Small squeaks and screeches echoed through the stony walls. Kismet wrapped Delphi with one of the blankets as Razelin ignited the last torch. The flame was unbearable to look at after seeing nothing but nothing for so long. The general held it high to light the way without hurting their eyes. “I suggest we get moving. I doubt any of us want to stay in here for another night. From the sounds of it, we’ll be running into some bats so make sure you keep yourselves covered so you don’t get bitten.”
Delphi trembled in Kismet’s arms as they continued forward, shuddering with every squeak from overhead. The walls seemed to close in around her whenever the torch flickered. Long shadows loomed over them from the bats that flew above. Delphi shrieked when one of the bats grazed the side of her face, sending the swarm into a panic. Her screams were drowned out by the screeches and flapping of wings.
For what felt like hours, they rushed through the swarm of bats as they bit at them and beat their wings. “I hate it here. I want to go home,” sobbed Delphi when the chaos had finally died down, and the bats were behind them.
“Don’t worry, it’s not much further. It looks like there’s light coming from up ahead,” announced Razelin. Sure enough, the young princess could make out the gloomy walls at the edge of the darkness, beyond the reach of the torchlight. She couldn’t wait to get out of the cave. The perpetual darkness made the torchlight hurt her eyes because it was so bright. The shadows cast by the flame looked like black claws lashing out at them, never giving her heart a moment’s rest.
Delphi clung to Kismet’s arm excitedly as they continued toward the light. Large roars of water carried into the cave. As they approached, she had to squint at the sun that poured in. The stony walls made a sharp bend to where the mouth must’ve been. Razelin left the torch on the floor behind them and came to a stop at the bend.
“Should I go scout?” asked Kismet. Razelin gave her a nod. The Catheran placed a hand on the princess’ shoulder with a reassuring smile. The three of them watched her step lightly, moving as silently as a cat. She peered left from the cave’s mouth, then right, and above. The ground on the right seemed to disappear into the pale-blue sky, patched with rolling dark clouds. Seeing nothing, Kismet continued walking out slowly, staying close to the rocky wall on the left, surveying the ridge above, and the path in front of her.
The long ridge gently curved out toward the sky. After venturing over fifty yards out, Kismet spun around, but it was too late. Four arrows cut through the air from above the mouth of the cave. One arrow pierced her left thigh, another her right shoulder, sending her staggering heavily against the wall away from the ledge. “Kismet!” cried Delphi, only to be quickly hushed by her father.
Pressing herself against the wall, the Catheran shifted her way as quickly as possible back toward the mouth of the cave, but she was too far out along the curve of the ridge. Another volley of arrows flew at her. She leapt to the side, but one of the arrows impaled her right foot. Unable to get back on her feet, Kismet placed her hands on the floor. She drew up the earth just in time to block the third volley of arrows.
“She’s hurt! We have to do something!”
Marcus placed his hands on Delphi shoulders. She never heard her father speak so gravely before. It frightened her. “We can’t, it’s too dangerous. There’s nothing we can do.”
Three more archers bounded around the ridge and took aim from her vulnerable side. “Stand up and put your hands in the air,” they ordered.
Kismet broke the arrow in her foot, pulled it out, and threw it aside. Struggling to her feet, she did as she was told. One of the archers tossed a rope in front of her. “Bind your feet.”
Slowly, she reached for the rope and tied her feet to each other, leaving enough slack to barely walk. “Turn around and lie face with your hands behind your back.”
The archer bound her hands tightly together, then linked them to the rope that bound her feet. He pulled her up to her feet then stood on the opposite side of his companions and took aim at her.
“Walk out slowly with your hands in the air,” called a man’s voice from above the mouth of the cave.
Delphi clung tightly to her father’s arm, her stomach twisting with anxiety and fear. A gust of wind wailed into the darkness behind them. The voice echoed through the walls again. “You have no where else to go, so come out before we have to make the Catheran suffer.”
Razelin turned to Marcus, who nodded at her solemnly. Marcus drew Delphi close and held her in his arms as they followed the general out into the light.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Monday, June 14, 2010
Darkness (Part 2), Scene v1
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Darkness, Scene v1
“Father?”
The castle seemed empty, without a soul in sight. The tapestries and paintings hung from the walls, as they always have, but they seemed to weep from loneliness. The heels of her diamond-studded shoes echoed against the stone floor, an echo that gave her chills.
“Kismet?”
Delphi rounded the corner into the hall leading to the courtyard. The empty hall’s doors all hung open, the rooms within also empty. Was there some sort of event? She wondered. Only the faint thumps of her footsteps upon the long crimson rug sounded through the hall.
“Is anyone there?”
The young princess winced at the blinding sun when she stepped into the courtyard. A throng of people ran back and forth, calling and crying to each other. The ill and unconscious littered the floor and walls, groaning and moaning with anguish. Vomiting and coughing up blood, they rose to their feet and all turned to her.
“Help us,” they wailed. “Please save us. It hurts.”
Terror crept up her spine as they lumbered toward her like zombies from Karen’s spook stories. She fled toward the garden, where the horde disappeared and the sky grew dark. Thunder roared, and rain poured from the sky, none of which seemed to hit her. In the center of the garden were a pair of guardsmen, dragging her father to the greenhouse.
“Father!” she cried, chasing after them.
Darkness filled the greenhouse, so thick she could hardly see where to step. The rain continued to fall through, despite the glass ceiling. Cautiously, she crept forward, maneuvering by the flash of lightning that filled the sky. Ascending a short set of steps, she came to the raised center of the greenhouse. At the gazebo in the center stood a shadow hunched over the table. Creeping closer, she recognized the large pointed ears and long tail.
“Kismet?”
A hideous ripping noise plagued her ears. She edged closer to Kismet, who seemed to pay her no notice. Her furry friend worked vigorously with her hands, stuffing meat in her mouth like the young pages after a hard day’s work. Delphi froze when her eyes found her dear friend’s feast. Kismet tore away at her father’s face, which stared at her lifelessly, missing half of its flesh and an eye.
Delphi bolted up, screaming with tears streaming down her face. Surrounded by darkness, she glanced around in a panic. The chill of the cave sent shivers through her dampened body. Kismet’s warm arms embraced her tightly, but she pushed and struggled against her in terror.
“Calm down, Delphi. It’s me, Kismet. It was just a bad dream.”
After a bit of struggle, she returned to her senses. The dream felt so real, and the perpetual darkness didn’t help. Sobs shook the young princess’ body as she cried in her friend’s arms. She was hungry, thirsty, and cold. Her body, covered in dirt and sweat, ached from sleeping on the floor, and more than a day had passed since she last bathed. Her feet had blisters and her beautiful hair undoubtedly a mess.
Kismet handed her three pieces of jerky and the canteen of water, which was no more than a quarter full. “Here, eat this. You must be hungry.”
Delphi nibbled on the stiff piece of meat. Looking around, she could see nothing. She hated being lost in the cave. The darkness seemed to stretch on forever. It reminded her of the stories of Gauden the Speaker, when he journeyed into the void to confront the Shadow Goddess Umbra in order to end The Seven Nights. But being in a cave was far from glorious. It was absolutely miserable.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Saturday, February 13, 2010
Tears (Part 2), Scene v1
She climbed to her feet and dragged herself to the horse she left over night. She climbed onto her horse, sitting there for a moment in a daze before setting off down the road back to Rokan. She didn’t want to see Lucas again, never again like that. The monster had to pay for what it did. To betray the Empire by killing Lucas, the person she loved…the Catheran had to pay.
The road was lonely and deserted. Or perhaps there were people, but she did not notice. The first time she rode to Lucas’ home was six months ago, on the first warm day of spring. He shared with her stories of his family, such as the time when Isella first tried to make beef and wine soup. They all loved it and had several servings, but she mixed in the wine too late, so they all grew less sober than they hoped. Another story involved Isella finding a young rabbit huddled between the stack of towels just outside the bathing room. She cared for it for three months, until it left one afternoon. Amazingly, it kept going back to visit her. Lucas shared many other stories with her, but they were usually about Isella. If she really loved him back, why did she abandon him? Why did she run away, and conspire against the Empire? How could she try to kill the person she supposedly loved? Because of her, Lucas grew sad and depressed in his final days, but at least she paid for what she did. The beast still had to answer for her actions.
Sunset was approaching by the time Sara arrived at the capital. She rode to the rear gate of the castle to avoid as many people as possible. Her face was undoubtedly a mess, and blood covered her clothes. From the outside, all looked normal enough, but inside was completely different. Soldiers were rushing this way and that. Everyone had a panicked look on their face as they ran through rooms. Had they heard of Lucas’ death? Of the furlicker’s betrayal? Whatever it was, it was enough for them to go about without noticing Sara. She spotted General Devin issuing commands to a squad of soldiers. “Sara? What happened to you?” he asked, as soon as he caught sight of her.
“Lucas…” Her voice was weak, and the words caught in her throat. She let out a trembling breath to try to compose herself. “That furlicker, she—she murdered Lucas!”
She struggled to fight back the sobs that crept up on her. General Devin looked at her, his brows furrowed in disbelief. “What? Are you sure? She murdered Lucas? No…it’s going to have to wait. You’ll have to give me details about it later. We have a bigger problem to deal with right now.” A bigger problem? Lucas was murdered by the damned Catheran! How could anything possibly be more important than that? “Hundreds of people were poisoned this morning, likely by the food that was served for breakfast. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem lethal, and was probably used to create a distraction.”
“A distraction? For what?”
“His Majesty, Princess Delphi, General Raze, and Kismet are all missing. We believe whatever group poisoned the residents abducted them during the chaos.” Sara was in disbelief. For everything to happen at once, it couldn’t have been coincidence. “Not too long after, there was a collapse in part of the castle’s foundation, probably to seal whatever route they took.”
The general was right. Something terrible had happened. General Razelin Viselle Atraea, who some consider a prodigy of Rokan, and Sara’s idle for four years, was abducted along with two members of the royal family. “Wait…The furlicker was here this morning? Lucas was murdered just last night. Do you think she might’ve been involved in this?”
“If what you say is true, it’s a possibility. Go write a report of everything that happened last night. I’ll be questioning everyone in my office, so just bring it to me as soon as you finish.”
Everyone rushed back and forth, as Sara walked back to her quarters. Many were panicking with their friends, most of which accused the Kival. Are the Kival really capable of abducting not only two members of the royal family, but also the Silver Guard? No, it’s impossible. The Kival are nothing but second-class citizens of Lokem, exiled from their homes. They would need to know how the castle life works and it’s layout to be able to do something like this, both of which the beast is more than familiar with. Lucas must’ve discovered something to make him a threat, or maybe it’s because he was a candidate for becoming Delphi’s Guardian, an obstacle. But if that’s true…then will she go after me next? She’s probably figured out that I was the one who saw her, and I’m also an obstacle to her, but she hasn’t attacked me yet. Why didn’t she try to kill me so I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone about her murdering Lucas? Since she’s missing, and arrived in time for everything that happened here, she must’ve rushed over here and was involved in the abduction. Either way, that damned monster will never get away with what it did. Lucas didn’t deserve to die, and I’ll kill it myself if I have to.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: Tears, Scene v1
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tears, Scene v1
The sun was blinding when Sara finally awoke. She sat up on the boulder under the willow, her entire boy aching, and her eyes undoubtedly puffed. Rays of light streamed between the hanging leaves of the willow, pouring over the red and yellow leaf-covered ground. Normally she would find it quite pretty, but she saw no beauty in it now. Looking to her left, she saw his corpse still lying there, covered in dry blood. Her eyes ached, and would’ve shed tears if they had not run dry the night before.
She rose to her feet, feeling weak and aged, slinging her quiver over her shoulder and picking her bow up off the floor. She lumbered back toward Luin, every step feeling heavier than the last. It all seemed surreal, like some horrendous nightmare that wouldn’t end. On her sixteenth birthday, a year and seven months after enrolling in elite training, Lucas was her hand-to-hand sparring partner. She always struggled with hand-to-hand combat, but Lucas offered to help teach her outside of training. Accepting his offer, she was humbled every day by the clear difference in their skill in fighting close quarters, but he never belittled her, and always kept a smile. For an entire year, she trained with him almost every day, until she passed the close quarter examinations. Throughout the year, she couldn’t help but fall for him. His lean body, his smooth dark hair, his bright smile, his contagious laugh, his caring nature, and how he always manages to cheer people up.
All of that was gone now—stolen by the traitor of a Catheran. If only I had gotten there a little sooner...then I could’ve stopped her and he would still be alive. Her mind almost felt as heavy as her body, drowning in a sea of questions. She never trusted the beast, but she never believed it would murder Lucas. Lucas was the kindest person she knew. Everybody loved him. If only she weren’t in such shock, she could’ve killed the monster.
The village was already busy by the time Sara reached the square. Everyone stared at her, exchanging whispers or asking her what happened, but she ignored them and walked straight toward the Lucas’ home. She stood in front of the tailor shop, peering at his mother through the window. The times she visited Lucas at home, his mother was always smiling and cheerful, much like him. But not today. Mrs. Damire seemed fine enough last night, but she the worry was clear in her voice when she told Sara that Lucas had gone out to the willow. And of course, he didn’t come back.
Sara wanted nothing more than to turn around and wander down the road, but Mrs. Damire was his mother, and she deserved to know what happened to her son. Or maybe Sara just wanted someone else to share in her pain. She wiped her face with her hands, caring little for the dried blood that covered them. Fighting back the anxiety that plagued her, she pulled the handle. The bell jingled as the door opened, but Sara stood there hesitantly. “Welcome! Please have a look around, I’ll be right with you in a moment,” called out Lucas’ mother.
Holly, a painter who lived in Luin, stood at the counter, talking to Maria. Sara could not bring herself to step into the shop. She stood just out of sight of the counter, her body trembling uncontrollably, her mouth quivering. “Just a minute, Holly,” came Mrs. Damire’s voice. With each of her footsteps, Sara’s heart wrenched. She wanted to run away, to keep running until she woke up from the nightmare, but it was too late. “Sara…?”
Sara’s eyes met hers. Her eyes grew wide with fear. It were as though she understood everything from looking at Sara. Her face contorted with terror, sadness, and confusion. She shook her head in disbelief as tears escaped her eyes. Covering her mouth with her hands, she choked on a sob. “Lucas,” she cried, shoving Sara aside and running out the door with Holly chasing after her.
“Lucas,” Sara heard her cry, again and again, as she ran north toward the willow. Sara felt what little strength she had left drain from her. She collapsed onto her knees and cried until the tears stopped again.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Monday, January 25, 2010
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.”
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Next: Tears, Scene v1
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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.?”
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Next: Collapse (Part 5), Scene v1
Friday, January 15, 2010
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.”
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Next: Collapse (Part 4), Scene v1
