"Chosen 7b"
By;fernand jiro
“Saddness,” murmured a soft voice.
Raleigh looked up quickly to see a beautiful young woman staring down at him. She wore a finely tailored dress with her golden hair in two braided loops. A quizzical look blanketed her face as she studied Raleigh. “How…strange,” she continued with a tilted head.
“Who are you?” asked Raleigh startled.
The woman stood staring for a moment as if she had not heard what Raleigh said. He stood slowly, feeling uncomfortable with her eyes following his every movement. After an awkward moment of silence she replied, “I am…Kaliya. Yes, Kaliya.” Her eyes focused on Raleigh’s, staring deep into them. Raleigh gazed back into her eyes, deep wells of dark violet, gentle yet mysterious. “Why are you here?” she asked.
“What?” Raleigh replied in almost a trance like state.
“Oh…you are searching for something,” she said softly. “No, not something. Someone. Who? Who is it that you seek?”
Raleigh slid away from Kaliya and looked around. No one was looking toward them. Everyone was attending to their business, most waiting for the chance to take what they could from the house. Even Bria was oblivious to the strange woman as she continued to ‘talk’ to the High Father. Raleigh began to worry as the woman continued to stare with her gentle yet piercing eyes.
“I…want to find my friends,” he said finally.
“Friends?” Kaliya echoed. She looked down to her right. “Friends…”
“Are you all right?” Raleigh asked with a tilted head.
Kaliya looked up again into Raleigh’s eyes then smiled softly. A sudden feeling of peace flowed over him and all caution subsided, giving way to a feeling of security. “You are a kind person,” she murmured. “Thinking of your friends…and then of me.” Kaliya’s face slowly turned from a warming smile to a saddened frown. “It would have been different if you were there. The path may have been different, brighter perhaps, with safe daisies or sunflowers. Not the treacherous, thorny roses that tempted us down a path of darkness and gloom.”
A cold shiver took hold of Raleigh’s spine. The air around him became chilly, wakening hundreds of goose bumps on his skin. He felt no wind even though he could hear the leaves of the trees nearby continue to dance. The urge to call out and run overwhelmed him but for he could not. Something held his muscles tightly, unrelenting in its grasp.
“Who…are you?” he asked, straining to break free.
“Darkness, despair,” Kaliya murmured. “It is a cold path we tread.”
“Kaliya,” whispered a smooth, baritone voice. It seemed to emanate from all around them, not coming from any one direction.
Warm air rushed in on them, wrapping around Raleigh like a heavy blanket. He felt the grasping force on his muscles loosen slowly until he was able to push himself back away from Kaliya and against the wall behind him. Blood raced through his veins as his heart pounded with a mixture of fear and awe. Darting his eyes to Bria who was slowly making her way back to him, her head down in sorrow, Raleigh believed he knew what the woman before him was.
“Are you…?” he asked as he looked back to Kaliya.
The voice whispered again before Raleigh could finish his question, “Kaliya.”
Kaliya looked off into empty air and nodded then looked to Raleigh, smiling again. “So kind,” she stated again. “Perhaps…daisies and sunflowers will bloom again down the path.”
Raleigh jumped to his feet and attempted to repeat his question. “Are you one of the Clan Roaz?” he asked hastily.
Kaliya did not answer, instead lowering her head and closed her eyes. “Perhaps lilies,” she murmured again with a gentle smile. The ground began to shimmer as a pool of blue light rippled away from her feet. She began to sink slowly into the light, looking up again to Raleigh. Her dark violet eyes caught his again and held unto them until she disappeared completely.
With a thud, Raleigh fell to the ground and blinked, confused and frightened at what had happened. He took a deep breath, holding a moment before slowly releasing it. Looking around he noticed that no one had noticed the woman. Each proceeded with their business at hand. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, not even the ground before him that turned into shimmering blue light.
Bria stopped next to him and plopped down to lean against Raleigh. Her eyes were red and dry from crying. She sniffled softly as she put her arm through Raleigh’s and squeezed tightly to it. Raleigh looked down and gently stroked her hair, attempting to hold his composure in front of the sad child. She nuzzled into his arm and whimpered quietly.
“Did you talk to him?” asked Raleigh.
Bria nodded against his arm and murmured, “Yes…”
“What did he say?”
“It will be all right.”
Raleigh slipped his arm out of hers and pulled her closer to him. Bria instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist as he held her tightly. They sat in silence; Bria drawing on Raleigh for comfort and strength to live with the realization that Imogene was gone. Raleigh contemplated what had just happened to him, wondering if it was dream, illusion, or if Kaliya really did appear before him.
“Are you going to sit there all day?” asked a voice behind them. Raleigh looked up to see Daegan looking down at them. “Or will you actually do something useful?”
Raleigh shook his head. “Please leave us alone for now,” he murmured.
Daegan’s eyes flared. “What did you say?” he asked.
“I asked if you would please leave us alone.”
Grabbing the back of Raleigh’s shirt, Daegan hauled him up to his feet and glared into his eyes. “You aren’t the only ones who lost something.”
Raleigh stared back with surprise and a small sliver of fear. “Wha…what?”
“Each of us has to deal with the fact that we are no longer home,” Daegan replied, pushing his face closer to Raleigh’s. “Stop mourning the fact that the princess is gone. You weren’t good enough for her anyway.”
“May…Mayla?” Raleigh asked. His fear diminished slowly as a spark lit up inside.
“Mayla?” asked Daegan. “You call her Mayla? She is a princess and deserves more respect than that!” He let fly a punch into Raleigh’s stomach, sending him to his knees. “She is your superior. Not your equal. Stop pretending otherwise.”
Raleigh coughed into the dirt below him then slowly staggered to his feet. “You…know nothing.”
Daegan arched his eyebrow. “Do you think you are of noble blood? Or…perhaps the heir to a bastard line that sprang from The Forge’s line? What don’t I know?”
“I…mourn them all,” Raleigh responded, a hint of anger seeping from his voice. He slowly rose to his feet, cltching his stomach, and returned Daegan’s glare, determined not to back down. “The crew of the Gallant, Princess Mayla, Imogene, Citro…but mostly my mentor. I mourn Mornic Kaliste above them all.” With the sudden realization of what he just said lowered head Raleigh and shuddered from a mixture of guilt and pain. “I know…my duty is to mourn all death. Mornic would have…mourn all equally regardless of feelings. But I…I cannot.”
Daegan scoffed. “You did not have feelings for her, then?” he asked.
Raleigh looked into Daegan’s eyes, unflinching and unblinking. “How could I? I have only spoken to her twice.”
“Good,” replied Daegan as he turned around.
“Why is that good?” asked Raleigh.
The warrior looked back and answered, “Because you should know your place. Now see if you can’t help out.” He walked back into the house leaving Raleigh still clutching his stomach with Bria sitting at his side.
“I don’t like him,” she whimpered.
Raleigh eased himself back down and took her under his arm again. “He is not friendly, no,” he murmured. “But he did help us save this place…and you as well,” Raleigh added. Bria nodded slowly into his chest. “Come, let’s see what we can do to take our minds off this unpleasantness.”
* * * * * * *
Early in the morning Raleigh set the sleepy Bria down into a cart, bundled up snuggly in a finely woven, thick blanket that served the Varagen Family for many years. He smiled as she instantly fell into a deep sleep again and set to helping pack the other cart for the journey to Katli. Many of the villagers were eager to help as well. Even Hadin Maremo offered his help, thought he moved with extra caution whenever he noticed Caslian watching him.
Pallan spoke with one of the local farmers who often traveled to Katli in order to clarify the directions on a finely drawn map found among Varagen’s belongings. It was a very detailed map of the area, showing landmarks and signs that might otherwise have been missed. With the farmer’s help Pallan was able to plot a path that avoided most of the locations that were well known for bandit attacks without sacrificing too much time.
“Thank you, sir,” Pallan said with a bow. “You were most helpful.”
“It was my pleasure, young lady,” replied the elderly farmer. “I do hope that your journey is pleasant and safe from danger.”
“Pallan!” called Squill from the carts. “We are loaded up and ready to go!”
Pallan nodded to Squill then turned to the farmer. “Again, thank you.” She walked to one of the carts, hoisted herself up into the seat, and took the reigns. Raleigh sat next to her looking back to Bria still sound asleep. Daegan joined Squill in the front of their cart followed by Caslian in the back. They waved to everyone and began their journey to Katli. As they were nearly out from the valley the sounds of looting could be heard behind them but only Caslian looked back to see, chuckling softly.
“You’d think they were half starved dogs,” he murmured.
“A hundred years of oppression builds up,” replied Daegan. “Did anyone ever find out what they did with Varagen?”
Caslian kept watching, a grin slowly crossing his lips. “It is lucky he did not have a family.”
“Why’s that?” asked Squill.
“Because if what they are doing to him is any indication of their hatred…I would not be surprised if his family shared the same fate.”
Squill almost turned to look but heard the faint sounds of painful cries fading in the distance and struggled to continue facing forward. “I…”
Caslian chuckled. “Don’t be surprised,” he said. “This form of justice had its place in Jalstiria as well.”
“At any rate, it’s none of our business any more,” remarked Daegan. He whipped the reigns to catch up to the other cart. “How long is the journey?” he asked Pallan.
“It should not take more than a week,” answered Pallan. “Depending on how long we rest. We will need to avoid some areas that have been plagued by bandits, which added travel time to the journey, but if we keep a constant pace we should arrive within two or three days. If we take frequent rest then it will take longer.”
“And if we are stopped by bandits?” asked Caslian casually.
“We will handle it as needed.”
“Soon,” replied Caslian.
Squill looked back to the assassin. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Caslian looked around the countryside carefully, slowly analyzing their surroundings. “We are being watched,” he murmured. “This soon out of the valley too. Someone must have ties with the bandits.”
Pallan furrowed her brow. “When they make their move we will make ours,” replied Pallan. “No since in forcing their hand.”
“Agreed,” Caslian stated. “Though I would recommend altering our route as we go incase we are traveling into a trap.” Raleigh gulped quietly and looked around cautiously. Caslian looked over to him and chuckled. “Do not look suspicious. If they suspect that we know they will strike sooner rather than later.”
Raleigh nodded. “I…understand.”
“Just be ready for when they do,” added Daegan.
“We will drive as long as the horses will go,” Pallan stated calmly. “If we rest then they will almost surely attack.”
“We are a small enough caravan,” commented Caslian. “That would be the most profitable course of action.”
They continued on in silence, Caslian informing them whenever a change in the movements behind the scenes occurred. Soon the sun had risen high in the sky, soaring through a near cloudless sea of blue. Along the horizon images of the grass and trees began to shimmer, as the air around them grew hotter.
“Look!” cried Bria suddenly as she pointed out to the prairie.
Caslian immediately stood in his cart with his hands reaching for his throwing daggers. Squill pulled his sword from the back, holding ready for an attack as he scanned the surroundings. Both Daegan and Pallan held their eyes on the road and prepared to dart forward if the situation demanded.
Raleigh looked back to Bria and followed her line of sight to a herd of creatures to their left. They were tall, four-legged creatures with hooves. Some had extravagant manes with complimentary tails that nearly touched the ground, both full of multiple shades of red, brown, and gold while others did not have such glamorous features. Their golden fur was short, covering them from their hooves to their short snouts.
“Amazing,” murmured Raleigh.
Caslian knelt down and squinted his eyes. “They are too tall to be horses.”
“They are so pretty!” exclaimed Bria.
“What are they?” asked Squill.
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