Rended Souls

by Daniel Kuhnley

  “It’s soil. I scrubbed my entire body twice. Imagine how I feel. I can’t get away from the stench. It follows me everywhere.”

  Alderan stopped pacing, stared at Rayah for a moment, and then busted up laughing. Rayah quickly joined in. He laughed until his side hurt and his vision blurred with tears.

  “I’ve never smelled soil like that.” He collapsed back down on the couch. “Are you certain you weren’t rolling around in a mud pit with some wild boars? Or perhaps the soil was actually a mound of bear scat.”

  Rayah shook her head. “You think you’re funny, but you’re not.”

  “Then why are you beaming?”

  “Because I missed you.” Her smile faltered. “To be honest, it’s far more disgusting than either of those. I couldn’t find you, and I didn’t want to just sit around here waiting for you to come back, so I decided to go find those vines again and see if I could find anything else out about them.”

  Alderan jumped to his feet, his heart pounding. “Rayah! You went back there even after knowing what those disgusting things did to Zerenity and Qotan? You could’ve been bitten as well.” He scanned the room, paused, and frowned. The fire crackled and popped on the hearth and several birds chirped outside, but he heard no other sounds.

  Concern crept into his voice. “Where is everyone?”

  “I was getting to all of that. If you’d just sit down and listen, you wouldn’t have to ask so many questions.”

  Alderan sighed loudly and dropped back on the couch. “Fine. Tell me everything that’s happened since I left. And leave nothing out.”

  † † †

  Rayah flew back and forth, her wings pummeling the air with fury. Her mind pulled her in so many directions that she found it impossible to think clearly. She still hadn’t told Alderan about Rakzar. Even if she were to, he wouldn’t hear her right now. For the last ten minutes, he sat on the edge of the couch, his attention captured by the shiny black object in his hands.

  Over and over he turned the object, examining every inch and every angle. “This was buried underneath the vines?”

  Rayah descended to the floor with a light touch and stood before Alderan. “Yes, and I’m certain the vines grew out of it.”

  Alderan cocked his head. “But what is it?”

  “I don’t have the faintest idea, and neither did Master Savric.” She settled on the couch next to Alderan. “I’m supposed to take it to a woman named Morcinda tomorrow morning. Savric’s certain she’ll know what it is. You can come with me now that you’re back.”

  “Tomorrow morning?” Alderan sighed. “I thought you’d want to come with me so that you could meet Aria.”

  “Come with you?” Rage thrust her from the couch and back into the air. She clenched her fists and spun back around to face Alderan. “You just came back!”

  Alderan’s gaze fell to the floor and his head slumped forward. “I understand, but I’ve no choice.” He peered up at her. “I must go back.”

  Jealousy and frustration fueled the scream that erupted from her. Her entire body shook as the sound echoed through the house. “You’d rather be with her, is that it?” She shook her finger at him. “I won’t have it. There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight again.”

  Alderan set the black object on the couch and stood. He reached for her hand, but she retreated. “Rayah, it’s not what you think,” he pleaded.

  “Isn’t it? You’ve always loved her more than me, and you probably always will.” She turned in the air and flew over to one of the large windows. Beyond the edge of the porch roof she eyed the thick, dark clouds. They darkened the sky the same way Aria darkened her heart.

  She should’ve stayed dead.

  Tears of guilt swelled in Rayah’s eyes. Ƨäʈūr, I didn’t mean that.

  “She’s my sister, Rayah. Of course I love her, but not the way I love you. The two of you share my heart but in different ways. It’s not one or the other. It never has been and never will be.”

  In the faint reflection of the window glass Rayah watched Alderan rake his fingers through his hair. She knew she was being obtuse, but she didn’t understand how he could just run off again without her. Rayah wiped her eyes and flew back over to Alderan.

  She took his hand in hers. “If it’s not what I think, then explain it to me. Why is it so important that you return to her tonight? Why can’t you at least wait until tomorrow?”

  Alderan scratched his head and averted her gaze. “I… I may have left out a few details when I told you about everything that happened back at the castle.”

  “What details?” When he didn’t answer Rayah rung his hand. “Tell me, Alderan. What did you leave out?”

  Alderan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My dreams… they’re… coming to life. The woman I saw with blonde hair and red streaks…” He sucked in a ragged breath. “… it’s her. That woman is Aria.”

  Rayah gasped. “What?” Her mind couldn’t process the information. “Are you certain? I thought the woman in your dreams was the enemy you’d save the world from.”

  Tears streaked Alderan’s cheeks. His eyes, hollow and distant, gazed beyond her. “So did I.” Alderan dropped to the floor and pulled her down with him. “Do you understand now?” His voice broke, and he sobbed.

  She pulled him close and stroked his head. Aria’s the enemy? Ƨäʈūr, how can this be? No, no, no. This isn’t right. Ƨäʈūr… what have you done?

  Rayah’s eyes grew wide. “And what about the red eyes and wings you saw behind her?”

  Alderan sucked snot back into his nose and nodded slowly. “All of it. It’s all true.” He looked up at her. Fear filled his eyes. “She has a dragon,” he whispered.

  A coldness like nothing she’d ever felt settled in her bones. Her throat constricted, and she struggled for air as convulsions wracked her chest. The room blurred through streams of tears. She managed just one word with each breath. “What. Can. We. Do?”

  Alderan pulled on his hair. “If I can’t talk some sense into her, we’ve already lost.”

  They sat there in silence for several minutes. After Rayah regained control of her breathing she leaned back against the couch. Her eyes stung with tears, and her head ached. “Then you must go back, but I can’t go with you. I must follow up with Morcinda on the object that I found, but—” She started to tell Alderan about Rakzar but hesitated.

  Alderan looked at her and frowned. “But what? What are you not telling me, Rayah?”

  Rayah shook her head. Just tell him the truth.

  She closed her eyes. “It’s Rakzar… he’s… cursed.”

  “What you mean Rakzar is cursed? What happened? When did you see him?”

  “He’s at your house with Urza, but I didn’t see him. If I had, I’d be slowly dying right now.”

  Alderan grabbed her and shook her. “What do you mean you’d be dying? What’s going on?”

  She looked into his eyes. Concern filled them, and she knew why. Yesterday, she wouldn’t have understood why he cared for the beast, but now she did, and it pained her thinking about it. “I don’t know exactly, but some sorceress cast a spell on Rakzar that causes anyone that comes into contact with him to slowly die. Urza knew this but refused to leave his side, and now she’s paying the price.”

  Alderan’s brow wrinkled. “How slow of a death are we talking? Days? Weeks? Months?”

  Rayah shrugged. “Not sure. At least weeks, but maybe months. We won’t really know until Urza dies.”

  Tears fell from her eyes again at the thought of losing a friend. She cried harder realizing that she did consider Urza her friend. Ƨäʈūr, save her.

  Alderan let out an exasperated breath. “Will we ever get to a point where things start to go right for us?”

  “I don’t know… But I’ve decided I’m going to try to help Rakzar figure out how to break the spell and save Urza. I know it sounds crazy, but don’t try to stop me. It’s something I kn
ow I must do.”

  “Since when? Last I checked, you hated Rakzar. In fact, you practically begged me to kill him.”

  “I know, but things have changed. I’ve come to realize that life happens in shades of grey, not just black and white. You taught me that, Alderan.” She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it.

  Alderan put his arm around her. “I guess it’s settled then. You go try and save Rakzar, and I’ll try to save Aria from herself.”

  “And what about us? Are we destined to be apart?”

  “I don’t know—” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “—but I’ll never stop loving you or fighting to be with you.”

  She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him. “Promise me you’ll come back.”

  “Ƨäʈūr willing, I’ll see you soon.” He pushed her back and gazed at her. The corner of his mouth rose. “Hopefully you’ll smell better by then.”

  She harrumphed and ribbed him. “Keep it up, and you’ll never see what’s underneath these clothes.”

  “A dead squirrel,” he said, barely getting the words out through bouts of laughter.

  She ribbed him again and then tackled him. They both giggled as they rolled around on the floor, but the moment quickly faded. Neither of them had an easy road ahead, each destined to face theirs alone, but she had faith that everything would work out in the end.

  It must.

  † † †

  Rakzar stood in front of the fireplace, his fur wet with snow. Had his fur been grown in, the cold would not have bothered him, but he still had several bald patches from Urza’s hack job that leeched warmth from his body. He shivered and rubbed his paws together.

  Yesterday, Rakzar had devised a plan to deceive Rayah into helping him, but as the hours passed his determination and resolve faltered. He grabbed the sides of the stone hearth and growled deep in his throat. His inaction would kill Urza, but what guarantee did he have that she’d live even if he did find a way to kill Käíeƨ?

  He dug his claws into the mortar that held the hearth stones together. None.

  But he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed Rayah’s help. He reached deep into his mind and his dark heart, searching for the callused, hateful beast he knew himself to be, but no matter how far he descended, he found nothing that remained of his former self. The White Knight had changed him atop that hill. It seemed a lifetime ago.

  Rakzar stared into the fire. Flames leapt and danced across the burning logs, creating several streams of rising black smoke. Rakzar closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deep, drawn to the burning sap and the aroma of charred wood. The combination of the two mesmerized him and pulled him into the past.

  When Rakzar opened his eyes, he stood in the middle of a burning forest. Flames engulfed centuries-old trees and swept across the underbrush in waves of violent, brutal destruction. Birds and animals of every kind fled the area, but Rakzar moved closer, drawn to the flames.

  Fire scorched the earth, leaving nothing in its wake but blackened, charred remains of everything it touched. Amidst the fire’s roar Rakzar heard something else. Not a cry for help but just crying. The longer he ignored it, the greater his desperation became to seek out its source. The sound reminded him of the pups he’d tried to save so long ago.

  Rakzar bolted into the flames, all thoughts of self-preservation lost with the rush of energy pumping through his veins. He leapt over felled trees and dodged others as they crashed to the ground with thunderous volume.

  Hold on, little one. I’m coming for you.

  “Someone’s in the basement.”

  The forest faded, and the hearth filled Rakzar’s vision. He turned and looked down at Urza. Her ears stood tall.

  “Someone’s in the basement,” she repeated.

  “I know, and I heard you the first time.” He hadn’t actually heard any noises, but Urza didn’t need to know that.

  “Leave, and I will take care of it.” Urza rose on all fours.

  Rakzar looked out the window. “There’s a foot of snow out there already, and it’s still falling.”

  Urza walked over to the opening behind the fireplace and glanced back at Rakzar. “I’m not asking you to leave the house. Just leave the room.” She crouched down. “Rayah, if that’s you, don’t come up here. It’s not safe.”

  “I need to speak to Rakzar.” Rayah’s voice echoed in the basement below and sounded hollow. “I’m coming up.”

  Rakzar cursed and knocked one of the rocking chairs over. Damn that dryte.

  “Don’t be a fool,” he growled. “You need to leave. We don’t know how this damned curse works.”

  Many questions about the spell bombarded him. Did he have to physically touch the person to curse them? Or did it get passed through his eyes? Perhaps the spell was based on proximity. How close was too close for one to get to him? Did walls protect a person from him? How about the mirror? If the dryte stood on the other side of the mirror would she still be cursed? Or maybe it could be his voice.

  She might be cursed already.

  “You have no control over what others do,” said Amicus. “Why don’t you let her decide what she wants to do.”

  “Nobody asked you, Shadowman,” snarled Rakzar. “I told you to leave me alone.”

  Urza looked over at Rakzar, her face twisted with confusion. “Who are you talking to?”

  Rakzar looked to his left, where Amicus stood. “No one.”

  “Didn’t you say you needed her help?” asked Amicus. “Have you forgotten the sand already?”

  Rakzar scowled at Amicus. “You of all people should know that I can’t do that to her.”

  “What the gods is wrong with you?” Concern strained Urza’s voice. “You haven’t been the same since you came back yesterday.”

  Urza jerked back. “Rayah!”

  The dryte peered around the corner of the fireplace, her porcelain face framed in golden curls. Rage filled Rakzar. He grabbed the second rocking chair and threw it across the room. It slammed into the wall with a loud crash and splintered into several pieces.

  Rakzar trembled with fury, his gaze locked on Rayah. “Your death will not be on my hands!”

  Rayah smiled. “There is no certainty that I’ll live through this day. The burden is mine to carry.”

  “As I said, it’s her choice, my friend,” said Amicus.

  “You’re not helping,” growled Rakzar. He kept his focus on Rayah.

  Rayah crossed her arms, defiance flashing in her hazel eyes. “Try and stop me.”

  Rakzar’s eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t talking to you, dryte.”

  Rayah and Urza shared a look and then they both turned their gaze on Rakzar, their heads cocked slightly to the left. “Then who were you talking to?” they asked in unison.

  “Doesn’t matter.” Rakzar walked away from them and righted the first rocking chair he’d knocked over. He sat down and leaned back in it. The chairback hit him right below his shoulder blades. It would’ve risen above a normal-sized person’s head. He stared up at the thatched roof and the two-foot-square patch of lighter straw just above him to the right. “Why did you come here and damn yourself to death, dryte?”

  “You saved my life once, and I’m indebted to you for it.”

  He remembered the day Brux and Creeb broke in through the ceiling. It was a brilliant idea for two imbeciles. He turned his head to the left and stared at the two women. “Urza’s filled your head with fantasies. I never saved your life. Now I’ve taken it.”

  Urza laid down in front of the fire, but Rayah flew over to him and settled on the floor next to the chair. “Deny it all you want, but I know the truth. There’s a heart buried underneath your cold exterior.”

  “You need her,” said Amicus. “Let Rayah help you. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

  Rakzar eyed Urza. He couldn’t deny the changes in her face—skin str
etched over bone once hidden underneath a layer of muscle and fat. She’d lost several pounds, and her fur lacked the sheen it once held.

  He grabbed his head and gritted his teeth. “I’ve lost everything.”

  “You know nothing of loss,” said Amicus. “But you will if you sit there and do nothing.” Amicus shook him by the shoulders. “Pull yourself together before you run out of time. Tell Rayah about Käíeƨ and the sand.”

  “How can you say that?” asked Rayah. “Your sister lies before you, still breathing. She needs you, and so do I.”

  Rakzar peered down at Rayah. “You don’t know the enemy I face. She cannot be stopped.”

  “Everyone has a weakness.” Rayah touched his arm. “Together, we will find hers and exploit it.”

  “Käíeƨ is like nothing I’ve ever seen. She transitions between solid and smoke without effort. How can any weapon harm smoke?” He thought about the sand. “If I could find a way to keep her solid, even for a moment, I might have a chance at killing her, but I know of nothing that can accomplish this. However, there is one person who might be able to point me in the right direction.”

  “Shalaidah,” said Rayah.

  Rakzar nodded and returned his gaze toward the ceiling. “I know she won’t talk to me, but she’ll talk to you.”

  Rayah sighed. “I wouldn’t be so certain of her willingness to talk to me. We parted on unfavorable terms, and I haven’t spoken to her or seen her in years.” She stood and stretched her arms. “But I can’t think of another place to start, so we shall seek her out in the morning, after I’ve met with someone on the eastern shore.”

  “The morning?” growled Rakzar.

  “We both need rest. It will be a long journey, and I’m certain it’s only the beginning.”

  “We can’t—”

  Urza cut Rakzar off. “Leave it be, Rakzar. Waiting one more night will make little difference. I’m not on my last leg yet.”