” Ion interjected. His brother, clearly in pain, hobbled over to the girl. “Go where? The only place we’re going is home. I appreciate you saving us from the fire and all—”

  “You can't go home,” she said matter-of-factly. “The Village of Zar will be under surveillance, if you are lucky. If they think that there is any chance the kid is back there, they'll burn it to the ground.”

  “Me?” Kuba croaked, horrified. “Why would they burn it because of me?”

  “Because of that,” she spat, pointing at the stone and pursing her lips. Kuba looked at the stone in his hand then back at the girl, confused. Then he looked to his brother who seemed just as confused as he was.

  The girl crouched down close to Kuba. “Do you really not know what that is?” she asked quietly. She looked from Kuba to Ion, both of whom were giving her blank stares. Kuba watched as the she slowly unwrapped the grey scarf that was draped around her neck. Underneath the layers of fabric hung a necklace with a brilliant, glowing red stone hanging from it—a stone just like his.

  “You're a Wielder, kid.”

  Kuba looked from her stone to his own and swallowed hard. They had learnt about the Wielders in his lessons. They were blessed with the power of the Godstones. Powerful rocks that fell from the sky at the God-King Apollyon’s word, granting their recipient the ability to control an element and to live forever.

  Kuba looked over to his brother, whose reaction was just as startled as his own. The God-King was a Wielder himself, after all.

  “I … I … ” Ion's icy eyes were wide, darting from one stone to the other. He looked as if he wasn't breathing, as if he might explode. His fists were clenched, and Kuba knew that meant his mind was racing. “Prove it,” he said finally, seeming to regain his composure.

  “Excuse me?” the girl answered, nonplussed.

  “Prove it. Kuba can’t be a Wielder. King Apollyon is the only one who can grant those powers,” Ion said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

  The girl stared at him for a moment. “Fine,” she replied as she wrapped her scarf back around her neck. “You boys may want to back up.”

  She calmly brought her hands in front of her stomach and her eyes fluttered shut. There was calm in the forest for a moment. Kuba was confused at first, but when she re-
opened her eyes, they were glazed over and white. It was otherworldly. Her hands began moving, dancing in a circle and then slowly, out of nothing at all, a fireball began to form between her hands. Kuba watched in awe as the ball of fire levitated in front of her, flickering red and orange. The crackle of the flame sounded like a perfect addition to the noises of the forest. It was peaceful, hypnotizing. Kuba smiled.

  Then she slammed her hands together, extinguishing the massive flame, and the white drained from her eyes.

  “I am Aurelia of Burrath,” she said powerfully through laboured breaths, “and I am a Fire-Wielder.”

  “A Wielder?” Ion mumbled nonsensically. “But if you … he can't be. That would mean … no, he can't be!”

  Aurelia ignored him and looked at Kuba. “And I’m sure the army knows by now that a Godstone has fallen. Powerful Wielders can feel the new energy, and Apollyon has many powerful Wielder at his disposal. They will try to find you, and then one of two things will happen. You will be conscripted into the army and work your way up from the First to the Eleventh faction. Or you’ll be killed, and your Godstone will be stolen.” She stood ridged, her eyes drilling into him. Then she relaxed and leaned back onto the rock face. “The way I see it, you have two choices. Go back home and surrender to Apollyon; you might be taken into the army, but more likely you’ll be executed. Or, run with me and hopefully not die. Your pick.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Ion protested.

  “It’s what happened to me,” Aurelia stated stoically, still looking at Kuba.

  “I don't want to be part of the army!” Kuba shouted desperately, fully believing what Aurelia was telling him. “Please, Ion. They took my parents! They’re horrible—I can't! We have to go with her.”

  Ion looked solemnly at the ground. “If he doesn't go back, they'll take my mother, won't they?” he asked softly.

  Aurelia turned towards Ion. “They will, but they may keep her alive to try to find the kid,” she said. “But if you go back, they will kill both you and your mother. Look, it’s up to you two, but if you’re coming, you better hurry up because we’ve got to go.”