< Something is&wrong. >
Kai swallowed hard. "I sense it, Raven."
The village of Teal held great joy in Kai's eyes. The world was changing. It was turning towards the magic of machines, drifting farther and farther away from her kind arts. Mankind was no more seeking the magic of the moment. The moment, instead, was being studied by man and then exploited for his own selfish betterment - no matter whom or what was damaged. Soon, Kai feared, her time and usefulness would be at an end.
Teal, however, seemed to be the only pocket of sanity left. Here, farmers prayed to nature, hoping for a better crop. Here, lovers used potions and charms to enhance the possibilities of happiness. Here, a hero could rise from nothingness, and not be burdened by politics or debts. Here, magic still reined.
The city held only one main street. Shops and stables lined the citadel, complimenting each side of the avenue with great care. Children played well in the many acres of grasslands and parks. A Town Barker could be seen on the Council Stump, a remnant of a gigantic rain tree, which had once towered above the city seasons ago. Now, it was used to express the will of kings and priests. This time, however, the Barker was just expressing the gratitude of the King, for his subjects had suffered hard in their last victory.
Kai drank this all in with great joy.
"Some things never change." she mused.
< Change is a constant in the universe. >
"It should not be, in some cases." Kai rebutted. She kicked Raven's sides, ordering the animal to quicken its pace.
Both turned off the path, away from Teal, toward her home.
The feeling loomed again. The fear. The...desperation!
Ka-Ron&?
Raven stopped. Something frightened the horse, and it started to rear back on its hind legs. For one of the few times, Kai could not understand what the animal was saying.
"To the Gods, Raven! What is it?"
A cold wind attacked the Wicca Master. Within its roar, the witch could hear the mental scream of her own blood. Kai's eyes turned toward her house. Her heart beat faster.
The home looked as ordered and as humble as it had when Kai left it long ago. Everything was as it should have been. The dust-tail broom was where she had placed it - next to her favorite motion chair. The drinking pond for the birdfish was still wet and inviting. The shingles on the roof, orange with mold, still needed to be repaired. All was comfortable. All gave signs of&home.
Still, Kai could not find the courage to get off her horse and enter.
The time had passed, and dusk was soon approaching. Kai dropped off her horse and headed for her home. Her heart was beating fast - she knew something was wrong.
Upon entering the house, the witch held her breath.
All appeared normal.
"Kym?"
She took off her coverings and entered the front meeting room. Her home had longed for her presence, and Kai felt that. She smiled. The house had missed her, and she was thankful for that, at least.
"Kym? It is your mother, child." Kai paused, looking toward the child's sleeping room. "Are you&up?"
There was a whiff of herb in the air. Kai picked up on that right away.
"No," Kai whispered.
Kai instinctively held her hands close to her hearts as she entered her child's room. Beyond the herb scent in the air, there was also the smell of a man. The Wicca Master controlled a proud smile - her daughter was growing up.
On the bed, in the middle of the room, lay Kym. Her eyes open, cold, and void of life. She was desperately staring off into some unknown void, glancing out her sleeping room door. Kym's right arm was stretched outward, hoping to embrace some unknown desire Kai could not
Kai dropped to her knees. Her legs no longer had the strength to hold her.
"I have been away too long." Kai cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.
There was a bright light that the witch saw out of the corner of her eye. Kai turned her attentions to the floor at her daughter's hand.
A parchment.
A note!
To the Gods! I have erred in my judgment&
My exit from this world is near. I can no longer hold on&
I can no longer walk in a world where the one I love does not share the same desire. So, in the tradition of the Wicca Women, I have moved on, seeking the love of the gods, since men are untrustworthy.
To my mother I&
The message ended.
In her desperation, Kai flipped the parchment over, hoping that there was more on the opposite side. There was nothing. Kym had passed before she could finish her thoughts.
Next to Kym's left hip, Kai noticed the overturned bottle of ink. In her daughter's hand was a quill.
From the road, leading up to Kai's home, the air started to fill with the enraged screams of a mother in mourning. Raven, and all animals that could, ran in fear from the site. Trees, healthy and strong, began to wither and die. A river nearby dried up, killing all the fish. Dark clouds began to build and brood.
"Ka-Ron!" Kai screamed.
CHAPTER FIVE
Before Kai left her home for the last time, she had a chance to read through her daughter's journals. This was not a breach of privacy, as it would have been perceived in other parts of the world. In fact, it was an ancient Idoshian tradition, held in the highest regard. Journals fall apart and turn to dust, but if those who had loved put the last thoughts of an Idoshian to memory, immortality was certain. The last thing Kai wanted for her daughter was oblivion.
The pain was under control.
It was the rage Kai had to battle.
Kym had loved Ka-Ron deeply. Kai had become well aware of that. She had known Ka-Ron since he was a child. Kym and Ka-Ron had been inseparable as children. Where one would start, the other would certainly conclude. There was a special bond there that Kai had spotted, and had enhanced by casting the most powerful "friendship" spell she could muster.
This was all her fault.
Truer still, it was Ka-Ron's, as well.
The lights had been extinguished for three turns of the moons. This was also an Idoshian tradition. For in order for Kym's essence to be escorted to Tarshish, it had to be dark. In the darkness, the King of the Fairies would come and guide her daughter to the next life. Kym had been wrapped in the same tweed cloth she had been born upon - the circle of life was complete. One could not have a mortal end, unless her beginning surrounded them.
"Good morrows on your journey," Kai said, her shaky hand barely touching Kym's feet. "Fondly think of me, and be there upon my journey. I will seek your guidance when it comes my turn, little lamb."
Kym's face was covered with a glimmering veil - the same Kai had used to bewitch her father. Kai's father had also been a knight - an Errant from Hispania. Noble and dark. The spell was a hard one, causing memory loss after the copulation.
All for naught.
"Ka-Ron will...pay." Kai vowed.
It did not take long for the fire to spread.
Kai left her home, using it as a chariot for her daughter's release from the mortal world. Heat blew upon her face, evaporating Kai's tears before they reached her cheeks. A clattering of wood soon caused the humble roof of her home to collapse.
< It is done? >
Kai turned to see Raven standing, head bowed, behind her. The witch was touched, noticing tear tracks in the horse's eyes. Raven had also lost a family member.
"It is done." Kai responded, turning to pat Raven on her nose.
The horse desperately moved closer, wanting to comfort her master.
"Her spirit has risen."
Raven tapped the ground with her right front hoof in approval.
"We are going to town."
< What is there to do? >
Kai stepped up on her saddle, righting herself. She paused, thinking for a long time before she spoke again.
"Revenge, I should think."
The fires of her home began to die. There was no sadness. Kai knew that she would not be returning. In her tr
avels, she started to ponder up an appropriate spell worthy of Ka-Ron's crime.
CHAPTER SIX
Jatel was known for being the finest squire in all of Idoshia. His family had come from an honorable house, which had fallen after a civil war in the nation of Illium. An ancestor of Jatel's had sought shelter in a barn, which had belonged to Ka-Ron's father's father. Seeing that Jatel's house had fallen, and that there was no hope of its rise again, Ka-Ron's patriarch accepted Jatel's blood into that of his own. As a matter of honor, Jatel's house swore complete allegiance.
He was a humble man, which was quite uncommon with most squires. There was no arrogance about who he was, his station in life, nor was there ignorance. Jatel knew his place, and never in his services did he cross that particular line. He had short, dirty-blonde hair, puffy cheeks, and was slightly overweight. Woman really never paid attention to him, for he was cursed with an awful case of commonality. He was far too pleasant a fellow for the ordinary barmaid to consider him sexually.
Still, there was no truer friend if you were a damsel in distress. He was attentive and always willing to help. The one factor of attraction in his favor was his eyes. The rare encounters he had with the fairer sex were because of his bright blue eyes. Blue eyes were practically unheard of! Get a woman drunk, sit her in front of Jatel, and she would gaze into his calm blue eyes until doomsday. It was his gift. It was also his curse.
He was busy polishing Ka-Ron's saddle. Although Echoheart was resting in the king's barn, Jatel knew that his master would require an honest attempt from his squire, to help maintain his professional "gleam."
The barn was particularly comfortable, for a barn. Huge in scope, it was the largest stable Jatel had ever encountered on his travels, and he had been halfway around the globe. Wherever Ka-Ron had traveled, in whatever war, Jatel was there at his side. He had often mused, would the women who called him "sweet" and "kind" be surprised that he intimately knew the horrors of war? Would they gasp in surprise to learn that his hands were just as bloodied as his master's?
It didn't matter.
He was still&alone.
Echoheart mumbled something, but Jatel could not understand what the beast was saying. He had tried to learn the language of the horses, but true to his Illium heritage, he was tone deaf. One needed tone if he were to understand the horse.
"I know! I know!" Jatel said, smiling at the horse. "Your master has been away far too long. He should be here soon. The suns are setting."
In truth, Echoheart was hungry, and had just wanted an apple.
The sounds of happy couples could be heard through the walls of the barn. Jatel's steady hand stopped his polishing. He turned his attentions in the direction of the joyful sounds. He closed his eyes, dreaming.
The women of Idoshia were indeed more alluring than those of his home fields could ever be. Their laughter was the breath of angels. Their touch was heaven's ecstasy.
"Sometimes I wonder why the gods allow me to live, Echoheart."
Echoheart grumbled in his frustrated isolation, glaring at a bucket, far from reach, full of apples.
"How I dream of the day when I become a noble knight, such as my master," Jatel mused, leaning against Echoheart. He started to brush the horse's back, momentarily making the horse forget his hunger. "On that day, I will stand with Ka-Ron as an equal, and we will win the day. Oh, for the gods, I hope for that day to be soon!"
The giggles of the passing maidens continued to haunt the squire. He was a lonely man. Lonely to the point of pain. Unlike Ka-Ron, who only had to grasp and a woman was at hand, Jatel's singularity had been years in the making. Jatel had reached an age where the appeal of being home, having a wife at his side and love in his bed was not a frightening one. However, Jatel had sacrificed a lot to be where he was. There were no regrets, but there was the cold reality of the lonely night.
"For the Gods, I need a woman's counsel," Jatel whispered.
There was a stirring in the barn.
The squire was not alone.
***
Kai had been watching Jatel, and studying. She felt sorrow for him, because she knew that his talking with Echoheart about his lonely situations, was an honest one. So honest, in fact, that she felt a hint of embarrassment. This was too private a matter to fall victim to eavesdropping.
Upon seeing Kai in the light, Jatel straightened himself, bowing respectfully. "I beg pardon, my lady. I did not see you enter."
"Please," Kai placed her hand out in friendship. "I mean you no discomfort. Continue with your duties."
"I am caring for my master's horse."
The kind openness of this simple man was enough to make Kai giggle. Never in disrespect - for this kind of man was a jewel of escape to any troubled female intelligent enough to treasure his sort. She searched the man for any sign of guilt - guilt connected with her daughter's death. There was none. This man was nowhere near Kym when she and Ka-Ron had coupled. His actions were like him - innocent.
"My lady?" Jatel inquired, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Sir?"
"Are you troubled?"
Kai cleared her throat. "Where is your master?"
Jatel pointed in the direction of the town coliseum. His chest swelled with pride.
"My master entertains our king." Jatel paused, turning to the attractive woman with concern. "My lady is Idoshian, is she not?"
"She is."
"I thought as much."
"Really?" Kai asked. Her brow arched with curiosity. "How did you know?"
Jatel's stare shifted down to his shoes. He was clearly embarrassed.
"Come now," Kai said. "It cannot be all that bad."
"It is not."
Kai moved in closer. Echoheart started to stir in his stable. The Wicca Master gave the horse a hard stare. Could the beast be sensing her true intentions?
"Then, tell me, how did you know of my origins?"
"From your beauty, my lady."
A flush invaded Kai's features. Anger momentarily left the field of battle, to be replaced with genuine female amazement.
"My&beauty?" Kai repeated.
Awkwardness took over Jatel's calm exterior, causing him to retreat next to Echoheart and continue with his duties. The squire started to polish Ka-Ron's saddle once more.
Kai gazed at the squire as a woman would, trying her best to size up a man. He was alone. As solitary as misery could make one. Given better circumstances, this squire could have been a lovely distraction. Kai could cast a spell, allow this find to love her, and they could get lost in lust together. Both would have a wonderful adventure, and both would have enough stored memories never to be lonely again. But that was never to be.
"I will find use for you, kind sir," Kai said, smirking.
"My lady?" Jatel asked, confused.
"In time, squire. In time." Kai directed Jatel's attentions once more in the direction he had pointed, towards the coliseum. "What of your master?"
"Oh, I beg forgiveness."
"No matter."
"My master, Ka-Ron of Teal, has been the light of triumph all day today."
"Indeed?"
"True, my lady." Jatel stopped his polishing. "He has won most of the jousting, and had conquered the jaws of a hungry lion."
"A lion?"
"True!" Jatel's face glowed with pride. He shook his head with the honesty only seen in the eyes of a child. "The lion had not been fed in days. That was the glory of the fight. If the lion had won, his reward was a feast."
"And what would Ka-Ron, your master, win?"
"A kiss from our Queen."
An awkward pause seemed to separate the two.
"And, did your master succeed?"
"He truly did!"
Kai smiled, "You love your master?"
Jatel's expressions turned puzzled. "Ka-Ron has given me a life filled with honor and adventure. Without him, I would have been nothing but a town joke, or worse! Indeed, my lady, I care deeply for him."
Kai flash
ed the squire an evil grin. "That is good. This shall work out quite well for the two of you, I think."
"My lady?"
"In time, squire. I promise."
Echoheart began to tremble in fear. This last statement was not beyond Jatel's sense to comprehend. Something was wrong. As of yet, the squire could not tell what. Yet again, he wished he could understand the language of the horse.
For an instant, Jatel had looked away from the lovely lady to calm Echoheart.
"My lady, please, forgive this horse. He&"
"I shall return, dear squire."
A breeze swept through the barn.
"My lady?"
Jatel found to his amazement, that he was once more, alone in the barn.
He returned to his duties.
***
"Jatel! Some drink for me."
Ka-Ron entered the barn sweating like a guilty man at temple. He had had a wonderful jousting and had returned with the honor of obtaining a kiss from his Queen. The King, proud of his knight, gave Ka-Ron a golden staff of triumph and an honorable rest. Idoshia was at peace, and it was time for Ka-Ron to enjoy it. Although he would do his part to accept the king's honor, he knew from experience that peace rarely lives up to the expectations of others. Sooner or later - quite possibly, sooner - someone would challenge the ways of nations, and another war would loom its head over Idoshia's people. Ka-Ron would practice, and he would be ready.
Jatel had obtained a barrel of spicy beer during the tournament. Years of service had caused the squire to know that once his master was finished for the day, he would be thirsty. Before Ka-Ron had taken off his helmet, Jatel was there, holding up a mug.
"Ah, good!" Ka-Ron said, beaming. He took the mug of beer with a nod of gratitude. "You are a wonder, my dear friend."
Jatel bowed, taking three steps back.
Ka-Ron, drinking his beer, noticed Jatel's actions. Once more, the Errant-Knight found his beer both pleasing and bitter. In his mind and in his actions, Ka-Ron considered Jatel his equal. Indeed, he considered the man his closest friend. Several times, his squire had saved his life. He, in turn, had repaid that debt by saving Jatel's.
The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight Page 3
