Collapse (Part 5), Scene v1

“It is,” said the general gravely. She took her blanket and folded it over to make a thick pad. She gripped the arrowhead with the blanket and began grinding the blades against the stone floor, dulling its edges. “How did you know where Lucas was?”

Kismet looked down at Delphi to make sure she was sound asleep. Her chest rose and fell slowly and steadily, her face at peace. She always was a heavy sleeper, especially when she’s exhausted. “Just after Isella’s execution I followed him and Sara into an alleyway. He was so overcome by emotions that he attacked Sara, so I stopped him and told him he should visit his home to get away from the capital.”

“So you followed him, and when you found him he was alone?” the general inquired.

“Razelin, I hope you’re not implying that Kismet may have killed Lucas,” interjected King Marcus.

“It’s just a possibility. Kismet did suggest for Lucas to go somewhere, and followed him there. She claims he was murdered, and shot at by Sara, who I would assume, only fired because she saw reason to. I also heard Isella was put under Kismet’s care through the return from Lokem, and that she visited Isella after being interrogated.”

“That does sound suspicious,” voiced the king, his words a little troubled. He lowered his eyes to Delphi, who was nuzzled against the Catheran. “But if she were involved in all this, she would have little reason to return with warning.”

“Depends how you look at it. Lucas is dead, and Sara potentially accused of attempted murder. Removing both of them from the picture would further secure her chances of becoming Delphi’s Guardian.”

“I can understand how things may look, but—”

The king cut Kismet short with his boisterous laughter. He quickly lowered himself to a quiet chuckle, eyeing Delphi nervously as he realized how loud he was. Her sleep seemed undisturbed, which made him laugh even more. General Raze watched him with a sly smile, while the Catheran sat there in utter confusion. King Marcus eventually calmed himself down. “I’m sorry, but sometimes you can be really cruel, Razelin. You almost had me fooled.”

General Raze passed him a couple pieces of jerky and her water canteen. “Hah, you were listening more carefully than I thought.”

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he took a quick sip of water. Kismet’s confusion must’ve been as plain as day on her face. The general placed her hand on Kismet’s shoulder, her grin twitching awkwardly from trying to hold back her laughter. “Don’t worry, Kismet. I wasn’t being serious. I’d never believe you would do that, much less conspire against the Empire. Your Majesty, you should get some rest too. It’ll probably only get more difficult here on out.”

“Right, right.” He waved her words away, lying down on the blanket. He reached out to Delphi and brushed a loose strand of hair to the side before closing his eyes. “Make sure you get some yourself.”

Kismet slipped off her cloak and folded it over several times. She gently lay Delphi down and slipped the folded cloak under her head for a pillow. “General, I’ll keep watch. Please feel free to rest.”

General Raze gave her an awkward smile that looked almost a frown. “You really are great to have around, aren’t you? Ever so loyal, and just as sleepless. Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.”



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Collapse (Part 4), Scene v1

Kismet picked the up blanket set out beside Delphi’s and gave it to the king as she sat beside her. “Please, use this for yourself. I’m fine without it.”

The king accepted with a smile. Kismet shifted behind Delphi, who leaned back into the Catheran’s warm embrace. Reaching into a pouch at her side, Kismet pulled out a piece of jerky and gave it to Delphi, along with her canteen of water. Normally, there was little point to her carrying the jerky with her, but she always did in case someone was famished. The princess frowned, gnawing at the dry meat. Kismet rubbed the princess’ huddled legs to warm her as she spoke. “General, when I was speaking with Lucas, I was shot by an arrow. I broke off the shaft, but it’s still in the back of my left shoulder. Could you please get it out for me? I can’t really reach it.”

“Oh, sure,” she agreed, kneeling down behind her. “Did you manage to see the person who shot you? They were probably involved in this.”

Kismet shook her head. She had a hard time focusing that night. She didn’t even hear the person approaching. Her mind swam with so many questions, questions that still lingered. “Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to see. I ran straight to the castle as soon as it happened.”

“Guess it couldn’t be helped. Luckily the shot wasn’t fatal,” said the general, as she gently touched the Catheran’s back, around the wound. “No wonder I didn’t really notice it. You broke the shaft so close. I’ll have to dig, if you want it out.”

“Dig?” asked Delphi, turning back nervously with furrowed brows.

Kismet put a hand on her shoulder to calm her, then draped her arms over her shoulders to prevent her from looking back. “Do what you have to.”

The soft whisper of blade on leather tickled the Catheran’s ears when General Raze pulled her knife from its sheath. Delphi cringed when the tip pierced Kismet’s hide, as though she felt it herself. King Marcus placed a hand on the restless princess’ shoulder, speaking softly. “Let’s try to get some sleep while the fire is strong. There’ll be plenty more walking tomorrow.”

Delphi nodded and curled up against Kismet’s body. The Catheran pulled the blanket up the princess’ shoulders, and rubbed her arm soothingly. Blood trickled down the fur of her back as the general carved at the wound. To avoid making Delphi uncomfortable, Kismet bit her lip to stop her body from wincing. The back of her leather corset grew warm and damp with blood over the several minutes of digging. With a quick yank, General Raze pulled out the arrowhead. The flicker of the flames served as a fine distraction while the pain dulled out. General Raze moved her blanket to Kismet’s left, and sat there, holding the blood-covered arrow tip in the light.

“Kismet,” she whispered, in a tone unsettling. “Look at the shape of this arrowhead.”

It was a three-blade, serrated steel broadheaded arrowhead, finely crafted, and a little less than an inch in diameter. “Isn’t this…?”

General Raze nodded. “It’s the same type of arrows our military uses. But that’s not all. Outside of wartime, we only allow our archers to carry specially crafted arrows. Our smiths forge these arrows with their respective I.D. embossed into one of the blades, so we can better monitor any use of arrows with regular check-ins.”

She pointed to the small imprint on the side of one of the blades. “SS017,” read Kismet. “Wait, it can’t be. Is that Sara’s I.D.?”




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Collapse (Part 3), Scene v1

Kismet grabbed the unlit torch on the other side of the tunnel entrance before they ventured forth. They walked and walked through the cave, finding no sign of the entrance. Delphi clung onto Kismet’s arm with every step, eyeing her surroundings warily. “Are we almost there? I’m tired, and my feet hurt.”

“Hopefully it’s not far from here, but there’s still no way to tell. We must’ve been really deep inside,” replied the general.

“Here, I’ll carry you if your feet hurt,” said Kismet, handing the extra torch to General Raze. The Catheran scooped the princess into her arms. She was covered in dirt and small scratches, but luckily no blood. Her frightened face and disheveled hair pained Kismet. The Catheran feared what hardships of reality may come next.

“Say, Razelin. Why did you come back to the garden, anyway?” asked the king.

“Kismet received a warning from Lucas that you were in danger.”

“I found him a little north of his home, but I was too late. He’d been stabbed by the time I found him. He told me something terrible was going to happen, but I was attacked before I could learn more from him,” explained Kismet.

“He was stabbed?! Why would someone do that?” asked Delphi

“He obviously knew something, and someone didn’t want him to tell anyone,” answered King Marcus. “It’s such a shame too. I heard he was a great person, and a promising candidate. May The Great Goddess show him peace.”

For hours they walked through the darkness, following the withering torch flame. Hunger gnawed at their bellies, and their throats began to dry. Kismet still carried the princess in her arms since she said nothing of wanting to walk again, but the Catheran didn’t mind. The young princess curled against her body to hide from the frigid air of the cave. The four of them slowed down as the king let out a small laugh when a small unused campsite sat before them. “Looks like they really planned everything out. I must admit, I’m impressed by whoever organized this. To calculate where this cave leads to, and dig a tunnel right to the greenhouse, it must’ve been in the works for quite some time.”

Even Kismet found it a bit unusual for the king to be so positive after what happened that morning. But looking at Delphi’s reaction, it did seem to distract her from their grim situation. She probably didn’t realize what creatures might’ve been living in the caves, or the possibility of more people waiting for the men who abducted the king. There was no doubt he understood the situation they were in, but he always protected Delphi. “Since this is here, it must mean the entrance is still quite a ways away. Maybe we should rest for awhile,” suggested General Raze.

“You read my mind. I’m not used to all this walking, and a warm fire would be nice right about now,” agreed King Marcus, walking to the pile of folded blankets near the stone wall.

“Please rest, Your Majesty. Let me take care of that.” The general quickly lit the fire pit and went to the king’s side.

“It’s fine Razelin, I’ll do this. Tend to the fire, and see if there’s any food or water around. I’m parched,” he insisted.

Kismet set Delphi on the first blanket the king laid out. The young princess looked around with a frown. “The ground is hard and cold. Isn’t there anything softer?”

“Sorry, but it doesn’t seem like it. I don’t see anything else here,” said the general, returning to the fire.

King Marcus finished laying out a fourth blanket next to the fire, adjacent to Delphi. He handed her the spare blanket. “Guess we’ll just have to make due with what we have. At least we have a fire to warm us up.”




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Collapse (Part 2), Scene v1

Should I start posting who's perspective these are all in, or is it self-explanatory, as I'd hope it'd be.

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The Catheran coughed in the cloud of dust. Scrambling to her feet, she ran down the dark tunnel after the king, pulling out the large splinter lodged into her leg. Not far down the dimly lit tunnel, one of the men hacked at one of the support beams of the narrow tunnel. He broke through half of it before she reached him. He thrust his dagger at her, but with such little room to evade the attack, it sliced her waist. She looped her arm under his and snapped it upward. His cry echoed throughout the tunnel, followed by a swift crack when she slammed his head into the wall.

The sound of General Raze and Delphi’s footsteps approached from behind her, but she had no time to lose. She sprinted after the king, following the faint bulbs of light that hung from the ceiling. Their footsteps grew louder, and louder as she neared them. “Run faster!” commanded the captor.

She quickly closed the gap. As soon as he was within several paces, she threw one of the knives from the band wrapped around her thigh. The man staggered with a grunt when the knife pierced into his back. She threw another one at him as he spun around. He twisted to the ground when it hit him in the center of his chest. “Your Majesty, are you alright?” she called out.

The king dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. “I—I’m fine, thanks to you. I’m getting far too old for all this excitement,” he laughed.

A large snap, followed by crashing rocks, echoed through the tunnel. Delphi’s scream pierced Kismet’s ears, filling her with dread. “Delphi!” cried the Catheran, running back as fast as her feet could carry her.

It was impossible to see through the thick dust. Kismet waved the air aside, following the coughs that came from within. Just in front of the collapse, General Raze was huddled over Delphi.

“Princess, are you hurt?” asked the general, after the dust settled.

The young princess shook her head. She sprung to her feet and ran to King Marcus as soon as she saw him. “Father!” she cried, wrapping her arms around him. She sobbed into his crimson, silver-embroidered doublet.

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I told her not to follow me down here,” said the general.

“She’s unharmed. That’s all that matters. And if it weren’t for the two of you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. You did well,” he said, with a reassuring smile.

“I deserve none of the credit. Kismet was the one who saved you,” she admitted shamefully.

King Marcus released Delphi to Kismet’s side. She clung onto her arm as the king placed a hand on the Catheran’s shoulder. “Thank you, Kismet. Seems all of your training has really paid off.”

The ceiling of the tunnel began to shift and crumble near the collapse. “We should keep moving. We don’t know how stable this tunnel is,” advised the general.

Following the dimly lit path, the tunnel led into a large cave. General Raze lead the way, grabbing the torch that awaited them at the end of the tunnel. The cave was pitch-black, with no lights to lead the way. The general held up the torch to light the cave, but it split into two directions.

“Can’t we stay in the tunnel and wait for Mother to find us? It’s really cold and dark here,” complained Delphi.

“Wish we could, but we don’t know how long it would take for them to dig through the collapse. It may be days without food or water,” said King Marcus.

General Raze knelt down, lowering the light to the ground. She brushed the floor with her fingertips. The thick layer of dirt and loose rubble gave little resistance to her touch. The hint of a smile crept on her face as she scanned the ground carefully. “It seems they left footprints coming from the left. Shall we?”




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Collapse, Scene v1

Kismet weaved through the trees as quick as she could, making her way east toward the capital. Undoubtedly she left a trail even an amateur could track, but not in such darkness. For half an hour she kept her pace, keeping close to the road in order to have one less side to worry about. No one could’ve followed her for so long, and the wound in her shoulder was sealing. The arrow was difficult to reach. She broke the shaft and threw the tail end to the side with a curse.

It was a long run back to the castle. Lucas’ urgency was unsettling, and she wanted to go back to Yuin for his horse, but it would be too dangerous and the Kival may have already stolen it. It wasn’t until after dawn that she reached the castle.

The castle was in chaos. People rushed to the barracks and dining commons. Everyone was in a panic, calling for help. She was too late. Whatever the Kival had planned, it was already in action. Kismet asked for General Raze and the royal family, but they ignored her to tend to the hundreds of unconscious people. She ran toward the dining commons, praying the generals weren’t unconscious. Amidst the commotion, stood Delphi, frightened and confused.

“Kismet! They—everyone…they just started collapsing!” she cried.

“Do you know where General Raze or Devin is?”

“N-no. Why, what’s going on? You have blood all over you!”

Kismet gently placed her hands on the young princess’ shoulders, in hopes to calm her down a little. “What about your family?”

“I—I don’t know. I think Father is in the garden.”

The Catheran ran off toward the inner garden with Delphi right behind her. Kismet nearly ran into General Raze on her way there. “General Raze, where’s His Majesty? He may be in danger.”

“He’s in the gardens. I left four guards—”

“We have to get to him. Lucas was murdered. Just before he died, he told me the royal family may be in danger.”

The three of them quickly rushed toward the gardens. At the rear, three guards rushed King Marcus into the greenhouse with a dagger at his back. “Father!” cried Delphi.

They sprinted after them, stepping over the bodies of four fallen soldiers. Through the glass door, the captors pushed the king toward the back corner. “Get down there, now!” they ordered. The doors were locked. Kismet wrapped her cloak around her and rammed through the door, shattering the glass.

“Damn it, hurry up!” cried one of the abductors, while one of the second one was descending a ladder. When the three drew near, the captor on the ladder of the hidden passage slammed the door shut. The only one remaining grabbed for his weapon in a panic, but it was too late. Kismet pounced at him, slamming his head onto the ground with a crack.

General Raze pulled at the wooden trap door, but to no avail. She stomped at it desperately, but it gave no sign of cracking. “Break, damn you, break!” she roared.

Delphi watched helplessly, sobbing in a panic. Kismet moved General Raze aside and crouched over the door. Placing both her palms atop the wood, she closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on the wood. The wood cracked and splintered beneath her hands. She climbed to her feet and stomped at the door, but it wasn’t enough force. She jumped on it with all her might, and with a loud snap, it broke. Kismet fell through the door as it gave way. The splinters sliced her legs, and tore at her torso. Delphi’s cry was hardly audible through the loud clatter when Kismet crashed into the floor with the broken wood.



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The Willow (Part 4), Scene v1

I'm going to regret posting this frequently, aren't I?

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“Lucas!” Rushed footsteps approached him. Gentle hands turned him onto his back, making him cringe in agony. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Kismet…?” He let out a small cry of pain as the Catheran began picking him up. “Ah, stop! Stop!”

Kismet froze and stared at the blood that soaked his tunic. For some reason, he found himself smiling weakly. A part of him was glad she was there, but it was mainly from his own foolishness. Even her words seemed to give him warmth to fight the chill that began to fill his body. “But if we don’t get you to a doctor fast—”

Lucas clenched Kismet’s arm in pain. She had to listen to him. Too much was at risk, and even if he lived, he would be executed for treason. “Please, Kismet. You have to listen to me. There’s no time for that, and the Kival may still be around.”

Her face grew grave, but even then, it brought him comfort. Despite how horribly he, along with everyone else, had treated her, she always seemed to be there when he needed someone. Now she was his only hope for any chance of redemption. She had to listen to him. “I’ve done someth—something terrible. I—I just wanted to save Isella…”

“What are you talking about? What did you do?”

“I gave them—info.”

“Who? What kind of info?” she asked.

“You have to hurry. Hurry back to—back to the castle. Tell Devin—or Raze—anybody!” Lucas cringed under a surge of pain. With every second, it grew worse. Every pulse sent a wave of agony through his body. “Please—Please take it out! I’d rather die quickly.”

Kismet’s head snapped back toward the woods. A very faint crunching of leaves carried out from the darkness. She looked back at him with those large yellow eyes. “I’m not going to just leave you here.”

Lucas gave her a faint, reassuring smile. His eyes felt heavy, and his body began to shiver. “You—have to. The royal family may be—in danger. Go, now!”

Kismet growled. With careful hands, she grabbed the dagger. Lucas closed his eyes and nodded. In one swift motion, the blade slid from his stomach. The pain was sharp at first, but soon dulled down to a heavy ache. “Urgh…now hurry!”

The Catheran gazed at him one last time. Pity and sadness filled her eyes, as well as her voice. “May you find Isella in the afterlife.”

Such pity. Yet for once, it didn’t anger him. Instead, it made him regret the way he treated her. He wished, then, that he could’ve done things differently. For her to show him such kindness… “Thank you, Kismet. For everything. And I’m sorr—”

Kismet let out a small cry of pain as an arrow pierced the back of her left shoulder. Agony blinded Lucas when she dropped him on the ground and ran off. His body throbbed, and his vision blurred, as his consciousness quickly slipped away.



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The Willow (Part 3), Scene v1

A man walked into sight with his worn linen hood drawn over his head. The moonlight licked his face, revealing a thinning face with a small scar across his top lip. Only his right eye was visible, sunken and tired. His black Kival eyes glinted in the moonlight as a grin crossed his face. “I’m glad you came, Lucas.” Lucas took a step forward, but Kain quickly put a hand out. “Stay where you are if you want to live.”

With a growl, Lucas stood his ground. He glanced at the shadows around him. “I thought you were going to save Isella. Why did you let her die?”

“Throw your weapon aside, and you’ll get your answer.” Lucas glared at him. “You don’t have much choice in the matter. I’m sure you’ve already noticed.”

The situation was far more grave than in the alley. He didn’t know how many Kival were supporting Kain, and several of them had arrows pointing at him. Hesitantly, he threw his sword to the side. He pointed to the dagger sheathed at the side of Lucas’ belt. Lucas tossed it between them. At the very least, he wanted some answers.

Kain took a few steps toward Lucas with a smile across his face. He picked up the dagger between them, examining the polished steel blade and etched leather hilt. He ran his finger over the side of the blade as he spoke. “So, I take it you watched the execution? How did they do it? No, wait. I’d rather not know.”

“She was impaled, in front of hundreds of people, because you didn’t save her like you said you would!” yelled Lucas.

Kain flinched. The corner of his mouth twitched with irritation. “You’re a fool to think that she could’ve been saved in only two days. You’d think one of the candidates for the Royal Guard would’ve known that, but I guess I should be thankful that wasn’t the case.” Lucas took a step forward. “Not a step closer.”

Lucas growled at him. He eyed the sword he threw to his right. It was several paces away—too far. “Then what do you want with me? Just what are you planning?”

“Please. Like I would tell you. But don’t worry, I’ve already put the information you gave me to good use. I merely came here to thank you.” Four Kival walked out with daggers in hand. They carefully made their way behind Lucas. “Lie down on your stomach.”

Lucas reluctantly lowered himself to the ground. “Holding me for ransom won’t gain you much.”

Kain laughed as the Kival picked Lucas up and twisted his arms behind his back. He walked up to Lucas, twirling the dagger around in his hand. “Don’t be silly. I’m not going to put you up for ransom. You see, I’m grateful for what you’ve done for my sister. The way she spoke about you and your family, it was touching really. But it was her obsession with you that got her killed. Ever since she saw you at Levan she kept following you around. So, you see, if you weren’t there in Lokem, she would have never been captured. I tried to send her somewhere else, but she can be so stubborn sometimes. And now, my precious little sister is dead.”

“Really. You don’t seem to care. You didn’t even try to save her.”

Kain’s face contorted hideously in the moonlight. He hit Lucas’ stomach with the hilt of the dagger. “I didn’t try to save her? By the time I learned of her capture, you were more than half way back to Rokan. If anyone could’ve saved her, it would’ve been you, before you reached the castle. I watched my father, my mother, and many of my kin, die from starvation and illness. I’ve seen them cut down by soldiers, and bandits. I’ve seen them freeze to death in the night. And why? Because you imperial scum would rather stuff your faces with food, and throw out the rest, than give it to those who need it. It’s because of you damn imperials that we were exiled and are left out to die, and it’s because of you that my sister is dead!”

Lucas’ body went rigid with pain, as Kain drove the blade of his dagger drove into his stomach. He slipped from the arms of the Kival onto the floor. A sharp whistle cut through the air, sending the Kival running with curses. He wanted to pull the dagger out, in hope that it would ease some of the pain, but he was too afraid. For a moment, he lay there in silence, afraid to move.




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The Willow (Part 2), Scene v1

“Thank you, mother. And I’m sorry for suddenly showing up like this.”

“Not at all. You’re always welcome home.” She tried a piece of the meat, chewing on it laboriously. “Seems I made it a little tough again.”

As they talked over dinner, he was glad he visited home again. His mother always knew he hated it when people pried into his personal life. Instead, they talked about poetry, as they usually did, and it was more than welcomed. Although it eased his spirits a little, he still couldn’t get the sight of Isella’s death out of his mind, or the possibility that it may not even have been her that was executed. He had to see if that Kival was leaving him a message.

“I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll be back later tonight, okay?” said Lucas.

“Sure thing, Lucas. I’ll leave the porch light on for you. It’s cold out so make sure you stay warm. Wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

Lucas walked upstairs to his room to grab his winter cloak. It was weaved with thick fur. He was never really one to wear fur, but it always kept him nice and toasty. Stepping out of his room, he saw the closed door across from his. The flower ornament dangled from the handle like it always had. The door creaked as it opened. The room looked exactly the same, only with a thin layer of dust. Isella always kept her room clean, and it always looked bare. She always preferred plain sheets and blankets. Apart from her bed, there was only an armoire and a desk. Even the desk was plain, with two books, a small lamp, and the stuffed cat Lucas gave her for her sixteenth birthday. It amazed him how much her room told about her life. She never needed much in her room because she was always helping around the store and spending time with him and his mother. He only wished those days would somehow once again become reality.

He took one last look around her room and closed the door behind him. As he turned back to the stairs, his mother was standing there, watching him with a small frown. She held out a pair of wool gloves. “Be sure to keep your hands warm. They may be a bit big, though.”

It pained him to see his mother be so supportive. He wanted to tell her everything, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. “Thanks, mother. I’m sorry, I’m just not ready to talk about it yet.”

She gave him a long hug, finishing with a kiss to the forehead. Her reassuring smile always touched his heart. “Whatever you need, Lucas. I’ll always be here for you.”

Lucas gave her one last hug before heading out into the chilly autumn night. The sun had just fallen beyond the horizon, painting the sky a deep crimson red. Branches clearly peeked out from between the shedding trees, the leaves littering the floor with yellows and oranges.

Darkness crept over the land by the time Lucas reached the willow by the riverside. He sat on the cold boulder beneath the willow leaves, cursing himself for carelessly letting his emotions control his actions. Deep down, he knew that it was Isella that was executed earlier that morning, yet for some reason he still found himself hoping that Kain had kept his word.

A loud crunch spun Lucas’ head around. Twigs snapped with every footstep, and there were at least five sets of them. He hopped to his feet and drew his sword, eyeing the woods behind the willow. The footsteps fanned out around him, their shadows moving through the trees. His eyes surveyed the shadowed woods frantically. He could hear the creaking of bows being pulled and readied.

A man walked into sight with his worn linen hood drawn over his head. The moonlight licked his face, revealing a thinning face with a small scar across his top lip. Only his right eye was visible, sunken and tired. His black Kival eyes glinted in the moonlight as a grin crossed his face. “I’m glad you came, Lucas.” Lucas took a step forward, but Kain quickly put a hand out. “Stay where you are if you want to live.”



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The Willow, Scene v1

Lost in his thoughts, the trot back home felt short to Lucas. It was amazing how calming a long horse ride could be. The autumn air cooled his blood, but the dull ache of regret and sadness still lingered. The sun was already beginning to set as he neared Luin. He would be able to make it home in time to share dinner with his mother, but he knew he would have to put on a face. It seemed difficult just thinking about it, but it seemed to be for the best. Hopefully just enjoying the time with his mother would help ease the pain, or at least distract him from it.

Lucas tied his horse to the hitching post outside of the tailor shop. The swordsman smoothed his hair and brushed off his clothes. With a deep breath, he put on his face and walked up to the door. When he reached for the handle, the door began to open. Lucas quickly stepped to the side as a Kival man walked out. He tipped his hat at Lucas with a smile as he walked by. “Pardon me, and good evening.”

“No worries. Good evening to you too,” said Lucas, watching him walk down the road. After a moment, he stepped into the store.

“Welco—Lucas!” his mother quickly walked up to him and gave him a great big hug. She took his face in her hands and gazed at him, “I didn’t expect you back again so soon. You look so tired, come in and let me make you some hot cocoa.”

“Thanks, mother. That would be great. How are things?” he asked, following her into the back room where he finally received the hidden letters.

“Things are starting to get a little busy. I’ll still never know why people wait until after it gets cold to want to buy warmer clothes. It takes time to make them, you know?” she said with a small laugh. She poured a cup of steaming hot water and stirred in some cocoa.

“They probably forget about it until they feel the chill. Was that person who just left one of those people?”

His mother set the cup down in front of Lucas and began making one for herself. “He was just looking around. But he did ask me something a little strange. He asked if I ever heard the story about a mysterious woman sitting under the willow by the riverside. He said it only happens at night, when the moon shines over the water.”

The willow by the riverside. It was where Lucas would gaze at the river and stars with Isella. But he never heard of such a story before, nothing even remotely close. “Did he say where he was from?”

“He said he just came from the capital. Why?” she replied, taking a sip of cocoa.

“I’ve just never heard of that story before. Must’ve been something he heard at a tavern or something,” lied Lucas. It was too much of a coincidence. It was most likely a message, but what? Isella was dead. He saw it with his own eyes. But she was far, and it was hard to recognize her. Was it someone else who died in Isella’s place? He had to find out later that night.

Lucas helped with closing the shop and preparing dinner. His mother was never the greatest chef, but he always found her meals delicious. “Sorry, Lucas. I would’ve had more food, but I didn’t expect you back so soon,” said his mother as they cut into the small pot roast.

“Don’t worry about it. I haven’t been very hungry lately anyway.”

Maria cut her slice of pot roast into several bite size pieces. “So, what brings you back so soon?”

Lucas finished chewing the tough piece of meat in his mouth. He scooped a few vegetables from the platter onto his. “We’ve been given a bit of a break. After all that’s been happening, I just wanted to come home and relax.”

She gave him a small smile. She always seemed to know when he was lying. “We both know that’s not true, but I won’t hound you about it. You can tell me whenever you want to.”

“Thank you, mother. And I’m sorry for suddenly showing up like this.”




First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: Life or Death (Part 3), Scene v1
Next: The Willow (Part 2), Scene v1

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Life or Death (Part 3), Scene v1

Miseri, you disappeared on us again. Take a break once in awhile from your exciting adventures and pop in and say hi once in awhile!

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Lucas slowed to a stop, kicking and punching anything he could find before dropping to his knees in choked sobs. “Why…why did this happen?”

Kismet expected him to lose himself, but his words felt a bit unusual. Sara approached him slowly and crouched down beside him. She embraced him tenderly, speaking softly. “Lucas…”

For a moment Lucas seemed to have calmed down a bit, but then he shoved Sara off of himself and pushed her into the wall. “Leave me the hell alone, Sara! Just stay away from me and leave me alone!”

“But, you must be devastated after watching that. Isn’t it painful to hold it all in?”

“What’s painful is you constantly bothering me despite how many times I tell you to stop. Seriously, I’m sick of everyone constantly trying to talk to me about everything. If you really want to help, then just go away and stop talking to me!” His mouth twitched angrily. He seemed to be at his limit, and Kismet knew Sara didn’t know when to stop. The Catheran started slipping silently toward him, as not to agitate him any further.

And as expected, Sara didn’t know when to stop. She laid a hand on his arm, pleading. “Please, Lucas. You don’t mean that. Your mind is just clouded with all your emotions—”

Lucas swung his fist into the right side of Sara’s face, knocking her to the floor with a bloody mouth. “Don’t even act like you understand what I’m going through!”

Lucas reared his arm back for another swing, but Kismet grabbed his arm. He swung his other arm around but Kismet ducked under it and locked both his arms in place. “Lucas. Maybe you should spend some time away from the capital. Why don’t you visit your mother for a while? She doesn’t know about what happened, right? You could just tell her that we just finished a big assignment and have some time off,” insisted Kismet in as calm a voice as she could manage.

The rage in his eyes seemed to die down. He looked over at Sara who watched with tear-stung eyes and blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. Turning back to Kismet, he stopped resisting her hold on his arms. “Fine.”

Kismet released her hold on him. He rose to his feet then walked out of the alley. She walked up to Sara and offered her a hand. “You okay?”

Sara wiped the blood from her mouth with a glare. “I hope you’re not expecting a ‘thank you’.”

Sara climbed to her feet, never taking her eyes off Kismet. Why she seemed so angry, the Catheran would never know. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you wanted to get hit again.”

“He’s just depressed and frustrated and doesn’t know how to deal with it. If hitting someone helps him get through this, then so be it,” scowled the archer. She flinched as she touched the side of her face lightly.

“If you insist. Tell General Devin that I’m going to follow Lucas to make sure he doesn’t do anything he’ll regret.”

“What? Why are you going? What are you planning to do? I’ll go after him, you stay here with your little princess.”

“You’re insane. Were you not here just now, when he was about to pummel you? If you followed Lucas, who knows what he’d do.” Kismet walked through the alleyway and snuck out of the capital. Something about Lucas’ actions, his anger, and his frustration, seemed a little out of place to her. He was too violent, too uncontrollable. If he really was going to his mother’s, she had to make sure he didn’t take his anger out on her.




First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: Life or Death (Part 2), Scene v1
Next: The Willow, Scene v1

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