by Milo Woods
Keith moved into the grasslands but stopped after only a few feet. “We should camp here,” he said, silhouetted against the sunset.
It’s about time, Seeko thought, both about resting and Keith speaking. He’s remained quiet since we left the portal. But the silence continued, as Keith remained so while they unpacked.
Seeko sat down in the little flat area that Keith had picked out for camp. Mori joined Seeko but Bianca looked off past the group.
“I have to make sure that this route is clear,” Bianca said.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Mori asked.
“People aren’t ignorant of how stolen goods travel,” she said, smiling. “I just have to make sure we don’t get attacked for no reason.” She gave a shrug and jogged away.
“Sounds like they have a good reason to attack us,” Mori said.
Keith closed his eyes and sighed in relief. “She’s gone.”
Seeko laughed at this and asked, “How do you even know her? You have to have a reason for hating her.”
“I do,” Keith responded. “We all grew up in Irris … her, my brother, and me. We were poor, so we did what we had to do to survive.” He stared into the sky. “Then Hannet showed up and she turned my life around. Neither my brother nor Bianca liked her because she was Irenic and we were Halcyon. Unfortunately, her family treated her like trash, true to their blue-and-white colors.”
“So why do you hate Bianca?” Mori asked.
“She ruined everything I did with Hannet. Always intervened.” Seeko nodded, but then Keith spoke again. “Bianca fought with Hannet and her family threatened to put us in jail.” Keith let out a fake laugh before sorrow filled his eyes again. “That didn’t stop us, though; we still played together. At least until the Irenic attacked the town. I believed that I should defend the town. It was my duty. I joined the Halcyon army in battle. Greg joined too.”
“So you were always great with a sword?” Seeko asked.
Keith took a deep breath. “No. I would duel Greg every now and then, but only he was any good. I fought, but hardly made any difference; I was so young that they ignored me. Even though I fought against her country, Hannet foolishly followed me into the battle. And then she almost got us both killed.” Keith stopped talking, still reflecting on his past.
Keith shifted his gaze over at Seeko and Mori, who were both giving him their full attention. “I guess I better finish,” he said. “One of the soldiers decided to attack the two young kids on the battlefield. I couldn’t block his giant blade, but Hannet used almost her whole spark to create a rock wall to block his incoming attack. It caught his blade in the wall and encased both his sword and arm up to his shoulder in solid rock.”
“Wait, what? Seriously?” Seeko said.
Keith stared at the ground. “She almost died from that. When she finally opened her eyes, they were silver. Maybe the strain from the attack morphed her spark. Or maybe it was because that man ended up dying in that wall. Either way, that was the last time I saw her. Her family moved away, since it was likely the Halcyon would try to take Irris back. But I know it’s because I almost got her killed that they moved away.”
“It sounds like Hannet really liked you,” Mori said after Keith paused.
Keith looked up at the now dark sky. “Yeah.” Darkness hid his face and he remained silent for the rest of the night.
/ / / / /
Seeko rose early the next day and found both Bianca and Keith awake. Mori sat up next to him, rubbing her eyes.
“We should easily make it to the road to Rhemos by midday,” Bianca said.
“Too dangerous,” Keith said. “Someone will recognize a thief.” He stared hard at Bianca.
“I’m not stupid enough to get caught stealing,” she answered. “There’s a reason I was in charge of the most skilled bandits. Until you killed them.”
“Skilled? They deserved what they got.”
Bianca stomped the ground. “I miss the old Keith.”
“Good,” Keith said. “Go look for him.”
“I’m working on it,” Bianca whispered just loud enough for Seeko to hear.
Seeko packed his bags, ready to move again for the day. They waded through the yellow grass as it rolled and waved in the autumn wind. Within a couple of hours, they made it to the road, the dirt path hidden within the tall grass of the plains. Rhemos sat in the distance, visible across the flatlands.
Those hours passed and the gray town welcomed them. The buildings looked formed from the smoky clay beneath them. The town’s dull appearance was complemented by the dark colors all the residents wore. Although they wore blacks and gray, their attitudes were upbeat.
“I’m going to go get some supplies,” Mori said, breaking Seeko’s wandering mind.
Keith added to this, stating, “I have to go to a blacksmith. A fall like that probably weakened my blade.”
They both walked away, leaving Seeko with Bianca.
“I think that was just an excuse,” Bianca said.
“I don’t think he likes you, Bianca,” Seeko said.
Bianca waved her hand at him. “Really? Was it the fact that he ignores everything I say, or that he cringes at the very sight of me?”
Seeko was taken back at how straightforward she was. “Uh, if you know he hates you, why do you chase him?”
Bianca moved over and leaned against a building before speaking again. “Because we used to be good friends, before Hannet came and ruined everything. When we were young, we helped each other in order to get our next meal. Keith, Greg, and I always hung out together.”
Bianca moved over to a crate she had her eyes on and moved it to where she was standing. She then sat on it, making herself comfortable. “We had a thing for one another. Even though we were young, it was real. We often found ourselves sitting on rooftops, just us two.” She shook her head, anger entering her expression. “Then Hannet …” she hissed. “She came to Irris and ruined everything. That stupid Irenic took Keith away and ruined our perfect life.”
“What about Keith’s feelings for Hannet? Those couldn’t have been bad for him,” he asked.
Bianca spat at the very suggestion. “They were bad for him. He went from being a normal adventurous kid, to a pretend mature adult. He didn’t do anything unless he thought Hannet would like him more for it.”
“What about Greg?” Seeko asked. “He is still adventurous and reckless.”
“Eww. Greg is Keith’s brother. Keith is more my age, and he is cuter. But I guess I did join a rebellion with him. It’s weird how Greg somehow managed to bully everyone else into following him.”
Seeko looked confused, thinking back to what had happened in Caligula. “I thought Keith was part of the rebellion too. He knew exactly where to go and what to do.”
Bianca nodded. “Thank the gods Hannet’s parents moved away. But she never left Keith. She was in his head no matter what he did. He turned into a zombie, only doing what he thought would be right, while still following the rebellion.”
“I thought he stole from the Irenic Empire. That doesn’t seem right to me,” Seeko said, confused.
“All of Irris stole from Irenic. Irris was rightfully Halcyon anyway. I think the only reason Keith took the runs on Irris was to try to see Hannet again. I couldn’t follow him, though, because I had to do the harder, more thrilling routes, to make sure they were done right.”
“When did Keith have time to train in swordsmanship? It sounds like he was busy all the time.”
“You are way underestimating the Shadow of Dawn,” she said, kicking up loose dirt under her feet. “There are masters of all different types of skills that don’t believe in this war. That includes the swordsman that taught Keith and the magician that helped Greg.” She thought for a moment and smiled. “I like Keith’s decision of choosing swords over magic. Just the thought of him throwing around his big sword.”
“Uh … right,” Seeko said after a short pause.
Keith came around a corner and joi
ned up with the two. “Okay, let’s go. Mori is nearby.”
They both stared at Keith, then Bianca flashed a smile at Seeko and stood. “Right.”
Keith led them into a market, where wooden carts lined the street. Mori stood at one of them, buying some food for the trip.
She waved at the incoming friends. “Hey, I’m just finishing up,” she said.
Seeko hugged her. “Cool.”
Mori blushed at his awkward response and led them away from the stall. Bianca walked behind them and, from another cart, grabbed a fruit that might have been an apple.
“Hey!” yelled the stall owner. “Are you going to pay for that?”
Bianca shrugged and continued walking. A group of guards stepped in front of Mori and Seeko, blocking the way. “Give back the stolen goods now or be punished in full,” one of the fully armed guards declared.
“Bianca, what did you do?” Mori asked.
More guards circled the group as they waited for the response. “Nothing,” she answered as she bit into the fruit.
“You lost your chance,” the guard spoke again and grabbed Mori’s arm. “It’s jail for all of you.”
“We didn’t do anything,” Seeko said. “It was only her.” He pointed at Bianca.
“Nobody likes a rat, Seeko,” Bianca said, but before anyone could reply, she launched herself up onto a building using an earth pillar.
“Hey, get back here!” the guard yelled. Some of the guards took off, chasing her, while others stayed to keep Seeko and the others there.
“Bianca!” Keith yelled. He used the wind to help him jump up onto the building to chase her.
“Another one’s loose!” another guard yelled.
One of the soldiers grabbed Seeko’s arm. He sighed and looked at Mori. “I guess we better go with them.”
The guard tightened his grip on Seeko, but was not prepared for when both Seeko and Mori converted into their respective elements and disappeared. They both reappeared above the building, landing within the guards’ sight.
“There they are!”
The guards pointed up at Seeko and Mori, who both ran toward Keith’s distant figure. They jumped from rooftop to rooftop, clumsily landing every time.
“How are we supposed to catch up to them?” Seeko yelled as he landed.
“We’re almost to the edge of town,” Mori answered as she vaulted across a small gap.
They jumped a couple more times before hitting dirt on the outskirts of town. They ran as fast as they could, soon reaching both Bianca and Keith.
“You put us all in danger!” Keith yelled as they continued to dash away from the guards.
Bianca smiled. “Yeah, just like old times. Isn’t it so exciting?”
“I don’t want to go back to old times, Bianca. We barely made it from day to day.”
“I didn’t realize you were such a baby, Keith.”
“Quit being so selfish, Bianca,” Mori said. “You could have gotten us all put in jail or killed. We’re still running, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“Am I talking to the same group who single-handedly took out four demon portals and destroyed a large chunk of the Irenic army?”
“That was an accident,” Seeko mumbled.
“That’s not the point,” Mori added. “We aren’t looking for trouble. We’re just trying to do what we need to do without causing problems.”
“So helping the Irenic win the war isn’t causing problems for the rest of us?” Bianca asked.
“If you don’t like what we stand for,” Keith said, “you can just leave. In fact, it would be nice if you would leave anyway.”
“I believe removing demons is a good thing,” Bianca said. “I only disagree with you three helping the Irenic spread their poisonous reign throughout the continent. Besides, where would I go, Keith? You killed all of my closest friends.”
“That’s not my fault,” Keith said. “They attacked me, and so did you.”
“Hey!” she yelled. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have known to go to Caligula. I helped you get Hannet back.”
Keith stopped in his tracks, and a smile spread across Bianca’s face. He looked back to Rhemos but the guards had given up in their pursuit.
“So it was you who sent that bandit,” Keith said.
Bianca nodded, stopping with the rest of them and catching her breath. “Yep. One can play both sides to get what they want, and I would do anything to get what I want.”
“And what do you want?” Keith asked, already knowing the answer.
“You,” she said without hesitation.
Keith cringed at the thought.
“We used to get along so well. Why would you let one person change that?” Bianca asked.
“She wasn’t just another person to me,” Keith answered.
He continued walking ahead and the others followed.
“Yeah, she was a pest,” Bianca said.
/ / / / /
The next couple of hours were silent besides the crunching of their footsteps. The sun went down but Keith continued to walk. It was well past midnight before Keith finally stopped. A river ran nearby, following alongside the path.
Seeko dipped his feet in the clear water, sending ripples along the intricate mesh of fish, weeds, and rocks. The planet’s ring reflected off the waves and revealed a figure behind him. He turned and saw Mori.
“Hi,” Mori said, smiling. “How are you holding up?”
He shivered from the cold breeze following the river. “It’s the thing between Keith and Hannet. He really liked her, but of course she died following me.”
“It’s not your fault. Yoshino attacked us when he knew we couldn’t defend ourselves.”
He cast a stone into the river. “I … fear for you. He knows I care for you. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you,” he said. “Once we close this last portal, we’re done.”
“No, we still have Yoshino and this war to worry about. But … it was a nice thought.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I just feel like a weight is lifting as we get closer to this last portal.”
Mori drew closer and kissed him. “Don’t get so caught up in what’s ahead of you that you miss what’s right in front of you.”
Seeko smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her down, rolling on top of her. They both stared deeply into each other’s eyes, then he pressed his lips to hers.
Roses … he thought as he let himself be swept away by her.
32: Last
26 Seek, 112 AV: Day 215
Vornal Castle towered over the surrounding city, overpowering and imposing. Built out of solid black stone, many jagged towers reached high to scratch the blue above. A worn-down bridge crossed the Sulaina River and separated the walled city from the company.
“The final portal is over there, somewhere in that castle,” Mori said.
They followed Bianca across the bridge. “There’s a sally port in the side of the wall,” she said, finally revealing her thoughts on how to enter the city. “When I was young, I would use it to get into the castle.”
“Then why do we need you?” Keith said.
“They locked that door after they found me. So there just happens to be another way in.”
“And that is?” Keith asked.
“The sewers. They flow right into the Sulaina River.”
Mori balked at the sound of that. “I’m not walking through a sewer system.”
“Well, then, you can just stay outside. There’s no other way in.”
Mori sighed. “I guess I could use my magic to move the water out of the way.”
They followed the river for about a half-mile until they came to a small pipe where sickly green water flowed out below the wall.
“This is the pipe?” Mori asked. “It’s barely two feet tall!”
“My shoulders are two feet wide,” Keith said.
“I don’t want to hear your complaints,” Bianca responded. “It’s this way or no way.”
<
br /> Cursing the bandit, Mori took the lead, using her spark to move the sewage around her. Keith was next, using his spark to protect himself from the rest of it. Seeko followed behind him, trying not to get any sewage on him.
Bianca brought up the rear. “I’ve never fought a humanoid demon before. Is it hard?”
Seeko laughed. “No, they’re all chumps. Only masters of five elements. So easy.”
“What if I’m not ready?” Bianca said.
“Who’s ever ready to fight a demon?” Keith said with a laugh.
Bianca smiled when she heard Keith laugh. “Maybe the old Keith is in there, somewhere,” Seeko heard her whisper.
Soon they were out of the small pipe and into a larger maze of sewers. Narrow walkways followed the water canals through the labyrinth. They moved onto a walkway and dried themselves off. Then, following Bianca, they made their way through the gloomy sewers.
They eventually found their way into the castle basement. Bianca led the way to the throne room.
“Why are we going to the throne room?” Seeko asked.
“Because we can ask Lady Peria where the portal is,” Bianca said.
“She’s not going to tell us,” Keith said.
“She will if we threaten to kill her …”
After some sneaking and wandering, they stood at large double doors that led to the throne room. Keith and Bianca quickly dispatched the pike-wielding guards at the door, then Keith used his spark to blow the doors open. They rushed toward the dais, where a woman sat on a throne with a female servant nearby. Two guards stood on opposite sides of the dais.
“Lady Peria! We will protect you!” The guards moved in front of their lady, pikes at the ready.
Keith blasted one to the side with a gust of wind, and Bianca slammed the other into a far wall with a pillar of stone. Only Lady Peria and her young servant remained on the dais.
“I will have you arrested for that!” Lady Peria said. “Who dares barge into my castle?”
Seeko looked at Lady Peria and the servant. “Where is the demon portal?”
