ã€ŠApocalypse Boyã€‹


 In Which I Doomed the World: Part One

    In Which I Doomed the World

    I was a delver on the day I found the copper egg.

    One thousand yards beneath the ground, that was where we found the cavern.

    No, not cavern.

    Throne room.

    My business partner, Elora, and I descended into the ruins from above, riding upon floating platforms of the Ancients¡¯ own design. The only light was that which we brought with us: glowing stones in our headbands. Inky darkness crept about, looking for a chance to catch us unawares. Being the rational man I was, I feared darklings, the beasts that lurked in the black outside the warmth of any Everburn. So, I kept in my hand a silver-edge, a weapon the Ancients had developed to fight the lurking terrors. I ignited the blade, causing white light to fill the fuller.

    In the shadows around us, cast by broken pillars and crumbled walls, I was sure I saw faces watching me. The cruel and hungry grins of creatures more horrible than I could imagine. Some, I¡¯m sure, were mere tricks of the light. Projections from my fear-oppressed brain. Others were surely even more fearsome than they appeared.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The ceiling from which we¡¯d lowered arched like a distant sky, and the floor beneath our boots was steel. Something glimmered in the darkness, and I turned my face so that the stone in my headband would reveal it.

    Upon a throne of bones it rested, as big as a drunkard¡¯s belly, an egg made of copper. From the tip of the top to the base of the bottom, the copper egg held the runes of the Ancients, a language I knew, but had not yet mastered.

    The moment Elora and I laid eyes on it we were sure we¡¯d just made our fortune. A relic that size was sure to fetch a pretty penny with the masters at the Great Library. But only now do I know for sure that, like me, my business partner felt something other than mere greed upon beholding that egg. We both felt that humming in our chests, the ancient treasure¡¯s call to embrace all it wanted to give us.

    Elora and I approached the throne made of bones, some animal and some human. It was surprising that the darklings had not yet consumed these bones for the marrow.

    Reading the inscription from the egg¡¯s small side, I recognized but one word:

    Zahac.

    The Ancients¡¯ name for the Dark Lord.

 In Which I Doomed us All: Part Two

    We did the only thing sane people would do after reading the name of pure evil on something they found in the cities of those who¡¯d been dead for a thousand years. We took the copper egg back to the Great Library at Naukratis for the masters to study. What else does one do with a relic which holds that Hellish name other than take it to the most learned men in the world?

    Two weeks later, they called a meeting of the High Council to speak about what we were to do with the copper egg. Elora and I, as the ones who found it, were invited to attend.

    All thirteen High Council members met that day, the wisest of all masters in one place, to decide the fate of the copper egg. The subject of this meeting rested on a pillow in the center of the room, in blissful ignorance of its destiny.

    The first among the councilmen to speak was Lavan, a man who¡¯d been a master at the library since before I was born. Though his face did not show a hint of age beyond forty, his hair was white as a bride¡¯s garter.

    ¡°We have deciphered the letters upon this shell,¡± he said, adjusting round spectacles around half-lidded eyes. ¡°According to the words here, the egg contains Zahac, the Accuser of Kings, who took shelter here after his conquest one-thousand years ago.¡±

    My defeated sigh was the only voice heard in that amphitheater. All on the High Council had kept mind of their manners, as had fair Elora.

    Lavan shot a furious glare at me, but continued. ¡°A venom more dangerous than any serpent brews within him, and when he breaks free he will pass judgment upon us all. At least, that¡¯s what it says.¡± Lavan rose from his seat and walked up to the copper egg in the center of the room. He held his hand aloft, turned his palm away from the egg, and tapped it with the red stone upon his middle-finger ring.

    Ancient runes shone forth from the center of the ring¡¯s stone, but the symbols on the egg did not glow. Even so, I heard a high-pitched ringing in my ears the moment after the stone connected.

    ¡°Unremarkable,¡± said Lavan. He shrugged and held up his hands. ¡°We have kept this copper egg in the light of the morning star day after day, evening after evening, but it hasn¡¯t retained an ounce of that energy.¡±

    The ringing sound grew louder, and I stuck my fingers in both ears to drown it out. I felt like needles had pierced through my temples, into my brain. Yet, when I looked around at the others there, no one on the High Council showed any sign of discomfort.

    Do none of them hear it?

    I turned to observe Elora. Though her white eyes remained calm as ever, I saw the slightest downward tug on the corner of her lip, followed by a shake of her head.

    ¡°My hypothesis:¡± Lavan continued, thrusting his index finger into the air. ¡°Since our tests have concluded that this egg has no magic, it is a bauble. A decoration. Possibly an object of religious significance, but not magic. Our masters have spoken Ancient words to it, read the inscription aloud, and tested it with other relics. It has not reacted to a single thing, and does not glow in the dark even after constant contact with its patron light. Clearly it has no purpose other than to be beautiful. You may discuss.¡±

    The other members of the High Council turned to their most trusted friends in murmur. Some passed notes. Others whispered in ears.

    One of them stood, an elf who was almost as respected as Lavan. Kedar.

    His beard had long since turned gray, despite a brow devoid of wrinkles and a full head of frizzy, orange hair. His face was framed by pointed ears, from which hung silver earrings. He adjusted the single lens over his right eye and raised his hand with fingers held tight, side by side like a picket fence. ¡°May I speak?¡±

    Lavan gave an affirming gesture with his right hand. ¡°Councilman Kedar has something to say.¡±

    ¡°If the copper egg is simply decorative,¡± the elf began, running his fingers through the thick curls of his beard, ¡°I would suggest that we display it in the museum wing of the Great Library. Something so beautiful will surely draw visitors from far and wide, and they will pay patronage to see it.¡± He rubbed his fingers and thumb together to stir up greed in his colleagues. Even I imagined holding gold or even platinum coins when I saw the gesture. ¡°That is my proposal.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Lavan nodded. ¡°I second this proposal. Does anyone have an alternative?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t at all sure of the rules, but in that moment I would¡¯ve felt a fool if I did not speak up. ¡°Pardon me, masters...¡± I raised my right hand as I saw Kedar do before. ¡°Can I speak?¡±

    The Councilmen all looked to Lavan. It seemed that, as the man who organized the meeting, he was the only one who could grant me such a privilege. Lavan gave an affirming gesture to me. ¡°You may speak. We do not typically allow outsiders to weigh in on Council matters, but in this case it seems appropriate.¡± He pursed his lips and squinted. ¡°Forgive me... what was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Ahv,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Ahv,¡± he repeated with a nod. ¡°Ahv has something he would like to say,¡± he called out to the rest of the High Council.

    I looked up at all the wise faces staring back at me. Their eyes told of the many years of experience they held and the vast knowledge they¡¯d gleaned from the scrolls in their library.

    I cleared my throat, focused just above their heads rather than at their eyes, and spoke, ¡°I get a terrible feeling from this egg. I¡¯m not a superstitious man, mind you. I may not be as well-studied as any of you, but I know that everything from the Ancients follows specific rules, even¡­ especially their magic. But while you always tell folk like me that we can¡­ what¡¯s the word.. ¡®quantify¡® those rules, I also know that you can¡¯t really understand them.¡± I pointed to Lavan¡¯s ring. ¡°If you could understand them, you could make your own lac stones and replicate the relics. You wouldn¡¯t need delvers like me.¡±

    Some gave me only raised eyebrows or looks as if they felt embarrassed for me. Kedar seemed to be the only one considering that I might have a point as he twisted the end of his gray beard between his thumb and forefinger.

    I pointed to the egg. ¡°What if this egg really does contain Zahac? What if he hatches and is set loose on the world?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Masters, please, I read the book you released last year. You still don¡¯t know why the Ancients are gone, but we read constantly about their ¡®End Times Myths.¡¯ Can we really afford to dismiss it as a fairy tale? The gamble seems high if the stories are real.¡±

    The High Council waited in silence for several moments after I finished, their wise eyes fixed upon me. It took me longer than I feel proud of to realize they were waiting for me to say more. Worse yet when I realized the reason why they were waiting.

    ¡°Umm¡­ that is my proposal,¡± I said, to indicate that I was done speaking.

    They reclined back in their chairs and resumed their mixed expressions of pity and disgust.

    All except Kedar, who still leaned forward with his beard twisted between two fingers.

    Elora turned to me and gave me a sympathetic half-smile, silently applauding me for trying.

    Lavan called our over the egg in the center of the room, ¡°He¡¯s made an interesting proposal, but he does not have a vote on this council. Does anyone else have something they wish to say about this?¡±

    Kedar raised his hand and stood. ¡°May I respond to Ahv¡¯s proposal?¡±

    Lavan gave him the affirming gesture. ¡°Kedar wishes to respond.¡±

    ¡°May we make it an open dialogue?¡± Kedar asked.

    ¡°You may,¡± said Lavan.

    Kedar pointed to me. ¡°You think the egg may actually contain the Ancients¡¯ Prince of Chaos and Destruction? The Great Serpent? The Judge of All? As unlikely as that seems, given that we can detect nothing special about it, let¡¯s assume you¡¯re right. What, then, would you suggest we do? Shall we try to smash it to pieces? How do we know that doing so will not... unleash Zahac¡¯s wrath upon us? Respond.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess smashing the egg would be dangerous.¡± I raised my fingers to my mouth and chewed on the back of my index knuckle. ¡°We can¡¯t chop it up with a gold-edge either, that could set him free. What if we melted it down?¡±

    I heard the snorts of suppressed laughter from the High Council, but Kedar and Lavan kept their composure.

    Kedar gestured to me with two fingers. ¡°Are you done speaking?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ yes¡­ for now.¡±

    ¡°Melting it down does not seem any safer than breaking it,¡± said the bearded elf with a shake of his head. ¡°You told us you know the stories of the Ancients. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°Then, surely you¡¯ve heard that Zahac often appears wreathed in flames, and that no mortal weapon can harm him?¡± A smirk tried to take the corner of Kedar¡¯s lip, but he kept it subdued. My cheeks burned red-hot. ¡°So, if we¡¯re at all worried that he is in this egg, surely even the heat of the furnace will not save us from him. If this is the real egg of Zahac, then... I dare say there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±

    Defeated, I slunk away, hanging my head. ¡°Right¡­ Do what you will.¡±

    Kedar nodded. ¡°I believe our dialogue is complete.¡±

    Lavan turned to his peers again. ¡°Are there any other suggestions from a member of this council?¡± When all were silent in response, Lavan said, ¡°Very well. We shall display this copper egg in the museum wing of the Great Library. The delvers shall be compensated for their work, and we request that they refrain from--¡± he turned his eyes accusingly at me, ¡°--spreading wild rumors about what the egg may or may not containnnnn.¡± The final ¡®n¡¯ came through gritted teeth. The first sign he¡¯d given me that he was in any way displeased.

    ¡°You can count on us, masters,¡± said Elora

 In Which I Doomed the World: Part Three

    That same night, I stayed in the guest wing of the Great Library. A night under their roof was part of my reward for retrieving the copper egg for them, even if it was just an artifact and not a relic.

    I awoke to a hum coming from within my own ribcage. My heart¡¯s every vessel quivered, and the hairs on my chest stood on end.

    I sat up and rubbed my sternum, trying to make the hum go away. I beat on my breast three times and it did not leave me. Ten more, and it was still there.

    So, I donned a robe and took my silver-edge from its spot under the window, where it had been drawing power from the moon¡¯s light. If the trembling around my heart was the call of Zahac I would stand no chance of defeating him, even with an Ancient sword. But it still made me feel better to be armed with a little magic.

    The halls of the Great Library were dark, every candle snuffed out because no one wanted to risk an unwatched spark finding its way to the scrolls. I knew that if I brought with me any light I would draw the masters¡¯ questions. Considering that Lavan had warned me not to spread ¡®wild rumors¡¯ about the egg, I¡¯d have no good explanation to the guards if I was caught approaching it at night.

    Fortunately, the guards did not care about drawing attention to themselves.

    I reached the bottom of the spiral staircase and saw white light down the corridor, emanating from the glowing stone in the forehead of a guard¡¯s cap. The light shimmered and danced on the library¡¯s quartz walls, reflecting a every color my eyes knew. In his hand, the guard held an iron-edge, which shone blood red in the fuller.

    The hum in my heart grew stronger, and my breathing grew ragged.

    Fortunately, the guard on patrol was walking away from me at the time, so, with my body close to the ground, I scurried past to hide behind one of the scroll shelves.

    The forty-million scrolls of the Great Library sat behind a grate made of iron bars with Ancient runes. Arcs of red lightning danced in the gaps, daring anyone foolish enough to try to reach in and take a scroll.

    But this level of security was actually rather silly, because a real burglar would pick the much simpler lock and open the case.

    Noting this as I passed made me realize that I¡¯d left all my own lockpicking tools back in my quarters. If I was to get near the egg and discover the source of the hum in my chest, I could only hope they did not put it behind red bars yet.

    Ahead, I could see that I would no longer have the cover of the bookcases to hide me from the guards¡¯ light. There, white rays shone upon the floor, separating the shadows where I could stay hidden.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    A gap between shadows.

    Crossing it was as dangerous as jumping across a ravine. The punishment for burglarizing the Great Library was death by crucifixion. If I was caught, they¡¯d assume me a thief. Only when that thought struck me did I forget why I¡¯d decided this trek to the museum wing was worth it.

    The light still shone in front of me, so I knew the guard had not looked away. But I noticed a steady, rocking rhythm of the light, accompanied by a sound like gravel in a grain mill.

    Is he asleep on the job?

    I held out my silver-edge and angled it so the tip could act as a mirror and allow me to peer around the corner. I¡¯d risk the guard laying eyes on it, but it was better than sticking my head out there. In the blades reflection, I saw that the guard was facing the other way at the moment, and slumped against a pillar.

    Is he asleep?

    I slipped through the field of light, and into the corridor which led to the museum wing. The room was almost pitch-black, but I could hear the high-pitched ringing in my ears, as before. It was just as piercing, just as cruel. The hum in my chest was an army of drummers all slightly out of time with each other.

    Down the corridor, I arrived at the museum wing. Countless colorful baubles and trinkets sat behind red bars. Sapphires carved into the shape of dolphins. Emeralds that looked like manticore eyes. Goblets encrusted with pearls. Each rested behind a sign explaining what the masters thought the artifact meant in as few words as possible. At times, I wondered how the artists who created these beautiful works might have felt to have their masterpieces summed up so simply as ¡°Ancient Jewelry.¡±

    Even in the low light of the museum wing, my eyes quickly found their way to the copper egg, and my chest pulsated, as if my heart were trying to reach out and grab the treasure. The egg had been placed behind red bars, but they had been melted away at the center, and a pool of solid iron lay on the floor. The egg lay unprotected, an easy target for any thief to come in and take.

    Or, for me to destroy.

    I held out my silver-edge and ran my thumb over the crimson lac stone at the center of the cross-guard. The fuller in the center of the blade illuminated with white light.

    Dread grasped both my hands and shook them more fervently with every step I took nearer to the artifact.

    Crack!

    A line split down the middle of the copper egg, and my heart leaped into my throat. I wanted to cry for help, but with my heart blocking my vocal cords it was impossible. My weapon raised high above me in my hand, ready to strike a feeble blow against the abomination I¡¯d brought up from the ruins.

    The two halves of the shell fell away, filling the room with steam. I shielded my eyes from the intense heat as it billowed past me and out of the room. Sparks sputtered from the fuller of my silver-edge.

    And I heard a baby cry.

    When I dared to open my eyes again, I peered down at what had been hidden inside the copper shell. A bowl as big as a miner¡¯s helmet sat upon the floor. In it lay a newborn baby boy, his body engulfed in orange gel.

    I lowered my weapon.

    While I¡¯d readied myself for a fierce, albeit short, battle with Zahac, nothing had prepared me for that moment, staring down at a weeping infant. I don¡¯t remember the thoughts that went through my head, but in an instant I scooped up the child in my arms and rocked him gently.

    At the time, I denied it to myself. I knew who the child was. I understood the destruction I was sure to unleash on the world. But when he stopped crying, he looked up at me with the azure eyes of an innocent babe. Eyes which looked at me in a way no one ever had.

 Seven Years Later

    Seven Years Later

    The countryside seemed a much better place to raise a child than the heart of Naukratis, so I moved.

    The little town of Oakbridge I thought was the best place for a ¡°widowed¡± father to go with his only son. Not just for the schoolhouse the community had built there, but for the lovely, unmarried women who might find a lonely father an attractive prospect.

    But, to woo such ladies, one must appear a decent father, and when the school¡¯s headmistress called me to her office to talk about Zac¡¯s behavior again, I felt my prospects dwindling.

    Keren sat behind her desk when I walked in the room.

    The school¡¯s elven headmistress wore luminescent rings on either middle finger. The rings were made of gold, and their red stones, aglow with Ancient runes, pointed inward. A ball of golden light, like a fist-sized sun, danced in the space between her hands as she swirled them about.

    That same golden light illuminated Keren¡¯s snow-white face and made her silken hair glimmer like the night sky. Her doe eyes shone a deep shade of amber, jewels half-hidden behind smiling eyelids. Those pointed, elven ears so perfectly framed that soft, inviting face.

    But that smile wavered when her pupils swiveled to me. ¡°Ahv. You¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged my shoulders before positioning myself on the chair across from Keren¡¯s desk. ¡°You wanted to see me, ma¡¯am?¡±

    Keren snickered and shook her head. ¡°Ahv, how many times have you come to see me in my office again? By now we don¡¯t have to be so formal.¡±

    ¡°We do when I¡¯m in trouble,¡± I said. ¡°I am in trouble, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°No, but Zac is,¡± she said.

    ¡°If my son¡¯s in trouble, so am I,¡± I responded. ¡°I promised myself I¡¯d raise that boy right.¡±

    Keren sighed and said, ¡°Your son nearly beat another boy senseless today.  I had to use a kinetic ring to pull him off. He was flailing about like a brood of vipers.¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s not my fault!¡± I blurted out. The instant I saw her annoyed brow I knew that now was not the time to be making such poor attempts at humor. I groaned and held my cheeks in both hands. ¡°Ugh! Did my son explain why he beat the other boy up?¡±

    Keren shook her head, the copper earrings I¡¯d just then noticed swaying with her dark locks. ¡°He hasn¡¯t said a word since I put him in the Lonely Room. I told him he could come out when either he talked or you came to get him.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± I tapped my fingers together and pursed my lips, exaggerating the depths of my thoughts. ¡°So, I can go in and speak with him now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you may.¡±

    With her emphasis on the last word I knew she¡¯d just corrected me again. ¡°Thank you,¡± was all I said in response, avoiding eye contact as I passed her and walked to the door of the Lonely Room.

    A sign was posted on the door with a picture of a sad face. The first time I saw it, I snickered at such a silly-looking doodle. But after so many times I¡¯d passed it, I¡¯d come to feel some sympathy with that frown.

    And, of course, for the boy behind that door.

    When I entered he stood in the far corner, muttering. The moment the door opened his mouth closed. His dark eyes cast down as he kicked at the floor. Behind his back hung his arms, fingers locked together. His dark hair had fallen over his forehead, and when I entered he tilted his head forward to hide behind his hair like a mask.

    This was one reason I no longer allowed him to decide how long his hair would grow to be, for I made sure he¡¯d never be able to hide his face from me. We would deal with each other face to face, as men.

    But I also understood that if I were to enforce the rule of us meeting face to face as men, then I needed him to trust me as a fellow man. So, when I entered I flopped down to sit on the floor next to him and sighed. ¡°Plain walls¡­ no toys¡­ no one to talk to. This isn¡¯t so great, is it?¡±

    Zac shook his head, but remained silent. His eyes slowly found their way up my chin, the bridge of my nose, to my eyes for a second, and then to the top of my head.

    At least it¡¯s face to face, even if not eye to eye¡­

    Sitting this close to him, I could hear his uneven breathing through his nostrils. His heart must have still been pounding from the fight.

    ¡°Do you want to talk about what happened?¡± I asked.

    Zac shook his head and lowered his eyes to my nose again.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± I gave a confused look. ¡°That¡¯s funny, I think if someone made me so upset that I beat him up I¡¯d want to talk about why I got so upset. Otherwise it would just make me sick inside.¡± I faked a comical gag and held my hand over my mouth.

    Zac pursed his lips and raised his fist to hit me. I did not flinch, and his knuckles stopped so close to my face that I could smell the chalk on his fingers. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and returned it to its proper place behind his back.

    ¡°Sounded like you were talking to someone just a second ago,¡± I said, giving a quick glance around the room. I suspected that he was talking to his ¡°invisible¡± friend, Mr. Muk, again. Some of the other parents, upon hearing that Zac was talking to an imaginary companion expressed some concern, but I always thought it was good that he always had someone to talk to, even when I wasn¡¯t there. Or, in moments like this, where he didn¡¯t want to talk to me.

    ¡°If it was Mr. Muk you were talking to,¡± I said, ¡°Maybe we can talk to him together?¡±

    Zac shook his head.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I continued, ¡°...in any event, we can¡¯t leave the Lonely Room until we talk about what happened.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Those are the rules.¡±

    Zac clenched both his fists down at his side and ground his heel on the floor, his nostrils flared, and blurted out, ¡°He said you killed my mom!¡±

    For a moment, I forgot every word I knew. But I shook my head to snap out of it and raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Who did? The other boy?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the accusation¡­ do you believe him?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°No!¡± Zac grunted. ¡°He¡¯s a liar!¡±

    ¡°Is that why you hit him?¡± I asked. ¡°Because he lied about me?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s why I spat on him,¡± Zac said, a hint of pride in his voice that he failed to suppress.

    ¡°Oh.¡± I scratched my beard at the jawline and said, ¡°So, I guess he didn¡¯t like that much?¡±

    Zac looked up, over my head again. ¡°Yeah. He twisted my arm.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s when you hit him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± said Zac. ¡°That was when I kicked him.¡±

    I snorted with laughter, but immediately suppressed it. In spite of how funny I found it that he completely missed my point, I didn¡¯t want him to think this was a good thing.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s when you fought back. Did it hurt?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he rubbed his belly, likely a place where the other boy had hit him.

    ¡°So, what happened next?¡± I asked.

    Zac proceeded to tell me the whole fight in copious detail. The boys took the fight to the ground immediately. Every punch, every bite, every kick he remembered so vividly. But he wrestled his way to the top and began beating on the other boy with both fists. That was where I stopped his story.

    ¡°You beat him and you didn¡¯t just get up and run away?¡± I interjected.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Zac said with a questioning look.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He said you killed my mom!¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s a liar?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, stone-faced.

    ¡°So, you beat him up because he¡¯s a liar?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Immediately after the word left his mouth and he¡¯d crossed his arms he got a look like he¡¯d just been caught with his toes in a mousetrap. ¡°No! Because he was hitting me! He started it!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you finished it,¡± I said. ¡°But then you didn¡¯t stop when it was over.¡± I shook my head. ¡°The boy you beat up, what¡¯s his name?¡±

    Zac pouted and looked away from me again. ¡°He started it!¡±

    ¡°So I hear. Can you tell me his name, Caz?¡±

    Caz was an affectionate nickname I¡¯d come up with for him when I taught him how to spell his name and showed him what it looked like spelled backwards. We knew it was the name only family was allowed to call him. A name we never used in front of strangers.

    And this time he fought the smile the sound of his nickname fought to bring to his lips. ¡°Lii,¡± said Zac.

    ¡°Lii was his name?¡±

    Zac said nothing, his bulbous eyes attempting to bore holes in my chin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll assume that¡¯s a ¡®yes.¡¯ Does Lii have any older brothers? Or friends?¡±

    Zac said nothing, but the paranoid glance to his left spoke volumes.

    ¡°Because,¡± I continued, ¡°If Lii does have friends you might have to worry about them coming to get revenge. What are you going to do if his friends or his older brothers come to pay you back?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± his eyes widened and his forehead wrinkled with stress.

    ¡°Dang¡­¡± I crossed my arms and gave a sympathetic sigh. ¡°You¡¯re in big trouble, I think. What are you going to do? I don¡¯t think I could fight so many boys off at once without getting hurt real bad! Could you?¡±

    He looked up at my nose and shook his head.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Maybe¡­ apologize to Lii so he¡¯s not mad.¡±

    ¡°I heard Mr. Benji did that when he was a kid and it worked.¡± I gave an enthusiastic smile and nod as I mentioned the name of his hero, the man who was like an uncle, or even a second father to him: Benjamin Strato.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± He gave the faintest reflection of my enthusiasm and  a nod of his head.

    ¡°BUT!¡± I raised an index finger to draw his attention to the seriousness of what I was about to say. ¡°What do you do if the other boys don¡¯t forgive you and start coming to get revenge anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± he scratched the back of his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ try to fight them all?¡±

    ¡°You could do that.¡± I cracked my knuckles. ¡°But, do you want to know what Mr. Benji did when a bunch of boys were coming around to beat him up?¡±

    He nodded his head, now with a slightly bigger smile.

    ¡°He started making friends with other boys. Teachers too.¡± I gave a soft grin and a nod of my head. ¡°It¡¯s true! He said once he had more friends those boys stopped trying to beat him up.¡±

    Zac gave a skeptical, ¡°Pffft!¡± and shook his head. ¡°Mr. Benji¡¯s the strongest man in the world! He can fight them himself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what he did, I¡¯m telling you...¡± I pointed my index finger at his chest. ¡°You¡­ you ask him some time. He¡¯ll confirm¡­ he¡¯ll tell you it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± his eyes still gave a little skepticism, but his head gave a slight bob. Just shy of an agreeable nod.

    ¡°So¡­¡± I clasped both my hands together. ¡°Once we get out of this room, what¡¯s your plan?¡±

    ¡°Make lots of friends,¡± he said with a nod.

    ¡°Aaaaaand¡­..?¡± I brought my face in closer to emphasize my prompting.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Apologize to Lii¡­¡± he rolled his eyes at the last part, but my gut told me that despite his disgust he was sure to follow through.

    I pushed myself up to my feet and dusted off my knees with my hands. ¡°Well¡­ sounds like you have a good plan. Just wish you didn¡¯t have to go through this. Maybe if you hadn¡¯t spat on Lii you wouldn¡¯t have to worry, but now you do.¡± I gave a forced, paranoid glance back and forth, as if Lii¡¯s friends were about to jump out of the corners at me instead of him. Though, to make it seem scarier, I imagined lions wherever my eyes fell and let my face reflect my imagined dread.

    He swallowed a lump in his throat.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go home for now,¡± I said, making my way to the door of the Lonely Room.

    Zac followed me as I left, and Keren stood beside her desk just outside the room. She held out a short stack of papers to me. ¡°If you¡¯re heading home, don¡¯t forget these.¡±

    ¡°Paperwork I need to fill out?¡± I asked, taking the stack from her hands.

    ¡°No, she said, and as she spoke I saw that it was a stack of drawings. Two things I recognized immediately; Zac¡¯s drawing style and the creatures I¡¯d encountered in the depths of the Ancient ruins. My blood ran cold as the memories of my most dangerous encounters flooded back into my mind. ¡°The kids had an assignment today; draw twenty animals.¡±

    ¡°And the animals Zac drew¡­ were all darklings¡­¡± I mumbled as I flipped through the pages, beholding each of the grotesque and bizarre forms of the monsters who lurk in darkness.

    ¡°Yes, they were,¡± said Keren, the smile on her face not as reassuring as she intended. ¡°It seems a lot of boys really like darklings.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It makes it easier for me to teach them about those monsters.¡±

    My brow furrowed and I glared at her. ¡°Why are you teaching children about darklings?¡±

    Zac interjected with, ¡°Because they¡¯re neat!¡±

    Keren laughed. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s because darklings are dangerous, and I feel the children ought to know about what¡¯s out there.¡±

    I shook my head, unable to fathom why children needed to learn about evil in such detail. ¡°They need to know more than ¡®Darklings are bad, so stay in town, near the Everburn¡¯?¡±

    Zac snatched the stack of drawings out of my hand. By the look on his face, it seemed to me that he was worried I might tear up the drawings. As worried as I was that my son, who might very well be Zahac, was interested in darklings, I had no intention at all of destroying his art. For that matter, I¡¯d never torn or ripped one of his drawings before, a fact which made me wonder what some of the other children¡¯s parents might have done in front of him.

    Keren shrugged, and snapped me back to reality and the current moment when she spoke. ¡°Hey, the community voted on this lesson plan. If you don¡¯t like it, then I suggest you talk to the other parents in town about it and see if you can get them to vote to change it.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Right¡­ sorry¡­ forgot this isn¡¯t really your fault.¡±

    I left the school hand in hand with Zac as he regaled me with all he knew about darklings and all the ¡°awesome¡± forms they took. The huge, four-legged darklings with silver-colored skin and snakes coming out of their faces. The tall, two-legged darklings with bodies covered in thick layers of fur, tusks protruding from their mouths like boars, and bull-like horns adorning their heads. The winged darklings with three pairs of talons reaching down below them, their claws sharper than razors. He spoke of them with such wonder, but each time he mentioned one I had a flashback to seeing such creatures in the ruins, just before they tried to kill me.

    After listening to him talk on and on about darklings most of the way home, I finally stopped him and said, ¡°You know so much about them. Do you know what to do if you ever actually see one?¡±

    Relief and pride filled my heart when his eyes widened and he said in a solemn voice, ¡°Run away. Get back to the light of the Everburn as fast as I can.¡±

    I gently ruffled his hair and gave a loving smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, Zac. Darklings are dangerous.¡±

 The Muddy Slingshot

    The Muddy Slingshot

    In our little town of Oakbridge there stood the Chalice Inn. According to local stories, the inn stood on the banks of the river long before the town existed. The inn was built just across the river from an Everburn. The magical flame floated in the air high over the hills, its warmth radiating downward and driving darklings away from that area. What better place to build an inn for weary travelers looking to take shelter before night falls?

    People came from far and wide to listen to the music of the bard who performed there; Ross Chalice. Those on the opposite side of the riverbank grew jealous of their neighbors, and so they built a bridge so they could more easily reach the inn.

    That bridge became the reason why the rest of the town was built, for it attracted traveling merchants, and eventually shop-keepers looking to put down roots.

    Ten years after Oakbridge had officially become a town with its own sheriff and local guards, Ross Chalice, the bard, vanished without a trace.

    So, the inn passed on to a philosopher named Romulus Mist, a gray elf with whom people would come from far and wide to discuss wisdom, God, and morality.

    When Romulus Mist passed on, the inn fell into the hands of a monster-hunter named Sir Hamnet the Wild, and people came to see the heads of various beasts he¡¯d slain, which were displayed on the walls.

    By the time I moved in to town, the inn was owned by my best friend, Benjamin Strato, who was believed to be the strongest man in the world. The man my son knew as ¡°Mr. Benji.¡± I worked for Mr. Benji, and Zac and I lived in his inn.

    After rescuing Zac from the Lonely Room, we returned to the Chalice Inn.

    A fire already burned in the fireplace, under the heads of manticores, barghests, and basilisks. Since it was still both the middle of the day and the middle of the week, only a few patrons sat at the tables, hunched over their soups and their drinks. A group of men sat at the table nearest the fireplace, engaged in a game of dice to pass the time and lose their money in a manner which seemed at least a little more meaningful than taxes.

    Benji stood behind the bar, drying a wooden mug with a white cloth.

    He towered over most men I knew, and his forearms alone were bigger around than my waist. (At least, they were before I started putting on weight). His hair was oily and black as night, as was his thick mustache, which curled up on the ends just under his pronounced cheekbones. I always found it difficult to tell when his eyes were open or closed as he had a habit of constantly squinting. The collar of his shirt was open, allowing curls of black hair to peek out from his barrel-chest.

    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re back,¡± came his deep, kind voice as we entered the inn. He set down the wooden mug on the shelf behind him and leaned on the counter with both hands, his palms as big as dinner plates. ¡°What did Miss Keren have to say?¡±

    The sparkle in Zac¡¯s eyes turned to guilt at the sound of Benji¡¯s question, and he turned to me with his silent plea, hoping he¡¯d not have to disappoint his hero with the news that he¡¯d gotten in trouble again.

    But I wasn¡¯t about to bail him out this time. ¡°Zac, Mr. Benji asked you a question. Aren¡¯t you going to answer?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Zac stammered for a moment, then shrugged.

    Benji patted the counter in front of him and turned to take hold of a cup from the shelves. ¡°Have a seat, Mr. Zac. I¡¯ll fix you a muddy slingshot and you can tell me what happened.¡±

    The muddy slingshot was a drink Benji made for children who came into the inn. It was one of a long list of drinks he¡¯d invented which were fun and unique, but contained no alcohol. I¡¯d had one once. As far as I can tell, the flavoring was a combination of chocolate and mint, with cookie crumbs ground up on top.

    Zac¡¯s eyes lit up at the name of his favored treat, and he bounded up to the counter while Benji got to work preparing it. Truth be told, with all his experience as a bartender, he could have whipped up the drink in seconds, but he always made sure to take extra time when he was trying to coax Zac into talking.

    The boy sat on one of the stools, watching with delicious anticipation as Benji prepared the muddy slingshot. A treat he knew he wouldn¡¯t taste until he told the story of what had happened that day.

    ¡°I beat a boy up, Mr. Benji,¡± Zac said, his eyes watching as Benji stirred the chocolate powder into milk.

    Benji¡¯s brow conveyed such deep disappointment that even I felt its sting. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t sound very gentlemanly at all. What do I always say, Mr. Zac?¡±

    Zac groaned and pouted. ¡°In all things, be a gentleman.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Benji, giving a brief, proud smile, which immediately faded. ¡°So, why did you hurt this boy?¡±

    ¡°He said Daddy killed my mama,¡± said Zac.

    Benji snorted. ¡°Such a ridiculous lie! Sounds like the boy deserved to be punished. Just not by you. Are you going to apologize to him?¡± He ground up mint leaves and added them to the mix, stirring far more thoroughly than necessary.

    Zac nodded vigorously, desperate to win back some of Mr. Benji¡¯s approval.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Benji. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that you got into a fight, but proud that you¡¯re trying to make things right.¡± He ground up a cinnamon cookie in his hands, letting the crumbs fall on top of the drink, which he set on the counter in front of Zac. ¡°Since I let you drink here for free, I have some rules, and one of them is that you behave like a gentleman.¡± Benji leaned forward, opening his eyes a little wider so Zac could see his dark irises. He pointed one of his callous-covered fingers at Zac¡¯s chest. ¡°So, here¡¯s the deal, Mr. Zac. You can have this muddy slingshot now and it will be your last one for a week.¡±

    ¡°Noooo!¡± Zac whined.

    ¡°Or!¡± Benji interrupted. ¡°Or¡­ you can have this muddy slingshot now and have your next one after you¡¯ve both apologized to that boy and washed all the dishes in the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Zac cried.

    ¡°I know,¡± Benji said, flatly. ¡°But this is my inn, so it¡¯s my rules. Besides, all the drinks I¡¯ve made for you are worth at least one time of you taking care of those dishes for me.¡±

    Zac cast his eyes down at the counter, but they quickly wandered to the muddy slingshot, which was just outside his reach, unless he were to climb on the counter after it.

    Benji continued. ¡°The only other option is that I drink this muddy slingshot myself and you don¡¯t get one until I feel like giving one to you. That¡¯s up to you, Mr. Zac.¡±

    Zac did his best not to throw an absolute fit, having learned time and again that tantrums earned him time alone in his room, which was only slightly more pleasant than the Lonely Room. His attempts to restrain himself manifested as a face like he was straining hard with constipation and a slight wriggling of both his fists. His teeth were gritted tightly together as he said, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll do the dishes.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Benji nudged the muddy slingshot into Zac¡¯s easy reach. ¡°Proud of you, Mr. Zac.¡±

    Zac scooped up the drink in both hands and tipped the cup back, pouring the contents into his mouth. A happy humming sound rose from his throat as the treat touched his taste buds. The chocolate mess formed a faux-mustache over his lip, one almost as impressive as Benji¡¯s real one.

 An Unexpected Reunion

    An Unexpected Reunion

    That evening, after dinner, I took over at the inn while Benji played with Zac. Benji held the boy up on the palm of his unusually-large hand, his palm against Zac¡¯s chest, and ran around outside. Zac flapped his arms, roared, and made his attempt at a sound like he was breathing streams of fire.

    As always, there was a pang of worry in my heart whenever I saw Zac pretending to be a monster.

    I only had a moment to glance out the window and see this before someone shouted, ¡°Hey! Can I get an Autumn Drop over here!¡± and I immediately returned to serving drinks. Like the other members of the serving staff there, I was a bit frantic. A flood of patrons had just poured in to loosen their tongues with spirits and bare their hearts to their closest friends in a fairly public place.

    But all of them understood that this was not merely a tavern. After certain hours, there was a noise ban, and anyone who raised their voice above a certain level would be hoisted out upon their ears, likely by Benji himself.

    A troop of traveling minstrels played their flutes and fiddles by the fireplace, with a pot set in front of them to collect tips. Every now and then, the patrons would drop a copper or even a silver in. This would raise the minstrels¡¯ spirits, increasing the likelihood that their next song would be a happy one rather than a somber ballad.

    The smell in the air was as pleasant as it can be, given that the room was full of men who¡¯d been working in the fields, or with cattle all day. The overly-sweet perfumes and oils of the few women present were not much of an improvement.

    Patrons carried on conversations about the upcoming harvest, the movements of the Tagrosi Republic¡¯s army, and their individual prospects at finding someone to marry. Occasionally, someone would tell a joke so perfect that his listener would spray beer from his lips and pound the table with his fist.

    Just when it appeared everyone there had been served, with full pitchers of ale, beer, and mead at their tables, the door swung open again and I caught sight of a familiar figure.

    Elora stood in the doorway.

    Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves. The years had been kind to her, making her pleasantly plump in a way that was both endearing and enticing. She wore a long, black coat with a collar rising up to just under her chin, and her eyes were milky white. Some things never changed.

    Her face turned to me, but it was impossible to tell if those white irises had actually spotted me or not. Until she started strolling in my direction, the tails of her long coat billowing behind her. She pointed at me with a finger hidden within a black, leather glove, which made the gesture seem all the more threatening.

    ¡°Ahv!¡± she said aloud.

    I pointed my own finger back at her. ¡°Elora!¡± I responded, trying to remain calm as she drew near. Inside, my heart raced. As I said before, the punishment for stealing from the Great Library was death by crucifixion. While here, in Oakbridge, I was outside their jurisdiction, if Elora could find me here it meant I was not beyond their reach. If they knew I¡¯d stolen Zac from them, they¡¯d find a way to punish me.

    Elora drew near to me, her judgmental chin pushed forward and her arms folded. ¡°I need to speak with you in private. Now!¡±

    I gestured to the patrons all around us. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but I¡¯m a little busy at the moment. Perhaps after my shift is over?¡±

    ¡°We got this!¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The statement had come from the lips of Jeseka, one of the serving girls at Chalice Inn. She was a pretty young half-orc with a soft face, light green skin, pointed ears, and muscles more impressive than my own. Typically, I rather enjoyed her company, but at the moment I found her the most annoying person in the world.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I said, trying to indicate with the look in my eyes that I wanted an excuse not to talk to Elora. ¡°We have a lot of patrons here this evening¡­¡±

    Jeseka waved a dismissing hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can handle it. Go catch up with your friend. There¡¯s a table in the corner there that¡¯s still empty.¡±

    Realizing I was stuck now, I said, ¡°Thank you Jeseka,¡± through gritted teeth.

    ¡°No problem, hun!¡± she responded, flashing her white, pointed teeth.

    I shrugged at Elora and gestured to the table in the far corner. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Elora. She followed me to the table, on the way turning to Jeseka and saying, ¡°I¡¯ll take a Whipped Storm.¡±

    ¡°Right away, darlin¡¯!¡± said Jeseka.

    Elora and I sat at the far table. No sooner had my butt settled into the grooves of the chair then she said, ¡°Explain to me what happened. We worked together for a year, then, one night, you just vanish. No note. No explanation. Nothing. And it just happens to be on the same night that the copper egg we found is cut to pieces. Seven years later, I find you working at an inn out on the frontier. Why? What¡¯s going on, Ahv?¡±

    How could I possibly explain this to her? How does one tell a former business partner that they left so they could raise a child who might very well be the Devil himself? Well, quite simply, one lies. I hated lying, I always have, and I¡¯m not great at it, but in this case it seemed necessary.

    There was no use trying to deny that I¡¯d been raising a child. My guess was that even though she¡¯d not said anything about Zac, she had likely seen him. Or maybe she¡¯d not seen him yet, but if she stayed in town another day or so she was certain to.

    ¡°That night, I received word that a woman I¡¯d had a brief fling with had died in childbirth, so I left to take care of my son.¡±

    She leaned back from me, her wide-eyed stare displaying her surprise. ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­ that¡¯s good. Of course, family is important, and the boy needs care, I¡¯m sure. But why didn¡¯t you tell me? I could have helped you.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I guess¡­ I was embarrassed. You know... that I¡¯d bedded a woman and then left her. I didn¡¯t want you to know I was that sort of man. It¡¯s not gentlemanly at all.¡±

    She smirked. ¡°You have a point. If you hadn¡¯t told me yourself I never would have guessed you¡¯d do something like that. But we all have our flaws.¡± Her eyes narrowed again. ¡°But, what about the copper egg? Are you telling me it was a coincidence that it just happened to break open the night you left to take care of your son?¡±

    ¡°Here you go, hun!¡± Jeseka swept in, set Elora¡¯s drink down in front of her, and immediately slipped away again.

    In response to Elora¡¯s question, I shrugged once more. ¡°Stranger things have happened. There was something odd with that egg, we both know it. You heard it ring when¡­ I forget his name¡­ that Councilman struck it.¡±

    ¡°Lavan,¡± she said. ¡°And¡­ yes, I heard it. You and I seemed to be the only ones who did.¡±

    ¡°Something was magical¡­ or, perhaps not magical, maybe the word is ¡®supernatural.¡¯ Something was supernatural about that egg. Maybe that¡¯s why it broke open.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. The egg had broken of its own accord, I had nothing to do with it. Even if I had taken Zac out of it shortly thereafter.

    ¡°It just happened to break the night you left?¡± she asked, a skeptical eyebrow raised.

    ¡°I guess so.¡± My response was as flat as I could make it, but inside my every vein and nerve screamed at me to flee from Elora. I was certain she suspected more than she was letting on. Sweat beaded up on my brow, but I made no gesture to wipe it away, lest I draw attention to it.

    ¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll have to take your word for it,¡± she said. I could almost swear I saw her eyes roll, but the whiteness of her irises made it impossible to know for sure. ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s been a long journey. How much is it for a room here for the night?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ a¡­ a room?¡± I stammered.

    ¡°Yes, a room,¡± she said, her brow furrowing. ¡°I need a place to sleep tonight. Is there a reason you don¡¯t want me staying here?¡±

    ¡°None at all!¡± I said, wringing my hands under the table. ¡°A room is fifty coppers for one night.¡±

    ¡°Splendid.¡± She reached into her coat pocket and dug out a silver piece. ¡°Go ahead and make it two nights.¡±

 The Tagrosi Army

    The Tagrosi Army

    Violent, desperate trumpet blasts woke me up before sunrise. I sat up in bed and peered across the room at Zac, who had already thrown off his covers and run to the window in his pajamas.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked. ¡°Why are they practicing trumpets so early?¡± His voice was groggy and he rubbed his eyes with his fists.

    I rose from my bed, my legs still aching with fatigue, and stumbled over to the same window. I pulled back the curtains so I could see outside better, and turned my eyes to the hills in the distance. There I saw a force of countless men marching toward Oakbridge. The red glow of what I assumed were iron-edges illuminated this army in scarlet, making the sight all the more frightening.

    It¡¯s an invasion¡­

    I knelt in front of Zac, reached under my bed, and produced a skeleton key. ¡°You remember where Mr. Benji¡¯s emergency cellar is?¡±

    He tilted his head to one side, his bulbous eyes full of fear and confusion. ¡°Yeah¡­ why?¡±

    I held his hand, gently opened his fingers, and placed the key on his palm. ¡°You go down there and you hide, understand? Don¡¯t come out until either me or Mr. Benji come to get you.¡±

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Bad men are coming,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll leave us alone, but we don¡¯t know. So you have to stay hidden.¡±

    He glanced toward the window, then back to me. ¡°Are you going to fight them?¡±

    ¡°I hope not.¡± I shook my head.

    ¡°I can help you!¡± he looked over to his wooden sword, which stood propped against the wall.

    ¡°No, these men are too dangerous for that!¡± I wagged a finger in front of his face. ¡°I need you to stay safe, Zac. Can you do that for me?¡±

    His eyes wandered back and forth from the window to me again.

    ¡°Please?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he closed his fingers around the key, snatched his wooden sword off the wall and started toward the door.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I called out. ¡°Why are you taking your sword?¡±

    ¡°In case they find me!¡± he called back just before opening our door and running down the hall.

    I could only hope his answer had been honest and I wouldn¡¯t see him running out, trying to fight the enemy soldiers with his favorite toy.

    Once he was gone, I went to my closet and moved aside the false floor there. Underneath, I¡¯d stored my silver-edge, which I strapped to my back. Like I told Zac, I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to fight these invaders, but if it became necessary it was best to be ready.

    Downstairs I met with Benji at the front door. He slung over one shoulder a sledgehammer larger than any other man I knew could lift, and over his other a loaded crossbow.

    Jeseka was already outside waiting for us, a two-handed sword strapped to her back. ¡°We have any hope fighting an army that size?¡±

    ¡°We have plenty a hope of fightin¡¯ ¡®em,¡± said Benji, the curls of his mustache accentuating his frown. ¡°Winnin¡¯s another story.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just see what the Sheriff says,¡± I chimed in. ¡°Maybe he has a plan which doesn¡¯t involve fighting.

    The town streets were filled with people, everyone able-bodied enough to wield a weapon stood at the ready, exchanging words of either encouragement or despair. Just on a glance, it appeared as if I was one of the extremely few with an Ancient weapon, and mine had spent so little time in drinking in the moonlight lately that I worried it might not even ignite when I needed it to.

    Benji, Jeseka, and I headed toward the sheriff¡¯s office, where everyone else seemed to be gathering as well.

    Sheriff Jayden Wood stood outside the office, his wide-brimmed hat atop his head and his gray coat hanging down to just past his knees. His hair was cut short, and his jaw showed a hint of stubble. He leaned on a cane plated with gold, with a red lac stone at the top where his palm rested.

    For just a moment, his eyes betrayed his dread as he peered out to the approaching army on the horizon. I could hardly blame him. Jayden wasn¡¯t elected sheriff because of his warrior prowess, but because he was excellent at solving crimes. His education at Grofhurst University was surely poor preparation for this. But when he glanced back at his five deputies in their silver-mail, each aglow with moonlight, he managed a smirk which gave the illusion of confidence.

    He raised one hand and called out, ¡°Everyone! Quiet! I need you to listen!¡±

    The murmuring in the frightened crowd slowly died down, and all present prepared themselves for Jayden¡¯s words.

    ¡°Just by the look of it, this is an army we can¡¯t hope to beat in a straight fight, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be necessary.¡± He peered up the hill at the approaching soldiers again. ¡°We can slow them down long enough for most of us to get away if we¡¯re willing to destroy the bridge. So¡­ where¡¯s Keren?¡±

    The school teacher raised her hand amidst the crowd. ¡°Right here, Sheriff!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Jayden pointed to the bridge. ¡°You gather up all the children and take them to the other side of the bridge. You still have those luma rings?¡±

    Keren held up both her hands and a beam of golden light arced between her palms. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Jayden. ¡°These folks give me the heebie jeebies. If it turns out they¡¯re trying to bump us off, use your rings to burn the bridge, then take everyone and run. Get to the next town and warn them of what¡¯s coming.¡± Jayden turned to the rest of the crowd. ¡°Anyone who can¡¯t fight needs to scram with Keren. As for those of you who can fight and have weapons, you will stay on this side. I¡¯ll see if I can talk to their leader and get them to leave us alone, but if they won¡¯t you need to do everything you can to hold them back while the rest get away.¡±

    He sighed, took off his hat, and scratched his head. When the hat was back in its proper place, he continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, and no one can blame you for that. But, personally, I¡¯m far more terrified of what these strangers might do to our women and children if we don¡¯t make a stand here. With any luck, or with Heaven on our side, maybe they won¡¯t want to fight. It¡¯s possible all they want is to cross our bridge and be on their way. Mr. Strato!¡±

    Benji raised his hand so Jayden could spot him in the crowd. An unnecessary gesture, given his size. ¡°Yes, Mr. Wood?¡±

    ¡°You come with me when I speak to their leader,¡± said Jayden. ¡°I figure one look at you and at least a few of them will shake in their boots. Choose one more to come with you.¡±

    Benji turned to me, ¡°Ahv, you¡¯re with me.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    As Benji and I walked with Jayden and his deputies to face the approaching army, I glanced back at the inn and wondered if I ought to go back and tell Zac to cross the bridge with Keren. Would he be safer with the other people fleeing the town? As I thought about it, it seemed far more likely that this enemy army would pursue the people trying to flee so they couldn¡¯t warn the next town. Zac was probably safer hiding in the cellar than trying to run away.

    Assuming he didn¡¯t come out and try to fight the strangers.

    Ahead of us we saw the enemy army. On a glance it must have been over two-thousand men strong. Each soldier wore a white military uniform with black trim and a collar rising up to just under his chin. All of them held iron-edges which glowed with the light of the red comet.

    Such a force couldn¡¯t be here simply to capture our little town, a thought which gave me some hope that they would not do us harm. The thought did occur to me that they might be here for Zac, given his strange origins, but I quickly dismissed it as impossible. I was the only one who even knew that Zac might actually be Zahac.

    For a moment, I wondered how such a force had marched through the night without encountering darklings. In the direction from which they came, there wasn¡¯t an Everburn for many miles, far further than they could have marched in a single night. No army could be composed of such great warriors that they could fight off the darklings all night.

    At the front of the horde there rolled an ornate, gold-plated chariot pulled by two horses. Golden light danced around the chariot, which told me it was shielded by magic. The man riding it had a pale face, half-lidded sky-blue eyes, and blood-red hair in soft, messy locks. He wore a white military uniform with a high collar and scarlet and gold trim. His cheeks were shaven so smooth I might have thought him a child were it not for his height. Golden earrings hung from both ears with lac stones on the end. The earrings were far from the only pieces of jewelry he wore which held lac stones, for he also wore a gold ring on each finger, gold wristbands, and a golden medallion, each clearly an Ancient relic of some sort.

    Upon our approach, the man in the chariot raised his right hand and the ring on his index finger glowed, sending a golden flare into the sky. Within seconds, the whole army stopped its thunderous march. He pulled his horse¡¯s reins to bring them to a halt, then gestured for us to draw closer.

    Jayden looked at us, then did as the stranger bid him. The rest of us followed, our weapons now in hand and ready for the fight ahead of us that we knew we could not win. I put on a stony face, but deep inside I begged Heaven above to prevent a battle from breaking out that day.

    The leader of this invading army spoke first. ¡°I am Consul Eon Maganti,¡± he said. ¡°Ruler of the Republic of Tagros and leader of the Free Army.¡±

    Jayden¡¯s fingers clasped tighter on the handle of his cane. ¡°I¡¯m Sheriff Jayden Wood, protector of the town of Oakbridge.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Sheriff.¡± Eon smiled, but his eyes did not. ¡°You are understandably worried about this army approaching your town, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°More worried about what we might have to do to this army,¡± said Jayden with a confident smirk. He gestured to Benji and I. ¡°We may be few, but we are strong, and we love our home.¡±

    Eon folded his hands together and tilted his head to one side. ¡°I like you, Jayden. May I call you Jayden?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you like, Mr. Maganti,¡± said Jayden with a shrug.

    ¡°You¡¯re a man of great integrity, who understands his duty to his people,¡± said Eon. ¡°A duty to keep them safe, secure, and free. The truth is, I have no intention at all of harming the people of Oakbridge--¡± I exhaled my relief, until his next statement, ¡°--unless they give me a damn good reason. No doubt this raises the question of why we are here.¡± Eon gestured back at his army. ¡°Here with a force far larger than we would need to take ten Oakbridges. We are on our way to the lands beyond your town, lands we seek to bring the light of freedom and liberty.¡± As he spoke, his head tilted back, as if he were slowly bringing them up to gaze upon a heavenly figure which had appeared in the distant sky. ¡°Oakbridge is merely on our way to our real goal.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Jayden said, ¡°if we let you and your army pass through, you will leave us alone?¡±

    Eon¡¯s smile widened, but there was no friendliness to it. I¡¯d seen that same smile on Master Kedar¡¯s face, years ago, just before he mocked me. ¡°The truth is a little more complex. That is the essence of it, yes, but what you see here is only one of many legions I intend to take across your bridge. We are here to secure the area so that the rest of the army may cross safely.¡±

    Eon raised both his hands reassuringly. ¡°You need not worry about feeding or housing us, we have brought our own supplies. We¡¯ll set up camp around Oakbridge and hold the area while the rest of the army comes. Once all our soldiers have safely made it across, we will be on our way, and you can go about business as usual. In the meantime, my soldiers will buy from your shops and offer their protection against bandits, marauders, monsters, darklings, and anything else that might threaten your little town. Does that sound fair?¡±

    Jayden hesitated for a moment, but finally said. ¡°Yes, that sounds like a fair deal to me.¡±

    ¡°Splendid!¡± said Eon, clasping his hands together again. ¡°Most wonderful news indeed. I shall allow you a little time to go back to Oakbridge and explain the situation to your people.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Maganti.¡± Jayden gave a tip of his hat and turned to leave. All of us followed suit.

    Once we were far out of ear-shot of Eon Maganti and his soldiers, I turned to Jayden and said, ¡°You don¡¯t really think they¡¯ll just leave once they¡¯ve gotten all their troops through, do you?¡±

    Jayden shook his head. ¡°Of course they won¡¯t, that¡¯s complete bushwa. But what else can we do? He¡¯s got far too many bruisers on his side. So, what else can we do? At least they don¡¯t intend to just bop us all and take our stuff. For now, it seems Oakbridge is under the control of the Republic of Tagros.¡±

 The Tagrosi Occupation Begins

    The Tagrosi Occupation Begins

    Upon returning to town, while everyone else was still gathered in the square to hear Jayden¡¯s news regarding the foreign army on our horizon, I hurried over to the inn to retrieve Zac. I could only imagine how frightened he must have been by then, having hidden in that dark cellar for so long, knowing full well that he¡¯d seen spiders and mice there before.

    Once inside the inn, I jumped behind the counter, stomped into the kitchen, and marched to the cellar door. The planks on the door were cut at an angle, making it almost impossible to distinguish any gaps between them and the rest of the wooden planks on the floor, unless one were specifically looking for them. One knothole in the wood acted as the handle, and I stuck my index finger in to lift it up. Immediately under the wood was yet another trapdoor, a steel one with a lock on it. I gave the ring-handle on it a light tug, immediately discovering that Zac had remembered to lock the door from the inside.

    Good boy.

    From my vest pocket, I produced my key, unlocked the cellar door, and pulled it open. Down below I saw only blackness, not a hint of Zac anywhere.

    When I started my descent, I opened my mouth and breathed in so I could call out to Zac and let him know it was me. Dust from below saw the opening and took the opportunity to snake its way into my throat, causing me to cough and hack as I walked down the stairs.

    ¡°Zac¡­¡± I croaked out.

    I can only assume that both the sound of my voice and the sight of my shadowed silhouette must have been terrifying for the boy, for when I¡¯d reached the second to last step on the staircase I felt a sharp, sudden pain in my¡­ well, let¡¯s just say Zac¡¯s wooden sword ensured he would be an only child for a long time.

    I doubled over in pain at the bottom of the stairs, holding my precious parts in both hands and groaning.

    Whack!

    Zac¡¯s wooden sword smacked me on the temple.

    Whack!

    Whack!

    And twice more on my side.

    I reached up and locked my fingers around the weapon just as it came down again, my palm aching from the impact. For one so small, he sure knew how to hit hard.

    ¡°Zac, it¡¯s me!¡± I whimpered, my words distorted by pain and dust.

    Either he didn¡¯t recognize my voice or he didn¡¯t hear it at all in his panic, for the next thing I felt was his heel connect with my nose.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bust you open!¡± Zac shouted, followed by some words I was certain I hadn¡¯t taught him.

    ¡°Zac? What¡¯s going on down there?¡± came Benji¡¯s voice from above.

    ¡°Mr. Benji!¡± Zac cried out. ¡°There¡¯s a bad man down here! Help!¡±

    The stairs crunched and creaked as Benji scurried down.

    ¡°Benji, it¡¯s me!¡± I tried to yell, but my voice was little more than a croak.

    One of Benji¡¯s massive hands seized me by the back of the shirt and lifted me off the ground. ¡°Think you¡¯re so brave, attacking a small boy, hmm?¡± Benji growled. He turned and stormed back up the stairs, dragging me up every step along the way. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that, can we?¡±

    ¡°Benji¡­¡± I moaned again.

    Once at the top of the stairs, Benji hoisted me up in one hand by my collar and pinned me to the wall. He made a fist and pulled it back. By the size of his knuckles and the strength of those arms, I was certain he could crush my skull in a single blow. ¡°No one hurts a child on my¡­¡±

    His eyes flew wider open than I¡¯ve ever seen them when he actually got a good look at my bruised face. His hand released my collar and his fist unclenched. ¡°Ahv! So sorry! I thought you were a bad feller.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I slouched back against the wall, one hand on my injured groin and the other on my bloodied nose. ¡°Yeah, so did Zac.¡±

    Zac stood at the top of the cellar stairs now, pained guilt on his face. He looked down at the wooden sword in his hand, up at me, then hid the weapon behind his back. ¡°Umm¡­ Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know¡­ Mr. Muk said a bad man was coming.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned. ¡°Jus¡¯¡­ gib me a liddel dime..¡± I removed the hand from my nose and held it up to quiet him. ¡°Ugh¡­ it all hurtsh¡­¡±

    Zac snickered, but immediately covered his mouth and held in the rest of his laughter.

    Benji knelt down next to me. ¡°I can carry ya upstairs if you¡¯d like ta try to sleep it off.¡±

    For some reason, Benji¡¯s offers to do things like that always made me feel like I needed to prove I was tough, and I started pushing myself to my feet. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    ¡°Beaten up by a child, I see?¡± came a half-laughing, feminine voice from behind me. I removed my hand from my groin and snapped my head around to see Elora leaning over the counter. Her white eyes betrayed her amusement at my suffering.

    ¡°In my defense,¡± I said, sniffing the leaking blood back into my nostril, ¡°he ambushed me, he was armed, and I¡¯m the one who taught him how to use a sword.¡±

    Elora chuckled. ¡°Well, he must be the most dangerous little boy ever, then, if you taught him.¡±

    I gave her a weak smile.

    And she gave me a handkerchief from her coat pocket. ¡°Here. For your nose.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, promptly ruining the white piece of cloth with my blood. There was a silent understanding that I would keep the handkerchief after that.

    I glanced back at the kitchen, ensuring that from where Elora stood she couldn¡¯t see the cellar door. Once I was satisfied that she hadn¡¯t seen it, and Benji emerged from the kitchen with Zac sitting on his left shoulder, I asked her, ¡°So, were you just¡­ waiting in here the whole time? While everyone else was getting ready for war?¡±

    Elora¡¯s fists rested on her wide hips and she narrowed her white eyes at me. ¡°No, I was outside, preparing to fight and die with the rest of them. Then you came back into town and immediately headed back to the inn. I thought that was curious, so I followed you.¡±

    Benji and Zac drew close behind me, and the burly inn-keeper cleared his throat.  ¡°Oh!¡± I said. ¡°Pardon me, Elora, this is Benjamin Strato, my employer and owner of this inn, and Zac, my son.¡±

    Elora held out her hand to Benji. ¡°A pleasure,¡± she said.

    Benji took her hand in his giant fingers and raised it as he bent forward to press his lips to her knuckles. ¡°A pleasure, ma¡¯am,¡± he said.

    A hint of pink found its way to Elora¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Umm¡­ yes,¡± she replied, then turned back to me. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± She folded her arms. ¡°That army out there¡­ are they not on their way to attack us?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. They¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°So, they¡¯re not bad men?¡± Zac asked.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re plenty bad,¡± said Benji as he twirled the end of his curly mustache around his index finger. ¡°They¡¯re just not here for us.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± said Zac, though by the way he said it I could tell he was only pretending to understand.

    I continued, ¡°They just want to use our bridge to cross the river. They¡¯re on their way to war somewhere else.¡±

    Elora grunted her disbelief. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone go warn the marquis? Or, better yet, the king?¡±

    ¡°I imagine the sheriff has that under control,¡± I said, ¡°But, the less we know about all that the better. If we keep our heads down and mind our own business, we¡¯ll come out of this alive.¡±

    Elora¡¯s brow furrowed with anger. ¡°You¡¯re just going to let this foreign army march through your town? What if they burn the next city they come across?¡±

    ¡°They might very well do that.¡± I raised both of my hands defensively. ¡°But there¡¯s not really much we can do about it, is there? That whole army has Ancient weapons, Elora. Every. Single. Soldier. And there are thousands of them. I¡¯ve never seen so many Ancient weapons in one place. Worse yet, somehow they managed to travel at night, when the darklings prowl.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll just do nothing?¡± Elora huffed. She brought her face closer to mine, until I could feel the heat of her breath. My pulse raced when she drew so close. ¡°What happened to the brave man I worked with all those years ago?¡± she scolded

    ¡°You mean the reckless man?¡± I corrected her, taking a step back. ¡°The one who climbed into ruins, where darklings nested, without a hint of fear? He had a child and settled down. Now he¡¯s not so quick to throw his life away trying to be a hero.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡± Zac said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what your dad used to do,¡± Benji whispered to him.

    When I looked back at Zac, I saw his mouth hanging agape. I¡¯d never told him about my time as a delver, partially because I didn¡¯t like to brag, and partially because I didn¡¯t want him running off and trying to do the same thing. There were far better occupations for him to pursue.

    And, certainly, most of them would steer him away from the secrets of the Ancients, wherein he might discover his dark origins.

    ¡°My Dad used to be cool?¡± Zac whispered.

    When I returned my gaze to Elora¡¯s face again, the understanding and compassion there surprised me. ¡°I see¡­ Yes, you have a child to care for now.¡± She grinned, her cheeks pushing her ears up. ¡°You said the sheriff has a plan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he does,¡± I said.

    She peered over her shoulder, out the inn¡¯s front window. ¡°Good¡­ good¡­¡±

 Playing Ball

    Playing Ball

    From the second-story window of the inn, I watched Eon¡¯s grand entrance into town while Zac played with his wooden blocks on the other end of our room. Eon¡¯s chariot stopped on the edge of the dirt roads, just before the streets became cobblestone. He waved his hand at the reins and then at a tree branch nearby. One of his rings glowed with golden light and the reins wrapped themselves around the branch. With his other hand, Eon opened the door of his chariot. There was a brief, yellow flash from within the chariot, and out he rolled in a chair on wheels.

    I caught my breath at the sight. It had never occurred to me that the commander of such an army would be paralyzed. But as he rolled along and I thought about it, I realized how silly my surprise was. One did not need the use of both legs to be charismatic or brilliant. And I was sure all the magical relics on his person were helpful for making up the difference too.

    Eon rolled up to the town square, with the people of Oakbridge clearing the way and several of his soldiers trailing behind him. The one following him the closest wore a dark gray version of the uniform the rest of the soldiers wore, but hers had a hood she¡¯d raised around her temples.

    I caught a brief glimpse of the woman in gray¡¯s face. Stern, silently angry, this was not a woman to be approached for any reason. Her skin was pale, her eyes razor-sharp, and her hair resembled long straws of hay. She marched with a spear in hand, one which had an iron handle and a golden head, both of which glowed.

    Eon halted his wheelchair at the center of the town square and rotated it so he could face the crowd of Oakbridge citizens.

    He smiled widely and held out both his arms at his sides, palms extended outward. ¡°People of Oakbridge! I want to take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart¡­¡± he beat a fist against his chest, ¡°for allowing us to live among you until our business is concluded.¡± He gestured to Jayden Wood in front of the sheriff¡¯s office. ¡°I have already discussed the details with your sheriff, who assured me that he would explain the situation to you. I just want you all to know that you are doing a great thing this day, which will further the cause of freedom throughout the world.¡±

    Eon gestured one hand toward the east, across the river. ¡°There are countless people out there who live in slavery and do not know it. They are prisoners who cannot see their cages. We, the Republic of Tagros, shall bring light and liberty to these poor people. Once their eyes are opened, they will tear down their tyrants and raise a new flag of a new age. For too long has the dead hand of the past governed over us. Let us take one good look at the past, snatch up for ourselves all that is good--¡± he held up both of his hands, showing the lac stones on his rings, ¡°--and discard all that we do not need for the sake of a newer, better world. People of Oakbridge, simply by remaining as peaceful as you have been for the past several years, you will help usher in that world. Continue to cooperate with us, and there shall be no reason for unpleasantries. I thank you, from the depths of my heart.¡± His right hand returned to his chest.

    ¡°Raaa!¡±

    Behind me, Zac roared and knocked over the tall towers he¡¯d built out of wooden blocks. I turned to watch him as he stomped around and kicked the remaining blocks over, making sounds from his mouth like he was some kind of monster. There was a time when watching him play so destructively made me nervous, given his true identity, but Keren reassured me that this was fairly typical behavior for little boys.

    He looked up at me, his lower jaw jutted forward so his teeth extended past his upper lip. His eyes were wide and wild, and his nostrils flared as if smoke were about to billow from them.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I knew that look. Keeping him inside when he was in such a destructive mood ensured that it was only a matter of time before he broke something he wasn¡¯t supposed to. Did I dare take him outside, though, where the Tagrosi soldiers were milling about? Considering how long they intended to stay, it was either take him outside while the intruders were there or keep him cooped up inside for the next couple of months.

    So, I brought him outside. There was no school that day, due to the soldiers¡¯ arrival. Like me, all parents in town wanted to spend time with their children rather than send them off to learn to read, write, or do arithmetic. What use is any of that in the face of a foreign invasion?

    The clouds had parted, allowing hints of blue skies and sunlight through. Zac walked beside me, his little hand held loosely in my rough fingers. Under my arm, I carried a bright red, rubber ball. His favorite thing to play with outside. Well, except for his wooden sword, but I¡¯d had enough of that deadly weapon for one day.

    Behind the Chalice Inn there was a yard where folk would sometimes gather to play horseshoes. At the moment, the yard was empty, so Zac and I took our spots there and began our game of catch. I always started off with a soft, under-armed toss into his hands, and he would raise both arms over his head and throw the ball as hard as he could to me. Well, maybe not to me. Somewhere in my general direction. I found myself spending most of our time running to go get the ball before we lost it.

    As the game progressed, I¡¯d toss the ball higher and higher, making Zac run around and guess where it was going to land. Though, if he¡¯d just remained in his original spot, it would have landed safely in his palms every time.

    When Zac went to chase after the ball for the fourth time, I looked up at the streets surrounding the Chalice Inn¡¯s yard and saw a gathering of Tagrosi soldiers along the edge of the green, watching us. At first, I was nervous at the sight, and reminded myself of the silver-edge still strapped to my back. But upon a better look, I saw nostalgic smiles on their faces. Some of them looked at Zac with adoration in their eyes, as if they thought he was the cutest child in all the world.

    Which, of course, he was.

    One of the soldiers, a soft-faced, thin young elf lad with short hair as white as his uniform and bulbous, purple eyes, handed his coat to one of the other soldiers and approached us just after I scooped up the ball from one of Zac¡¯s throws.

    ¡°Good day,¡± the young elf said with a bow and a gentle smile. One far more genuine than the ones Eon Maganti gave. ¡°I¡¯m Private Piers Vinter. May I join in your game?¡±

    I wanted to refuse. Piers looked friendly and sincere enough, but he was still part of the army which occupied our town. As far as I was concerned, he was the enemy. An enemy who hadn¡¯t even removed the sword from his belt before coming to us and asking to play.

    But before I could breathe a word, Zac snatched the red ball from my hands and said, ¡°Yeah!¡± just before throwing it at Piers.

    Piers raised his hands and caught the ball just a hair away from a collision with his nose. By the look in his eyes, he¡¯d been surprised by the strength of the throw, but his surprise soon turned to playfulness again and he chucked the red ball at Zac.

    The rubber ball smacked Zac in the chest, bounced, and sent him sprawling onto the grass behind him. Piers caught the ball when it sailed back into his fingers. My blood boiled at the apparent assault on my boy, until I heard Zac laughing and saw him climb to his feet. ¡°Again!¡± he shouted.

    Piers raised his hand high and launched the ball at him again.

    This time, Zac was ready for the elf¡¯s more aggressive way of playing, and he caught the ball with both arms when it hit his chest.

    ¡°Good!¡± Piers clapped. ¡°That was a great catch!¡±

    Zac turned to me, a wild look of excitement in his eyes, raised both hands over his head, and lobbed the ball at me. I raised my hands and caught it, finding immediately that he¡¯d thrown it far harder than I thought he could.

    Piers had effectively changed the game, but it was still just a game, and one Zac enjoyed, nonetheless.

 The Plan

    The Plan

    Following the game of catch, I had a flash of inspiration, and called Benji and Jeseka together in the inn while Zac played upstairs. Once I¡¯d gathered Benji and Jeseka, Elora decided she¡¯d sit in on the meeting, uninvited as she was. I considered telling her this was a private conversation, but ultimately decided it should involve her as well.

    Benji sat across two stools and leaned back against the bar. ¡°So, what¡¯s all this about a genius idea now?¡±

    I grinned triumphantly. ¡°You¡¯ll love this. It all started with¡­¡± A stomping sound upstairs caught my attention, and I paused long enough to assess that Zac was merely making a lot of noise while playing and not in any sort of danger. ¡°Outside, earlier¡­¡± I continued, ¡°One of the soldiers played ball with Zac and I.¡±

    ¡°I saw that,¡± said Jeseka, folding her bulky arms. ¡°Makin¡¯ friends with the enemy already, are we, hun?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Like it or not, Jeseka, those soldiers are our neighbors right now. Yes, they¡¯re also an occupying force, but individually they are our neighbors, not our enemies. I suggest we befriend them.¡±

    Jeseka grunted and stood from the table. ¡°I ain¡¯t not listening to this treason!¡±

    Benji pointed at her, then to her chair. ¡°Sit down, Jess. Ahv¡¯s been a good friend to us many years now. Don¡¯t we at least owe it ta him to listen ta what he hasta say?¡±

    Jeseka looked at the door, at me, at Benji, and finally slumped back down in her chair. ¡°Fine! Go on, speak your treacherous plan and have done with it!¡± Her sharp lower teeth protruded over her upper lip as she pouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying we join them,¡± I continued, ¡°Or that we help their war efforts in any way. I¡¯m saying we¡­ well, maybe we charge them less for drinks, invite them to play games with us, carry on conversations with them. You know, act neighborly.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Jeseka snapped.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡± asked Elora, her face giving a hint that she had already guessed what I was up to.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s possible that they¡¯re never leaving,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± said Benji with an agreeable bob of his head.

    ¡°So, imagine that they stay here long-term. Imagine a few years with Tagrosi soldiers living in our midst.¡± Jeseka grew more and more agitated with every word I spoke. She sunk deeper into a slouch in her chair. ¡°If we¡¯re stuck with these well-armed, well-trained killers anyway, wouldn¡¯t we much rather they liked us than hated us? I Eon Maganti gives them orders to¡­ say... place us under martial law, enforce a curfew, maybe even cull a few of our numbers as punishment for defying him¡­ wouldn¡¯t you much rather they hesitated because they actually liked some of the people in town?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Benji snapped his fingers. A sound which was like a wooden board being broken in half. ¡°Make them fellers feel like they belong here, in Oakbridge, so they¡¯ll do right by the community¡­ Brilliant!¡±

    Elora grinned and clasped her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Ahv.¡±

    Jeseka shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not! These are trained soldiers, men and women who¡¯ve been taught to kill anyone their superiors tell them to on a simple command. You really think they¡¯re going to disobey their superiors¡¯ orders because of sentiment?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°You may have a point, Jeseka. Eon Maganti may very well give the order for them to wipe out everyone in this town. When that happens, maybe even the closest of friendships won¡¯t give them pause. These people might be ready to execute their own mothers under Maganti¡¯s orders.¡± I raised an index finger. ¡°But, I¡¯ll tell you something. I much prefer our chances of survival if they like us than if they hate us.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Pah!¡± Jeseka spat. ¡°All that¡¯s gonna happen is that when the time comes to fight against these bastards you¡¯re going to be the one who hesitates because of your friendship, and that brief moment of pause will cost you everything.¡± She bolted up from her chair, knocking it over in the process. ¡°Do what you want, but I¡¯ll have no part of this!¡±

    ¡°Jess!¡± Benji called out to her as she stormed out the front door. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°I reckon that¡¯s a great plan, Ahv. We should tell everybody.¡±

    ¡°Everybody we can trust to keep a secret,¡± I said. ¡°Because if the soldiers know we¡¯re befriending them specifically so they won¡¯t hurt us, the plan won¡¯t work. And if...¡± I paused part-way through my statement and strained my ears for any sound from above.

    Benji leaned in closer. ¡°If what?¡±

    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± I hushed him and looked up at the ceiling. Zac had been stomping around up there before, but now it was completely silent. I¡¯d learned long ago to be suspicious of what sort of trouble Zac might be getting into whenever I heard utter silence. ¡°Pardon me,¡± I said, before standing from the table and hurrying up the stairs.

    Maybe he¡¯s just taking a nap.

    It was an odd lie I tried to use to comfort myself. Zac was seven years old now, and not likely to take or even need naps, and when he was younger he¡¯d fight tooth and nail to avoid taking naps. Quite literally, in fact, as the scars on my forearm could attest to. It was impossible to think he¡¯d go to sleep in the middle of the day without putting up a fuss.

    At the top of the stairs, I crossed the hall to our room and found it empty.

    ¡°Zac?¡± I called, growing ever more nervous by the moment. I searched the closet, under both beds, and even in his toybox. No sign of the boy anywhere. ¡°Zac?¡± I called out again, this time a little louder.

    When I returned to the bottom of the stairs, Benji and Elora both stood there with concerned faces. ¡°He¡¯s missing?¡± Benji asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I glanced about frantically. ¡°Benji, can you search the rest of the inn for him? I¡¯m going to look outside.¡±

    While Benji walked off toward the kitchen, likely to check the cellar, Elora stepped closer to me and asked, ¡°What can I do?¡±

    I stammered for a moment, not sure if I yet trusted Elora alone with Zac. There was, after all, that small chance that she had figured out who he really was and intended to do him harm. ¡°You¡­ uh¡­ search the rooms upstairs.¡± Without waiting for her response, I rushed out the door and cried out, ¡°Zac?¡±

    The streets were mostly empty, except for Eon¡¯s soldiers milling about. With no one else to question, I turned to the nearest man in a white uniform and asked, ¡°Have you seen a little boy with dark hair?¡±

    He shrugged and shook his head.

    I continued on, asking other soldiers my desperate question. Some seemed genuinely lost at the question. Others scoffed and turned up their noses at me. The longer I searched for Zac, the more I wanted to punch those who¡¯d elected to be unhelpful.

    Finally, when I asked the question, one soldier pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, then returned to his conversation with two other soldiers about whether the Impartiality Party or the Traditional Solidarity Party better embodied Tagrosi ideals. I ran off in the direction he pointed, crying out Zac¡¯s name.

    Ahead of me, I saw a gathering of soldiers in a circle. Mocking laughter drifted over to my ears, followed by the sound of Piers¡¯ voice, ¡°Stop this! I¡¯ll report you to the captain!¡±

    ¡°Screw off, Vinter!¡± Came a cruel response.

    Followed by Zac¡¯s cry, ¡°Ow! Help!¡±

    ¡°Maybe next time you¡¯ll think twice before stealing from me, you little shit!¡±

    Without thinking, I drew my sword and ran my thumb over the lac stone on the hilt, causing the fuller to flicker with silver light. ¡°Let the boy go!¡± I bellowed as I marched up, my blood boiling with rage.

    The pot of fury bubbled over when most of the soldiers in the circle stepped aside to let me pass and I saw what three of them were doing to Zac. Two held Zac by his arms, slightly suspended above the ground as he struggled and kicked. The third held his iron-edge in hand, not yet ignited, and pointed it at Zac¡¯s face.

    A red line rested on Zac¡¯s cheek, from which drops of blood trickled down.

    I roared and lunged at the soldier who¡¯d dared harm my son.

 Standing Up to Bullies

    Standing Up to Bullies

    All those years of teaching Zac to only turn to violence as a last resort. My lessons about controlling his anger, and that hurting others was not the answer. All of it was undone in one single moment, when I struck a blow against Eon¡¯s soldiers for harming my little boy.

    The cruel soldier who¡¯d been torturing Zac spun around and deflected my sword on his iron-edge, the fuller now aglow with pulsing, red light. When our blades connected there was a loud crackling sound, and when they parted, arcs of white and red lightning leapt between them.

    ¡°You bastards!¡± I roared. ¡°You cut my boy?¡±

    The cruel soldier and I circled each other, weapons pointed outward, ready for the next strike.

    ¡°He tried to steal from me,¡± said the soldier with a sneer.

    ¡°Avery!¡± Piers cried, ¡°Just let the boy go! We¡¯re not supposed to start fights with the locals!¡±

    The sarcastic smirk on Avery¡¯s leathery face was all the answer I needed. I lunged again, driving my sword toward his heart. Avery deflected again and smacked me in the nose with the back of his fist.

    I staggered away, my nose still sore from when Zac kicked it.

    Avery twirled his sword in one hand, a stream of scarlet following the spinning blade as he took a few steps back from me. The smug expression was gone, replaced by seething rage. ¡°You just tried to kill me... It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve carved up a savage.¡± He raised his weapon above his head and a beam of red light extended from the blade, doubling the sword¡¯s length. With one swipe, he brought the ray down at my head.

    I raised my silver-edge with the flat faced toward his beam. A disc of white light appeared in front of my sword, a shield which defended me from his attack. No sooner had his  beam bounced off my shield, then the disc flickered.

    ¡°Ha!¡± he flourished his weapon again. ¡°Looks like someone didn¡¯t leave his silver-edge in the moonlight.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I needed to end the fight quickly, or my weapon would run out of power and I¡¯d be defenseless against his iron-edge¡¯s magical properties.

    Already desperate, I charged at him with my flickering shield in front of me. He raised his iron-edge in defense, forming a red disc to block me. Once the shields connected, I pushed at such an angle as to force his guard away from his face.

    My knuckles avenged my nose as they cracked his jaw. He fell back, and I was certain that a blow that hard must have knocked a few teeth loose.

    His shield vanished and he slashed at my neck.

    Our weapons clashed together once more, sparks and arcs of white and red electricity flying out from every ferocious impact. With every blow I drove him further and further back, toward the wall of the nearest house. If I could force him into a corner I¡¯d have him.

    Another step toward the corner, and I pressed him harder. With every blow he fell closer and closer to my trap, then I¡¯d avenge Zac¡¯s blood seven-fold.

    But just as he neared the corner, he slipped past me, kicked me in the back, and I found myself trapped in that very spot.

    Avery¡¯s laughter and stabs were equally as wild, like a man who had lost all sense of reason, mercy, or fear. Frantic to defend myself, I deflected blow after blow, causing his red blade to cut holes in the wall behind me (which I¡¯m sure those inside did not appreciate).

    ¡°Enough! Weapons down!¡± called out a froggy female voice. ¡°Now!¡±

    Avery leapt away from me and threw his sword on the ground. In an instant I saw why. The woman in gray with straw-like hair I¡¯d seen before stood with her spear pointed at the two of us, the head glowing with golden light. Behind her stood ten soldiers with their iron-edges ignited and poised to strike us down should we fail to cooperate. Each wore the same gray uniform as their leader.

    I dropped my silver-edge and raised both hands, not wanting to risk their wrath for even a second longer.

    ¡°Captain Marth,¡± said Avery, his hands raised as mine were, ¡°this scum came at me.¡±

    The woman in gray glared at him, her lips curled in disgust. ¡°Private Vinter says you provoked him by wounding his son.¡± She turned to the two soldiers who still held Zac by his arms. ¡°You two, release him immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± said both men.

    As soon as they let go of Zac¡¯s arms, my son kicked them both in their shins and ran off. I¡¯d expected him to run all the way home to tell Mr. Benji what had happened to me, but he stopped just on the other side of the street and turned to watch me.

    Captain Marth kept her spear pointed between the two of us, silently daring us to move a muscle. With her head she gestured to one of her ten subordinates, who sheathed his sword and produced two pairs of manacles.

    ¡°We¡¯re taking you both into custody,¡± said Captain Marth. ¡°Until we straighten this out. The Consul will decide your fate.¡±

 The Consuls Judgment

    The Consul¡¯s Judgment

    When I was a boy I watched as the city guard took my adoptive father away in manacles because of a fight he¡¯d gotten into. I don¡¯t even remember what the fight was about, all I remember is his furious face as they took him away, and how often I used that moment as an excuse to disregard his advice.

    And when the Tagrosi soldiers led me away from Zac in manacles, I saw his mortified expression and silently prayed that it was concern for me and not his realization that I might not be as good a man as I pretended to be.

    But, in this case, I was sure I was right. Avery had cut Zac¡¯s face. My only regret as the soldiers chained me to a post in their camp outside the town was that I¡¯d failed to run Avery through before they caught me.

    I soon had many more regrets as Tagrosi soldiers who¡¯d undoubtedly heard about my little scuffle with Avery threw clods of mud and filth at me. Chained to the post as I was, there was little I could do to dodge their disgusting onslaught. Soon I had foul-smelling clumps of dirt caked into my beard and hair, and the soldiers¡¯ laughter grew crueler each time they decided to practice their overarm pitching.

    The thought occurred to me to be grateful that Captain Marth had stepped in before I could run Avery through, otherwise they¡¯d be throwing rocks rather than mud-clods.

    If the shadows on the ground were any indication, I was there for about an hour, though it felt like days. I wondered where Zac was while I was there. Hopefully he¡¯d gone back to Mr. Benji, or sought out Keren. Maybe one of them would come for me and argue on my behalf.

    Footsteps in the soil drew my attention, and I saw Captain Marth approach, her eyes like two vipers poised to strike. She stopped a few steps away from me and held both hands on her hips. ¡°Do not struggle and I will not hurt you. If you try to run you will be killed. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± I said, averting my gaze from hers.

    She drew nearer and produced a key from her pocket with which she unlocked my chains from the post. ¡°The Consul has come to a decision and wishes to speak to you now.¡± Captain Marth took hold of the chains still attached to my wrists and pulled me along. ¡°Follow.¡±

    I did as she commanded rather than make her drag me in the mud, which she might very well have been strong enough to do given what I¡¯d seen of her abilities.

    We progressed up the hill, past a number of tents and golems towering over us on either side. The golems¡¯ red, luminescent eyes watched us as we passed, making me wonder just how intelligent these beings made of iron might really be.

    At the top of the hill I spied a tent far larger than all the others, at the pinnacle of which stood the Tagrosi flag: a white laurel crown on a dark purple diamond with a black background. On the path leading up to the tent lay wooden planks, forming a more solid ramp.

    Captain Marth gave my chain a light tug when we reached the top of the ramp. She spoke at the tent¡¯s flap, ¡°Consul Maganti, I¡¯ve brought the Oakbridge citizen as you commanded.¡±

    ¡°He may come in, and you may return to your other duties,¡± came Eon¡¯s voice from within the tent.

    Captain Marth pulled back the tent flap and released the chain. I walked in, dragging the links on the ground as I entered. Eon sat behind a polished mahogany desk with a quill in his hand and a stack of papers in front of him. Round spectacles rested on the end of his nose, and he slipped the quill back into its inkwell.

    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

    Before sitting down, I took stock of the inside of the tent. A large, luxurious bed rested off to one side, next to a wardrobe, a standing mirror, and a washing basin. On the wardrobe¡¯s doors hung pieces of paper with hand-drawn pictures, apparently drawn by at least three children.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ve seen you before,¡± said Eon, folding his hands together on the desk. ¡°But I didn¡¯t catch your name then.¡±

    ¡°Ahv,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Ahv?¡± he repeated. ¡°Interesting. Ahv, did my soldiers do this to you?¡± He gestured to the mud in my beard and hair.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    His demeanor was friendly, which I found odd considering that I¡¯d been brought here because I attacked one of his soldiers. Part of me wondered if he merely intended to soften the blow of telling me that I was to be punished.

    He sighed and shook his head. ¡°I really wish they wouldn¡¯t do that. But, you know how young men can be. They see things in terms of ¡®Us against Them,¡¯ and if someone attacks one of their own that person is one of ¡®Them.¡¯ Nevermind the actual facts of the situation.¡±

    Eon pointed his index finger at me. ¡°Speaking of the facts of the situation, I have listened to Captain Marth, who questioned the witnesses of your fight. As far as I can tell, none of that was your fault, so once we¡¯re done talking I¡¯ll send you on your way.¡±

    I blinked twice, not sure I¡¯d heard him right. ¡°Send me on my way? Really? What¡­ what did the witnesses say happened?¡±

    ¡°According to Privates Vinter, Bosby, and Wyatt, a little boy tried to take Private Avery¡¯s sword, which he¡¯d rather irresponsibly left resting against the trunk of a tree. Once caught, the boy tried to run away, but two other privates whose names I¡¯ve not yet learned seized him and held him still while Avery used his sword to torture the poor boy.¡±

    Eon made a tisking sound with his tongue on the roof of his mouth and shook his head. ¡°Such poor character. I expect better from my soldiers, I hope you know that. Anyway, they say you approached and argued with Private Avery. According to all reports, you did strike first, but that¡¯s understandable since you are the boy¡¯s father, yes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said.

    ¡°Adopted father, I¡¯m guessing?¡± said Eon with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Because they said you look nothing like him.¡±

    ¡°He takes after his mother.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I told the lie. Even if Eon knew that Zac wasn¡¯t my biological son it was quite a leap from there to figuring out who he really was. Spinning falsehoods had likely done more harm than good, for he tilted his head back in a skeptical expression.

    ¡°Yes, well, in any event I want to both apologize for Private Avery¡¯s behavior and warn you to keep better track of your boy.¡± Eon smirked. ¡°What happened to him was a crime, but so is stealing. I might suggest employing a switch to ensure he never steals again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in that,¡± I said flatly.

    ¡°Using a switch?¡± he said.

    ¡°Forgive me, sir, but I consider it barbaric to beat a child with a stick. Frankly, I wouldn¡¯t even do that to an animal.¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°Such a gentle soul, for one who just attacked one of my soldiers.¡±

    ¡°My friend Benjamin Strato always says that if you can¡¯t get your way without bullying those weaker than you, maybe your way ought not to be got.¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°Amusing. Very well, then, maybe not a switch, but I would suggest you discipline him in whatever way you see fit. Maybe a stern talking-to would suffice.¡± His tone had become mocking by the end, and I would have liked nothing more than to spit in his eye.

    I moved to fold my arms, but the chains around my wrists immediately reminded me why I couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Will you be disciplining Avery?¡±

    ¡°As soon as he recovers, yes,¡± said Eon.

    ¡°Recovers?¡± I repeated, confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him that hard.¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± said Eon. ¡°But as soon as we got him back to camp he fell ill. A strangely sudden onset of symptoms.¡±

    ¡°What sorts of symptoms?¡± I asked.

    Eon¡¯s patronizing grin grew so wide his eyes were forced to close. ¡°My, aren¡¯t you a curious one? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know the answer to that, as I am not a physician. Neither would I share that sort of information with an outsider. In any event, he is sick. That is all you need to know.¡±

    I found the answer unsatisfying, but also believed he was speaking truly. ¡°Well, thank you.¡± I held up my manacled wrists and flopped them down on top of his desk. Papers fluttered and he slapped his hands down onto them to prevent them from taking flight.  ¡°May I go now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Eon. He held his hand over my manacles. One of his many rings glowed and a beam of light cut the chains from my wrists. ¡°You¡¯re free to go. Just¡­ one more thing¡­ Make sure you tell everyone in Oakbridge who asks what happened exactly what I told you. You know, that we determined you were in the right and Private Avery is to be punished. I prefer that the people of your town not think of us as the enemy. We¡¯re all in this together.¡±

    I gave a polite nod and smile as I stood from my chair and rubbed my wrists. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure they know. Thank you, Mr. Maganti.¡±

    ¡°Adieu,¡± he said with a wave of his hand.

 The Heros Return

    The Hero¡¯s Return

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    The word never failed to melt my heart when coming from Zac¡¯s lips.

    At the very moment I set foot in the Chalice Inn again, Zac charged me from the other end of the room, weaving his way between the patrons and serving staff, and threw himself into an embrace with me. I held my boy tight to my chest, overjoyed to see him again.

    Until he slipped out of my arms and shoved me away. ¡°Ugh! You smell like ass!¡±

    With hands on my hips I gave him a stern look. ¡°Who taught you to say that?¡±

    ¡°Who taught me?¡± he asked, looking both confused and nervous.

    ¡°Yes. Who said it in front of you?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ you did¡­¡± he replied.

    I didn¡¯t recall having said that in front of him, but I couldn¡¯t be sure he was wrong, so I wasn¡¯t about to call that a lie. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry I said that. It¡¯s not a nice thing to say. Tell you what, I promise I¡¯ll try not to say it ever again if you try to do the same.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Alright.¡±

    I spotted Benji watching me from behind the counter and called out, ¡°Hey! I¡¯m going to wash up outside, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    Benji waved to me. ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    I walked back out the front door of the inn and made my way around to the back, with Zac following close behind. ¡°How¡¯s your cheek?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Miss Jeseka gave me a bandage,¡± he said, pointing to the piece of cloth stuck to his face.

    I set a bucket under the water pump out back and started priming the lever. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m fine. What did the bad men do to you?¡± He tilted his head to one side curiously.

    Water started to sputter out of the spigot and into the bucket. I pumped the lever faster in hopes of getting more. ¡°They threw mud at me, but they didn¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said. ¡°And their leader, Mr. Maganti, he apologized for what that bad man did to you and said he¡¯s in a lot of trouble.¡±

    Zac¡¯s face turned dark and he said, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever hurt anyone again.¡± His voice was monotone and flat. My skin went cold. Part of me wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but I feared what the answer might be.

    Instead, a different question came to mind. ¡°Mr. Maganti told me that some people said you were trying to steal Avery¡¯s¡­ the bad man¡¯s sword. Is that true?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°No!¡± Zac protested. ¡°I just wanted to look at it.¡±

    ¡°Did you ask for permission before you put your hands on it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Umm¡­ no¡­¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think it might be a good idea to ask people before you touch their stuff? You don¡¯t like it when other people touch your stuff without asking.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I suppose¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, regardless, what he did was far worse.¡± I returned the lever to its downward position just as the bucket filled. A few more drips and it was done. I removed my shirt, picked up the bucket, and poured the water over my head. The freezing water loosened up the clumps of mud and I was able to pick most of them out, but I¡¯d need to stop by the bathhouse soon to get a deeper clean.

    ¡°Hey, Ahv?¡±

    I immediately recognized the voice as Jeseka¡¯s, though she sounded nowhere near as upset with me as she¡¯d been the last time we spoke. In fact, her voice sounded somewhat hopeful, even cheerful, and when I turned to face her I saw an expression which matched her tone. A soft smile with gentle eyes.

    Eyes which I could swear had just given me the once-over.

    ¡°Jeseka,¡± I said with a nod, wiping more mud from my face with my hand. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    She leaned one of her muscular arms against the inn¡¯s wall. ¡°I just wanted to apologize for my overreaction earlier. When you suggested befriending the Tagrosi soldiers I thought you were saying we should just¡­ bow to our captors, and that¡¯s something I will never do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never suggest we become slaves,¡± I said with a shake of my head.

    ¡°As I saw,¡± she said. ¡°When you fought that soldier who hurt Zac I realized that I¡¯d misjudged you.¡± Typical. The orc woman was impressed by warrior spirit. ¡°So, I just wanted to apologize about that and say¡­ well¡­ that I respect you.¡± She leaned her back against the inn¡¯s corner and folded her arms. The backs of her hands pushed her biceps forward, reminding me just how strong this orc woman really was.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°I respect you too.¡±

    ¡°What does ¡®respect¡¯ mean?¡± Zac asked.

    Both of us turned to him. ¡°You don¡¯t know what respect is?¡± I asked. ¡°You sure have a lot of it for not knowing what it is.¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°How to define it¡­¡± I mused for a moment, scratching my chin. ¡°You know how Mr. Benji is always saying ¡®be a gentleman¡¯ and ¡®treat all women like they are ladies?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s respect. Sort of.¡± I rubbed the back of my head. ¡°But in this case it¡¯s more like¡­ Jeseka just told me that she thinks I¡¯m a gentleman, and I just told her I see her as a lady.¡±

    In the corner of my eye, I saw pink rise to Jeseka¡¯s cheeks. I imagined it was uncommon for an orc woman to be told she was a lady.

    Zac stared blankly, clearly not fully understanding. Even so, he said, ¡°Oh¡­¡± then turned to start digging his fingers in the muddy ground I¡¯d made when I poured the bucket of water over myself. He dug up and earthworm and squeezed it between his index finger and thumb.

    Jeseka continued, ¡°So¡­ Now that I understand it better, I actually like your plan. I want to invite a few of the soldiers to the inn this evening for drinks at a discount. Benji¡¯s already approved it, but I wanted to check with you first, since you¡¯re the only one of us who¡¯s actually fought a Tagrosi soldier, and his comrades were the ones who threw mud at your face.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them,¡± I lied. ¡°Go ahead and invite some of them, but if the ones who helped Avery hurt Zac show up I¡¯m throwing them out.¡±

    Jeseka nodded. ¡°And I¡¯ll be there to help you. As will Benji, I¡¯m sure. Thanks, Ahv!¡±

 The Great Serpent

    The Great Serpent

    The sounds of laughter, conversation, and men singing along with tunes they barely knew permeated the tavern area of the Chalice Inn.

    After the incident earlier that day, I didn¡¯t dare let Zac out of my sight just yet. So, while I helped serve drinks to the Tagrosi soldiers who¡¯d come to patronize our establishment, Zac sat behind the bar, next to Benji, playing with his wooden dragons.

    I found that the Tagrosi were far less patient than our usual customers, shouting, ¡°What¡¯s the hold-up? Beer here!¡± At least, this was true with regards to their first drink. After they¡¯d had a few, the spirits warped their perception of time, and they were far too engaged in conversations about politics and the parts of women they found attractive to be concerned with ¡°lazy¡± serving staff.

    These same men who had marched in perfect step with one another early that morning now wore their uniforms unbuttoned, exposing the black shirts underneath, and cursed at each other regularly before breaking into obnoxious laughter.

    Across the room, in one of the chairs by the fireplace, I spotted Elora watching the scene with contemplative amusement. She held her hands with her fingertips pressed together, forming a triangle and pursed her lips while her white eyes squinted.

    ¡°Ahv!¡± I heard a voice call from one of the tables.

    Piers sat nearby and waved me over to him.

    I gave the room a quick once-over to make sure I didn¡¯t have anyone else trying to signal me to take their order. When I was satisfied that I wasn¡¯t neglecting anyone, I sidled over to Piers¡¯ table, pulled out the opposite chair, and sat in it with the backrest against my chest. ¡°Yes, what is it, Piers?¡±

    He leaned in closer and brought his voice a little lower. ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to know what happened to Avery, the soldier who hurt Zac.¡±

    ¡°I know exactly who Avery is,¡± I grunted. ¡°Yes, by all means, what happened to that bastard?¡±

    ¡°He died about an hour ago,¡± said Piers.

    Truth be told, I knew the answer before the words left Piers¡¯ lips. Zac¡¯s cryptic comment about Avery never hurting anyone again repeated in my mind, as did the dark look on Zac¡¯s face as he said it. I shuddered at the memory, and tried to put the implications out of my mind.

    ¡°I heard he was sick,¡± I said with a shake of my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was that serious.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t sick.¡± Piers¡¯ eyes darted back and forth and he turned his body slightly away from the nearest table full of patrons. ¡°I talked with the physicians. They said the symptoms were like those from a snake-bite, but they couldn¡¯t find teeth-marks anywhere on his body. They think he was poisoned. Captain Marth¡¯s launching an investigation, and I¡¯m sure you can guess who she suspects.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°If she suspects me of poisoning one of her comrades, why didn¡¯t she stop so many from drinking here?¡±

    ¡°A few of her investigators are here right now,¡± said Piers. ¡°They¡¯re watching to see if you poison anyone else. Frankly, I don¡¯t care if you did kill Avery.¡± He rubbed his jaw, as if recalling an old injury. ¡°He¡¯s had it coming for a long time. But Captain Marth cares, and, when word reaches him, so will Avery¡¯s brother, Clive.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Clive¡­¡± I repeated the name in an attempt to ensure I¡¯d remember it.

    Piers nodded. ¡°Clive¡¯s a member of the Masked Legion. They¡¯ve not arrived yet, but we expect to see them tomorrow. Be on your guard¡­¡± he cringed, ¡°The men in the Masked Legion wear masks because the anonymity helps relieve them of all conscience.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Four shots of whiskey over here!¡± called out a gruff voice from a table nearby.

    I looked up and saw that Jeseka had her hands full, so it was my job to bring them their drinks. ¡°Thank you, Piers,¡± I said, just before hurrying off to the bar to tell Benji about the new order.

    While Benji poured the four shot-glasses, I peered over at Zac, whose inquisitive eyes searched every person in the room, as if he were trying to memorize their features. He took a brief break from his foreign studies to return my gaze and give me an affectionate smile, waving at me with a wooden dragon in his hand.

    The Shoshan, the Accuser of Kings, the Harvester of Ages, the Great Serpent.

    Zahac¡¯s multitude of titles ran through my mind again as I looked upon my son¡¯s innocent face. It was hard to imagine that this little boy would be capable of the sorts of things spoken of in the Ancients¡¯ legends, but it occurred to me that every cruel and wicked man had once been a child. Most probably even had parents who loved them and never would have suspected they¡¯d be capable of wickedness.

    But rather than allow myself to obsess over what Zac might grow up to be, I focused my thoughts on a more immediate fear: Captain Marth¡¯s agents, whom Piers said were in the inn right now.

    ¡°Here ya go,¡± said Benji, sliding the shot glasses across the counter to me.

    I picked the four glasses up and hurried over to the table that had ordered the drinks. For a brief moment, as I handed those soldiers their whiskey, I wondered if they might be the agents Captain Marth had sent to watch me. My fears about these four immediately dissipated when they downed their drinks in one gulp, banged their fists on the table, and laughed out loud.

    No one suspecting their server of being a poisoner would be so quick to drink what they were given.

    My eyes caught a man and a woman in uniform at one of the tables, both of whom sat not facing each other, but instead facing out at the crowd as they conversed. Odd. Did they not find each other¡¯s company captivating enough?

    The front doors burst open and in walked a group of young women wearing, shall we say, less than modest attire. They immediately broke into groups of two and seated themselves at tables with the handsomer (and drunker) soldiers. Batting eyes and tittering laughter ensued as these young ladies tempted the amorous fellows with some of the things which had drawn me to the town myself. Their subtle actions, winking eyes, and dirty dialogue suggested activities ranging from appealing to appalling.

    Distracted by this display, I didn¡¯t see Elora approaching me until she was but inches away and her fingers slipped a piece of paper into the palm of my hand. No sooner was her note deposited then she glided up the stairs, as if she were floating not walking.

    Curious at what my former business partner might be up to, I opened the paper and read what she¡¯d scrawled there.

    ¡°Meet me at my door when your shift is over.¡±

    My ears burned hot.

    Elora had just invited me up to her room. While it was certainly possible that she was inviting me up there for an intimate moment (which was reason enough to be nervous), it was far more likely that she suspected something. Maybe she too had heard about Avery¡¯s poisoning.

    As soon as I could take a breather from serving the inn¡¯s patrons, I slipped over to Benji and said, ¡°I need to talk to Elora after my shift is over. Can you watch Zac for a bit longer?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow at me, as did Zac from the seat behind him. ¡°A talk with Miss Elora, hmm? A private talk, perchance? That would explain your tomato-like complexion.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about, she just asked me to meet her. Can you watch Zac for me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to spend a little more time with Mr. Zac,¡± he said, ruffling my son¡¯s hair. ¡°But, remember what I say.¡±

    ¡°Be a gentleman in all things,¡± I recited.

    ¡°And don¡¯t trust anyone with your body you wouldn¡¯t trust with your savings,¡± he added.

    We finished his cliche proverb in one voice, ¡°After all, your body¡¯s far more precious than your money.¡±

 Eloras Bedroom

    Elora¡¯s Bedroom

    My optimism dared to think this was not to be an interrogation, but rather a romantic encounter. For a short while, I entertained the thought. I imagined knocking on Elora¡¯s door and hearing her speak in a lower, lustier tone than usual, telling me to enter. I¡¯d slip into her room and there she¡¯d be, clad in a black nightgown which accentuated every curve of her ample body, and exposed just enough to tease. She¡¯d wrap her arms around my neck and command me to stay the night with her. Tempted as I¡¯d be, I¡¯d gently push her away. Sure, I¡¯d tell her she had no idea how much I wanted to give in to her beckoning, join her in a night of wild passions. But I was a gentleman in all things, and we would have to wait.

    While in my fantasies I always resisted the temptation, I think deep down I always knew that at the first offer of such things I was sure to crumble like autumn leaves.

    When I arrived at Elora¡¯s door, I straightened my hair, adjusted my collar, and smoothed out my beard. Once I was satisfied that I looked presentable enough, I cleared my throat and knocked.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlocked,¡± I heard her call, her voice not quite as flirtatious as I¡¯d hoped.

    I entered the room, only afterwards realizing that she hadn¡¯t technically invited me in.

    Once inside, my eyes traveled up from her feet to the top of her head. Her coat was gone, but underneath she wore a black bodysuit which left only her head and face uncovered. When she took a step toward me, I noticed a glimmer of silver and gold threads in her black coverall, and there appeared to be tiny, red gems worked into the seams.

    Lac stones? Is her whole outfit an Ancient relic?

    When she waved a hand at the door, the tiny lac stones in the seams between her fingers glowed and the door swung shut.

    ¡°Mr. Strato has assured me--¡± she began, as she walked toward the bed, ¡°--that these walls are almost perfectly sound-proof. Unless we shout, no one will be able to hear us.¡±

    I rested a hand on the nearest wall. ¡°The fellow who built this place must have been a genius. Though, you can still hear stomping through the floor.¡± I tapped the floor with my foot, as if making a little noise improved on my point.

    I took a moment to take in my surroundings, checking for any signs that this might be a romantic encounter. Elora sat cross-legged on the end of her bed with her hands resting on her knees. The room was illuminated by two lit oil lamps, one on the bedside table and one hanging from the ceiling. The covers on the bed were pulled up and perfectly square with the pillows. The dark violet curtains over the window remained partially open, allowing some of the moon and starlight from outside to leak in. On the far corner sat a chest with a lock on it.

    Nope. Nothing romantic at all.

    When Elora gestured to the chair near her bed, I knew for sure she¡¯d invited me there to talk about something, and I probably wasn¡¯t going to like it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I pulled up the chair and leaned it against the nearest wall before sitting down in it. In my posture, I tried to look as unperturbed as I could. Raising Zac had given me plenty of practice in pretending I wasn¡¯t bothered by something. ¡°So, what did you wanna talk about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Zac,¡± she said.

    I felt a twinge in the back of my neck, as if pincers twisted the sinews and nerves there. ¡°What about him?¡± I asked, still trying to look unperturbed.

    Elora leaned in closer. ¡°He came from the copper egg, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°From the what?¡± I blurted out without thinking.

    She snickered. ¡°You¡¯re going to pretend you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about? Please! Seven years ago, you helped me retrieve an egg that might contain Zahac. The night you leave it hatches. Then I find you with a child who¡¯s seven-years-old and you¡¯ve called him Zac.¡± The moment she said it I regretted that obvious decision. ¡°You don¡¯t think I can put the pieces together?¡±

    I raised my hands to shush her. ¡°Please keep it down! He doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know?¡± she asked.

    Even if I¡¯d been a master liar, I never would have convinced her that she was wrong at this point. ¡°Zac doesn¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know where he came from, he doesn¡¯t know about Zahac or the Ancient legends. He¡¯s just an innocent boy.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, tilting her head to one side. ¡°How do you know he¡¯s not just pretending to be innocent? Can you be certain he really doesn¡¯t remember?¡±

    I leaned forward until all four of the chair¡¯s legs rested safely on the floor. In a stern voice I told her, ¡°I know my boy. I took care of him since he was a newborn.¡±

    Elora folded her arms. ¡°You mean ¡®new-hatched?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I mean newborn,¡± I intoned with a furrowed brow.

    Taken aback, she simply said, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s innocent,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I never worried about what he might be, but he¡¯s not any different from any other boy. He plays with wooden swords and pretends to kill people. He builds up towers with his blocks, then knocks them down. He gets into fights at school. But if he hears someone he love say ¡®oww,¡¯ he shows immediate sympathy. If I¡¯ve been carrying him on my shoulders for a long time and start breathing heavy, he asks me to put him down. As far as I can tell, he¡¯s a normal boy. More importantly, he is my son, and we have a mutual trust.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think the Great Serpent might be able to fool you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s not the Great Serpent, he¡¯s a child!¡± I snapped. ¡°And he¡¯s my boy. I¡¯ll defend him to the death if I have to, Elora.¡± With fury spelled plainly on my face, I rpse from the chair and stepped closer to Elora. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you not to spread wild stories about what my son may or may not be. Am I clear?¡±

    Elora shrunk away from me, the hint of fear on her lips stinging my heart with guilt. ¡°Yes, perfectly clear,¡± she said.

    I sighed and took a step back from her, my fists unclenched. I wanted to more fully explain to her how I knew that Zac was not evil, but at the time it was hardly something I could put into words. It seemed unlikely that she would share our secret with anyone else, and even if she did it would be unthinkable that anyone but the village kook would believe her. What¡¯s more, as much as she surely feared Zac¡¯s true nature, I¡¯d seen during our time together, as delving partners, that she abhorred the use of violence. Oh, she¡¯d use it if she had to, but she always hated it, so I could be sure she wouldn¡¯t raise a hand against Zac.

    ¡°Thank you for understanding,¡± I said, trying to soften my expression as much as possible before turning to leave her room.

    Her last words to me before I left were, ¡°Good luck.¡±

 Bedtime

    Bedtime

    ¡°Briscoe barked happily, knowing he had just reunited the boy with his mother. Ross and his mother hugged and kissed, making up for all the time they missed while he was lost in the woods. Seeing that Ross would be taken care of, Briscoe turned away and walked off into the distance, to find the next person in need of his help.¡±

    At the conclusion of the story, I closed the book.

    I sat on a chair next to my son¡¯s bed. Zac sat up under the covers, his pillow propped against the wall behind his head. By the grunting sounds he made, I could tell he wasn¡¯t satisfied with the story¡¯s ending.

    ¡°Briscoe left him?¡± Zac looked up at me with confused eyes. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like the book said.¡± I gestured to the cover, as if trying to shift the blame for the ending he didn¡¯t like from myself to the story. ¡°Briscoe goes to any child who needs his help. Once they no longer need him, he moves on.¡±

    ¡°But Ross loved Briscoe!¡± Zac protested.

    The book never once said those words. I couldn¡¯t tell if Zac had picked up on the clues in the story, or if he was projecting himself into the main character.

    I scratched the back of my head, pondering this difficult question. ¡°Well¡­ sometimes the ones we love have to leave us...¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Though his voice told me he understood, the look on his face told me there was another question on his mind, one he was afraid to ask.

    After a few moments of watching his expression and thinking about the conversation, I deduced what was bothering him. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you.¡±

    ¡°Never?¡± he asked.

    It was a complicated question, really. I knew that if I simply answered as he wanted, that I would never leave him, that it would be a lie. Even with the medicine of the Ancients, which was hard to come by in Oakbridge, I knew I wasn¡¯t going to live forever.

    But I recalled Reverend Constance¡¯s most recent sermon about what happens to us after we die. She told us that when someone dies their soul is set free, and a piece of it exists inside every person who loved them while they were alive. Truth be told, I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of most of the things Reverend Constance taught, but when I heard her deliver that sermon I felt that I knew it was true. I only knew my real parents for the first four years of my life, but ever since they passed on I always felt like they were there with me.

    So, having thought through the answer, I responded in full honesty, ¡°I will never ever leave you, Zac. Remember? We moved to this town and I started working for Mr. Benji so I¡¯d never have to leave you again.¡±

    The answer brought a smile to his lips, but only for a moment. ¡°Briscoe reunited Ross with his mom. Where¡¯s Ross¡¯ dad?¡±

    I looked at the book and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The book doesn¡¯t say. Maybe he¡¯s off having adventures or something.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s dead,¡± Zac said, staring off at the far wall.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said with a shrug.

    ¡°Is that what happened to my mother?¡± Zac asked. ¡°Is she dead?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I considered my words carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was lie to the boy. If he found out later on that I¡¯d been untruthful he¡¯d feel so betrayed. I thought back to the legends about Zahac and who and what his mother was. Using the tales as a guide, I told him the parts I felt comfortable sharing. ¡°I¡¯ve never met your mother,¡± I said with a shake of my head, ¡°So, I don¡¯t know where she is, but here¡¯s what I do know. A long time ago, she lived in a palace on top of a waterfall, one built in a time even before the Ancients. She was the most beautiful woman in all the world, and suitors came from far and wide to ask for her hand in marriage.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®suitors¡¯?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Men who wanted to marry her,¡± I clarified. ¡°One of those suitors was a handsome prince.¡± I took special care to avoid telling him character names, a decision I hoped would at least delay his finding out the whole truth.

    ¡°Were you the handsome prince?¡± he asked, a hint of amusement in his smile.

    ¡°I wish!¡± Both of us chuckled. ¡°No, this was a long time ago. Anyway, the handsome prince wrote poems for her, and played her music on his lyre. He gave her flowers, and only ever spoke kindly to her, never harshly. They got married, and she became pregnant with you.¡± I waved my hand over my own protruding gut, making a gesture as if it were far bigger.

    ¡°Then what happened?¡± he asked, an excited smile on his lips.

    My heart sank. I should have seen that question coming. How could I tell any child, especially my own, the rest of that story? There was a reason the fair Lady Mitra charged Zahac with the judgment and destruction of the world, and it was a tale which was sure to crush his spirits.

    Then again, it was also an outlandish tale, one I could never be certain was real. So, with a clear conscience, I told him, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    He gave a disappointed huff and slumped down a little further into his bed.

    ¡°But I¡¯m here,¡± I said, kissing his forehead. ¡°And, like I said, I¡¯m never going to leave you. I love you, little man.¡±

    His eyes remained downcast, away from me, but he muttered, ¡°I love you too, big man.¡± He slid further down under the covers and pulled them up to his neck, then turned over onto his side and closed his eyes. When I rose from the chair and blew out the candle on his bedside table, he said, ¡°Can we use the glow-rock tonight?¡±

    Still afraid the darklings will come in his room¡­

    I¡¯d long since lost the battle of trying to convince him that because of the town¡¯s Everburn, no darklings could even come close enough to enter the inn, let alone hide in his closet or under his bed. Fulfilling his wish, I opened his dresser, took the glowing stone out from within, and placed it on his bedside table. The glow made it harder for me to sleep at night, but it helped him.

    Just as I arrived at my bed, I recalled Piers¡¯ warning that Clive, Avery¡¯s brother, was coming to Oakbridge along with the rest of the Masked Legion tomorrow. With this imminent threat in mind, I inched my way over to the closet, where I kept the silver-edge. I propped the sheathed weapon up against the window sill, making sure the lac stone on the cross-guard would remain exposed to moonlight.

    Satisfied that at least my sword would be ready for a confrontation with Clive, even if I wasn¡¯t, I climbed into bed and lay on my back. Thinking over Piers¡¯ warning, I considered taking Zac and running away. But, as I weighed my options, I realized that there was no guarantee we¡¯d be any safer in the wilderness than we were in town. At least in town Clive would have witnesses to worry about, and Consul Maganti had forbidden initiating hostilities with the people of Oakbridge.

    More importantly, there were no Everburns in the wilderness, making the nights especially dangerous.

    Besides, if something did happen to me, it seemed a much better plan to leave Zac in the care of Benji, Jeseka, and whoever else in town was willing to take him in rather than in the wilderness on his own.

    Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard Zac whisper, ¡°Good night, Mr. Muk.¡±

 The Masked Legion

    The Masked Legion

    Warm sunlight on my face awoke me the next morning, but my lazy bones had no desire to get out of bed just yet. Across the room, I could hear Zac carrying on a one-sided conversation. Talking to his imaginary friend again. I rolled over and hugged my pillow, enjoying its soft, feathery comforts.

    The ringing of the school¡¯s bell shattered the calm, forcing both me and Zac to sit up in bed.

    ¡°School today?¡± Zac groaned. ¡°Why? Yesterday we didn¡¯t have school¡­¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but we better get you ready and get over there. Class will start in an hour.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t waaaant to go to school¡­¡± Zac whined.

    I shrugged. ¡°I know, buddy. Sometimes getting out of bed is hard.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Muk says school is a waste of time,¡± said Zac.

    More and more, I was finding that his imaginary friend could be quite annoying. ¡°Really? Can Mr. Muk read and write?¡±

    Zac gave me a puzzled tilt of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡±

    ¡°Other than you, how many friends does Mr. Muk have?¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    I folded my arms and nodded. ¡°Sounds to me like Mr. Muk ought to try going to school. He might learn something and make some new friends.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    I stood from my bed and stretched out. ¡°Come on¡­ let¡¯s get you ready for school.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡± he protested, folding his arms and pouting.

    ¡°Zac¡­¡± I rubbed my eyes and groaned. ¡°Please don¡¯t fight me on this now, I¡¯ve got to work and you¡¯ve got to go to school. Remember what Mr. Benji always says about responsibility?¡±

    Zac looked away from me and said nothing.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you what, we have two choices.¡± I scratched my beard, trying to think up multiple options to present him, ones that would make going to school seem better. ¡°We can pretend you¡¯re sick if you want, but we have to make it believable. That would mean you¡¯d have to stay in bed with a thermometer in your mouth all day, maybe even take some of that ¡®cherry-flavored¡¯ medicine.¡± I made air quotes when describing the medicine¡¯s flavor. I¡¯d tasted it before, and the only way one could describe it as cherry-flavored was if they¡¯d only ever eaten moldy cherries.

    Zac curled up his nose at the idea.

    ¡°Or, if we can¡¯t pretend that you¡¯re sick, then we can take you to school, but we¡¯ll secretly hide¡­¡± I glanced down at the floor in front of his toybox, which always had a few strays lying on the floor. A tiny wooden swordsman lay on the ground, so I picked it up. ¡°This one. Yes, we¡¯ll hide this guy in your book bag, so if you get bored you can pull him out and play with him. What do you think? Stay home and be sick, or go to school with this guy?¡±

    Zac grunted, reached out, and snatched the swordsman from my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go to school¡­¡± he grumbled.

    Though he had agreed to go to school, Zac still wasn¡¯t the most cooperative he¡¯d ever been for getting ready. He took ages to pick out his clothes for the day, struggled to put his shoes on the right feet (even though he knew which shoe went to which foot), combed his hair far longer than needed, and ate his breakfast biscuit in the most tedious of nibbles.

    The hour was nearly up by the time I walked him to the schoolhouse, and class was about to begin. Apparently, the other parents had about as much trouble as I had, for they all arrived at the same time I did.

    I looked up toward the schoolhouse¡¯s front door, expecting to see Keren¡¯s glorious face as she welcomed the children in. To my surprise, a different woman stood in the doorway. After a moment of pondering, I recalled her name.

    Edith?

    Edith taught whenever Keren wasn¡¯t feeling well. For a brief moment, I thought back to the short-lived indignation Zac had when I woke him up for school, and wondered if, perhaps, the reason why Keren was sick was because he¡¯d cursed her as I suspected he¡¯d cursed Avery.

    I quickly banished the thought from my brain. Adults made Zac angry all the time, but the only time he ever struck back (if Avery¡¯s death really was his doing) was when someone cut his face and tried to kill his father. Like all children, Zac could be petty, but he still had a good sense of right and wrong.

    A resounding, distant horn drew my attention to the western end of town. Looking up to the hills, I saw countless humanoid shapes coming over the horizon. The soldiers in the streets around me looked up as well, with smiles which told me that they were expecting these visitors.

    The Masked Legion¡­

    They had arrived, just as Piers said they would. Suddenly, the streets seemed like the last place I wanted to be when they marched in. True, there was little chance that Clive had already heard what had happened to his brother, so he was unlikely to attack me the moment he arrived. Nonetheless, I wanted to remain as far from Clive and the Masked Legion as I could.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Like a child running from neighborhood bullies, I hurried back home, to the Chalice Inn.

    Every table sat empty, and Benji was not behind the counter, as he usually was. Jeseka stood in the center of the room mopping the floor. Each movement of the mop caused her biceps and forearms to flex and unflex. A gentle rhythm I found strangely hypnotic.

    ¡°Ahv? Something wrong?¡± she asked, tilting her head to one side with a curious smirk.

    ¡°What? Oh¡­ no, nothing¡¯s wrong. Why?¡±

    She giggled. ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at me for almost a minute now.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I guess I¡¯m just in a daze.¡±

    Jeseka chuckled and leaned forward, resting her weight on the end of the mop handle with both hands. ¡°Yeah, I have that effect on a lot of men.¡±

    My face burned and I said, ¡°I¡­ I bet you do.¡±

    She raised one eyebrow, and beamed at my compliment. ¡°My my, Ahv¡­ are you flirting with me?¡±

    ¡°You started it,¡± I chuckled.

    Jeseka threw her head back and laughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re too much fun, you know that?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as too much fun,¡± I said.

    She gestured to the ceiling above her with the mop handle. ¡°The soldier up there, sleeping off his hangover, might disagree with you.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s such a thing as too much fun. Sometimes there¡¯s too much of certain ways you can have fun, but there¡¯s no such thing as too much fun.¡±

    Jeseka pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± She lowered both hands down the mop handle and continued pushing it across the floor. I averted my eyes from her soft-yet-strong arms. ¡°So, how¡¯s Zac doing? You know, since the¡­ the incident.¡±

    ¡°He seems to be doing fine,¡± I replied. ¡°When I talked to him about it, he was more concerned about me than about himself.¡±

    ¡°Zac¡¯s a selfless boy,¡± Jeseka said, dipping the mop in the bucket.

    ¡°Surprisingly so,¡± I said. ¡°I got lucky there.¡±

    For a moment, the only sound in the room was Jeseka¡¯s efforts to scrub the floor clean. She broke the silence with, ¡°Such a mess they made last night. Look at this¡­ dried beer everywhere! How do they keep those white uniforms clean if they can¡¯t keep beer in a glass?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a mystery.¡±

    ¡°I guess. Hey, so, I¡¯ve wanted to ask you something for a long time.¡± She looked up from the floor, her eyes meeting mine. ¡°Benji said you used to be a delver before you came here. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes it is,¡± I said, before going behind the bar to find a rag to wipe up the tables.

    ¡°So, you went into the ruins of Ancient cities and brought back their secrets, right? Their inventions, their books, artifacts, that sort of thing?¡±

    I soaked the rag I found in a strong cleaning solution Benji kept behind the bar, the scent of which singed my nostril-hairs. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the gist of delving.¡±

    ¡°There pretty good money in that?¡±

    ¡°Only if you find something good,¡± I said.

    ¡°And how often did you find something¡­ ¡®good¡¯?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Roughly every third time I went down there.¡±

    ¡°So, it was a good-paying job where you got paid to go adventuring and discovering the secrets of the distant past.¡± She leaned her head to one side curiously. ¡°So, why quit that to work at an inn?¡±

    ¡°Well, for one thing, it¡¯s hard to raise a child while working as a delver. Sometimes you spend days down there. One time I was underground for a full week before I was able to return to the surface with something good.¡±

    Jeseka nodded. ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± I continued, scrubbing the counter, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous work. The Ancient cities are swarming with darklings. And then there are other delvers, who¡¯ll kill you and steal your find if it looks expensive enough. It was worth the risk when I was only taking care of me, but now I have to worry about what will happen to Zac if I die.¡±

    ¡°So, the short version is¡­¡± she locked eyes with me and my heart fluttered in my chest. ¡°You gave up a life of adventure and riches because you love your son. Right?¡±

    I gave an affirming gesture with my hand. ¡°That¡¯s the long and short of it, yes. What did you do before you came here?¡±

    ¡°I was a bandit,¡± she said, flatly.

    ¡°A bandit?¡± I repeated with incredulity.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she raised both her arms and flexed. ¡°A bandit. Isn¡¯t it obvious? There aren¡¯t really that many professions for orcs out there. We pretty much just have blacksmiths, hunters, mercenaries, and bandits. That¡¯s all we¡¯re really good at.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°See, I have no trouble imagining you being¡­ capable as a bandit, let¡¯s say. What I have a hard time imagining is you having the heart to rob people.¡±

    ¡°We had our own ways of justifying what we did.¡± Jeseka returned to mopping the floor. ¡°As all people do. We had certain rules: don¡¯t rob the poor, don¡¯t kill anyone unless you absolutely have to, never betray our own, and, if possible, only steal from tyrants, other bandits, or merchants who cheat people.¡±

    ¡°A gang of thieves with a code of ethics, hmm?¡±

    She pointed her index finger at me. ¡°Every gang of thieves has a code, otherwise the gang doesn¡¯t last long.¡±

    ¡°So, what made you quit?¡±

    Her smile faded and her face hinted at something dark and painful. ¡°Some of us had a little disagreement about what it meant to only kill people if you ¡®have to.¡¯¡± She rubbed her forehead. ¡°After that, things¡­ well, they fell apart, and I needed a new life.¡±

    ¡°So you came here.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°The Chalice Inn is all about second chances, it has been since the beginning. It¡¯s about assuming that people want to be good, and then trying to help them do just that.¡±

    We heard the deafening rhythm of marching feet outside as the Masked Legion marched into town and their fellow Tagrosi soldiers came to meet them. On a brief glance out the window I caught a glimpse of one of the Masked Legion soldiers.

    They wore black coats which hung down to the tops of their boots, the sleeves of which were covered in dark steel armor plates. They wore helmets with a curved top, which connected to their mostly-blank masks. Those masks had eye-holes for them to peer through and slits over their mouths and noses to allow air passage. Each Masked Legion soldier carried with him an iron baton with three lac stones: one on the pommel, one on the handle, and one on the end.

    I slowly backed away from the window, trying to avoid any of these soldiers¡¯ gaze.

    ¡°Men in masks¡­¡± Jeseka sighed. ¡°I can tell you from personal experience, no one wears a mask when he intends to do good.¡± Her eyes snapped up to mine. ¡°No one.¡±

 Trouble at the Gallows

    Trouble at the Gallows

    The trumpets¡¯ call drew the people of Oakbridge out of their homes and to the town square. Tagrosi soldiers stood at every street corner, their heads held high. Masked legionnaires walked on the stronger rooftops, overlooking the scene.

    I was in the midst of that crowd, the call having interrupted my conversation with Jeseka. Somewhere along the way, I lost her, and shortly thereafter I discovered that the trumpet had not been calling us to the town square, but rather to the gallows beside the sheriff¡¯s office.

    I found a spot where a tree¡¯s root had raised the ground just a few extra inches and stood there, so I could see over the heads of those around me.

    In front of the gallows stood a line of masked legionnaires, with Captain Marth in the middle, her spear in hand. Up on the platform I saw Consul Eon Maganti in his wheelchair, and standing on the trapdoor was a woman with her hands tied behind her back and a burlap sack bag over her head.

    Peering down to the crowd in front of the gallows, I spotted the wide-brimmed hat of Sheriff Jayden Wood. By the hat¡¯s tilt, I could tell he too was straining to keep eyes on the scene unfolding.

    Murmuring spread through the crowd, some of it fearful and some of it furious.

    Piers stood under a tree nearby, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. He was only one of many Tagrosi soldiers who watched the crowd as if they were a swarming mass of cobras, ready to strike at any moment.

    ¡°Attention please!¡± Eon called out, raising both of his hands. When the crowd fell quiet, he spoke again. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re very kind. But, unfortunately, I cannot say that for all of you. We came to this city so that we could march further east and end the tyranny of King Octavian Monde. Upon our arrival, we informed you that we wish no ill will toward the people of Oakbridge, we merely wish to cross the river here, and hold this town for as long as it takes to move our forces across.¡±

    Feigned sadness took its place on Eon¡¯s face and he slowly shook his head. ¡°It has never been my intention that anyone here in Oakbridge should suffer or die. In fact, it was my hope that our presence here would bring money into your little town, make your citizens rich, that we might foster good relations between the Republic of Tagros and the people of Oakbridge.¡±

    Eon pointed an accusatory finger at the woman wearing the burlap sack over her head. ¡°But this woman has betrayed our trust! She has taken actions which are neither in your best interests nor mine. My scouts spied her heading northeast, away from Oakbridge. When they caught up with her, they found this piece of paper in her pocket.¡±

    Eon reached inside his coat and produced a rolled up slip of paper with a ribbon around it. With deft fingers he undid the ribbon, cast it aside, and unrolled the paper. ¡°If something should happen to me and you find this note on my body, then you must bring it to the marquis. Tagrosi soldiers have taken the town of Oakbridge hostage. I know not what they intend to do with us, but their leader has already spoken about his plans to march east and conquer the kingdom of Prayn.¡± Eon took in a sharp breath between his teeth and shook his head. ¡°Get this message to someone who can do something about it.¡±

    Eon crumpled the paper and held it out in his palm. One of his rings glowed and the paper caught fire, its ashes blowing away in the wind like dust. ¡°What a shame,¡± Eon said, hanging his head as if the note¡¯s contents brought him the deepest sorrow. ¡°Allow me to educate you all--¡± he lifted his head, staring at the crowd with fury on his brow, ¡°--on just what typically happens when an army like mine takes a town like yours. Typically, one of three things happens. First, the visiting army will often wipe out everyone in the town so that no one can run off and tell the enemy of their movements, just as this woman has attempted to do. Second, often the visiting army will take the people of the town prisoner. Lock them in their homes and force them to remain there until the army has left. Third, sometimes the visiting army will kill just enough people in the town to make sure the rest of them behave themselves.¡±

    Eon¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits and his nose curled up in disgust. ¡°I wanted to do this without bloodshed, but one of your own has left me no choice.¡±

    Cries of fear reverberated through the crowd, and the people of Oakbridge backed away from the gallows. I glanced over toward the school. If this turned into either a riot or a mass execution, I needed to get to Zac immediately. Then we would decide what to do.

    The soldiers on every street corner widened their stances, as if ready to fight, and rested their palms on the hilts of their still-sheathed swords. Among them I spotted Piers, whose worried lip told me he feared the moment would soon come when he was given the order to attack the people of Oakbridge.

    ¡°No need to fear!¡± Eon cried out. ¡°So far, this woman bears the sole blame for her crime, so her life shall be the only one we take. Unless you give me a reason to change my mind.¡± Eon rolled his chair over to the woman¡¯s side and yanked the burlap sack off her head.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Keren!

    It was my son¡¯s teacher on the gallows, bound and gagged.

    Eon gestured to Keren and peered out at the crowd. ¡°Tell her she is a traitor.¡±

    Stunned silence met his command.

    ¡°Now,¡± Eon pressed. ¡°Tell this bitch she is a traitor, who could have brought blood and death down upon us all. Say it. She is a traitor!¡± He leaned his head back and folded his arms. ¡°Unless, of course, you agree with her actions? Do my soldiers have many enemies to worry about here in Oakbridge?¡±

    The implied threat was surely not lost on anyone, but all in Oakbridge remained silent.

    Eon clasped his hands down on the armrests of his wheelchair. ¡°It seems you leave me no choice¡­¡±

    I heard the sound of iron-edges inching their way out of their sheathes.

    ¡°Consul Maganti!¡± Jayden called out, his hand shooting up into the air.

    ¡°Ah! The sheriff speaks at last.¡± Eon gestured for Jayden Wood to join him on the gallows¡¯ platform. ¡°My dear friend, share with us what¡¯s on your mind.¡±

    Jayden ascended the ramp on the right side of the gallows, took off his hat, and held it in both hands. ¡°Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Consul.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Sheriff,¡± said Eon. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Jayden looked at Keren, then back at Eon. ¡°If I may be so bold, I think that the people of Oakbridge would be far happier if we got to punish her ourselves. Just as you have been so gracious to¡­ you know¡­ discipline your soldiers when they did us wrong, we can discipline Keren for doing wrong to you.¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Eon asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll throw her in the jailhouse,¡± said Jayden. ¡°Until such time that you have already left the town. That way she learns a harsh lesson and is no threat to you during that time.¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t he wonderful? Give him a hand!¡± The Consul started a hearty applause, but he was the only one clapping. ¡°Jayden, I think it¡¯s wonderful, all that you do to serve and protect your people. Really, I do. But, at this point, this is more than a mere matter of whether or not this woman is a threat to us. She has set an example for others here, others who will now try to be ¡®heroes¡¯ where she failed. Unless they see truly horrible consequences for such actions.¡±

    Eon gestured to us, though his argument was directed at Jayden. ¡°When I told them she was a traitor, it seemed none of them agreed with me. What am I supposed to conclude based on that? It seems that the people of Oakbridge agree with her actions, which means that they are all a threat to my soldiers now.¡±

    My blood chilled with the realization that there was little to no way that Eon was going to give Keren over to Jayden. He was only entertaining the debate so he could defeat Jayden¡¯s arguments and dismiss his suggestions. Keren was doomed to die, no matter what Jayden said.

    The debate went on, with Jayden making a merciful and diplomatic point, only for Eon to cast it aside and make it sound foolish. Jayden was far from ready for a public debate like this. He was a genius investigator, but arguments were never his forte.

    A flash of desperate inspiration hit my brain. I picked up a rock and threw it at the gallows. ¡°Traitor!¡± I shouted. The rock hit the ground near Keren¡¯s feet.

    The debate halted, and for a moment all eyes were on me.

    ¡°Keren¡¯s a traitor!¡± I yelled with my fist in the air. ¡°Traitor!¡±

    Somewhere between the hateful looks of the Oakbridge residents and the satisfied smile of Eon Maganti, my stomach turned and my knees went weak. I slumped back against the tree which propped me up and hung my head in shame.

    ¡°Indeed she is,¡± Eon said. ¡°So, there is at least one man in Oakbridge who understands.¡± The Consul turned his head to look upon Keren¡¯s fearful face. Her pleading eyes desperately tried to soften his heart of stone. ¡°And therefore she must die.¡±

    He opened his palm in front of her face. One of the rings glowed, and a beam of golden light, thin as a needle, pierced through her forehead.

    Her body collapsed.

    She was gone. My son¡¯s teacher, whom I¡¯d known for years, was gone just like that.

    Cries and yelps sounded through the crowd.

    Followed by shouts of anger.

    When I dared to look up again, all life had gone from her eyes, leaving only terror and confusion.

    She¡¯d never smile again. Or call me in to lecture me about my son¡¯s behavior. I felt as if a small piece of my soul had just been snatched away, leaving inside me a tiny hole through which chilling winds whistled.

    ¡°Death to Tagros!¡± shouted a man in the crowd.

    I agreed with the sentiment, but this hardly seemed like the time to seek revenge.

    ¡°Death to Tagros!¡± shouted another.

    ¡°Draw swords!¡± Eon commanded. His soldiers did as they were bid, and I heard the hum of countless iron-edges igniting at once. Among them stood Piers, his weapon in hand, though the point of it was directed at the ground before him.

    The people of Oakbridge backed away from the Tagrosi soldiers and the gallows.

    The masked legionnaires raised their batons and Captain Marth pointed her spear at the people.

    Eon called out. ¡°I came here with my army, but in mercy did not engage your pitiful little town in battle. Would you prefer we had it out? We can test the strength of your arms, and see how quickly my soldiers can slaughter the lot of you! Strike the first blow, Oakbridge, and we will begin.¡±

    My eyes searched the area for the quickest, clearest route to the school. If my fellow citizens did something stupid I needed to get Zac out of there.

    But several moments of silence went by, and neither side acted against the other.

    Finally, Eon said, ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯ve come to your senses. Good. All of you, go about your business. And someone should come take this woman¡¯s body.¡± He pointed to Keren. ¡°She deserves a proper burial and a proper funeral. Even if she did make a mistake by crossing me.¡±

 The Offer

    The Offer

    Oakbridge was a cannon-powder keg, and I smelled smoke.

    By my estimations, the Tagrosi army outnumbered us ten to one at least, and they were far better equipped than we. Rising up to fight them was simply not an option, and fleeing the town wasn¡¯t viable either. But the world was about to come crashing down around us, and I needed some way to ensure that Zac would survive.

    As with all other situations where I found myself overwhelmed, I went to Benji for advice.

    I found him back at the Chalice Inn, wiping down the tables I¡¯d already cleaned. Just as I entered, he brushed the back of his hand on his cheek and sniffled.

    ¡°Benji¡­ are you crying?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, his mustache quivering. ¡°You saw what happened out there.¡±

    A pang of guilt struck my heart when I heard Benji¡¯s words. Though Keren¡¯s death had shocked me, I hadn¡¯t shed a tear for her. What sort of monster was I if I couldn¡¯t cry over a woman I¡¯d known for years?

    Benji pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket (which looked comically tiny in his wagon-wheel-sized hands) and blew his nose into it. He folded it over, used the back to wipe his tears, then returned it to his pocket. ¡°Sorry¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ she was such a sweet lady.¡±

    ¡°She really was,¡± I said, trying to bring the proper emotions of grief and mourning into my heart. They seemed, quite simply absent. ¡°Umm¡­ do you want a hug?¡± The words left my mouth before I¡¯d really thought about them. Once they were out, I felt like an idiot. Why would Benji, the strongest man in the world, need a hug?

    Benji hurried around from behind the counter and threw his arms around me, pulling me into an uncomfortably-tight embrace. He sniffled his dribbling nose again, and I felt something wet on my shoulder that I hoped was tears.

    I attempted to wrap my arms around him in turn, to hug him back, but his chest was simply too big around. My hands stopped at his sides, where I gave him a reassuring pat.

    A few moments went by like this and just as I finally got used to it he released me, and my body resumed its usual, non-crushed shape.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡­ err¡­ of course.¡±

    After a firm pat on my shoulder he strolled back behind the bar and started wiping down glasses.

    ¡°Benji¡­¡± I began, ¡°If you¡¯re not too distracted at the moment, I was wondering if I might ask your advice.¡±

    Benji gave me a firm look in the eye. ¡°You can always ask me for help. Whatcha need?¡±

    ¡°After¡­ you know¡­ what happened today, the whole town¡¯s ready to go to war with the Tagrosi, but we can¡¯t win.¡± I wrung my hands. ¡°I need to make sure Zac is safe when that happens, but it doesn¡¯t seem like I can get him out of here.¡±

    Benji curled the end of his mustache around the tip of one finger. ¡°Yes, that is quite a predicament, isn¡¯t it? Hmm¡­ What if we let him hide in the cellar again? If and when the fighting starts, you and I will stay inside the inn and not get ourselves involved if we don¡¯t have to. If any of those blackhearts comes in here¡­¡± Benji made a fist, which looked far more threatening than the head of a sledgehammer. ¡°We hold our ground. They say I¡¯m the strongest man in the world. Hopefully, the Tagrosi soldiers will be too yellow to come pickin¡¯ fights here.¡±

    ¡°We can hope and pray,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But muscles account for little in the face of Ancient weapons.¡±

    Benji¡¯s head tilted forward, the light casting a shadow from his brow over his eyes. Though I¡¯d known him for years and during that time he¡¯d only ever acted as gentle as a dove, the look he gave hinted at a deep ferocity he kept bottled up inside. ¡°Ancient weapons account for little in the face of¡­ face of me¡­ in my face¡­ Bah! I¡¯ll snap ¡®em in two!¡±

    From the mouth of anyone else, such bravado would have seemed ridiculous, but when Benji said it I believed him.

    The darkness fled from his face and his mustache pushed up into a smile. ¡°So. Problem solved. But I hope it won¡¯t come to that, myself. Folk here are pretty upset, but they ain¡¯t stupid. They know we don¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in Hell of winning.¡±

    The sound of the door swinging open caught our attention. Three Tagrosi soldiers in white uniforms entered, followed by Eon Maganti and five more soldiers. Through the window, I could see many more standing guard outside.

    Eon turned to Benji and gave a pleasant grin. ¡°I understand your name is Mr. Strato, is that right?¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Benji.

    ¡°Mr. Strato,¡± Eon folded his hands, ¡°I would like a moment to speak with Ahv alone, if I could.¡±

    Benji looked at me, silently asking me something. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was asking if I needed him to stay or for permission to leave.

    I took a gamble and nodded my head to allow him to leave.

    Benji turned to Eon and folded his arms. ¡°Ahv works for me, and he¡¯s a dear friend. Whatever needs to be said ta him can be said in front o¡¯ me too.¡± He patted his own chest to punctuate his point.

    Eon chuckled. ¡°I like you, Mr. Strato. You have the sort of small-town manners I was hoping to see when I came here. A sort of¡­ old-fashioned sense of honor that I admire. Very well, you may stay, but I trust your sense of honor will keep the content of this conversation a secret, yes?¡±

    Benji nodded. ¡°So long as it ain¡¯t hurtin¡¯ folk to keep the secret, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fair.¡± Eon turned to me. ¡°First, I want to say that I am truly sorry things had to go the way they did this morning.¡±

    ¡°You mean, just a few minutes ago?¡± I grunted.

    All pleasantness fled Eon¡¯s face. For a brief moment I saw indignation there, but he quickly turned it to feigned sorrow. ¡°Yes¡­ what happened just a few minutes ago. It¡¯s a terrible tragedy, it really is.¡±

    It took every ounce of willpower within me not to lunge at him, beat him senseless for trying to shirk responsibility for Keren¡¯s death. This disgusting, spider of a man who¡¯d caught us up in his web of lies and threats.

    But I stayed quiet, and allowed him to continue. He leaned back and held his fingertips together, forming a triangle in front of his chest, with his elbows on the arm-rests of his wheelchair. ¡°But, let¡¯s not forget, you are not the only ones to have suffered a loss in all of this. We, too, have lost someone dear to us. Private Avery.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said that was his fault,¡± I snapped, before my better judgment settled in to tell me this had been a mistake.

    Thankfully, Eon nodded his agreement with me. ¡°He disobeyed my orders and tortured a small boy. That¡¯s inexcusable. Moreso even than Keren¡¯s crimes. But, just as your people are furious about what happened to her, many of my soldiers are furious about what happened to Avery. Sometimes who was right and who was wrong in a conflict isn¡¯t the important part, it¡¯s what we can do to create peace after the fact, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°That brings me to a solution,¡± Eon said. ¡°Avery died because of venom in his blood. Since then, my physicians have already used his blood to make an antivenom. But what still puzzles me is just how that poison got into his system. There were no snake bites anywhere on his body. Thinking it over and over again, it seems to me that the only possibility is that you were the one who poisoned him.¡± Eon raised his hands to silence my objections before they left my lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain yourself, apologize, or even deny it. I¡¯m not here to punish you for that. Frankly, I¡¯m impressed with you. Private Piers tells me you are a good man, and you¡¯ve only risen up against us in violence when your son was threatened. You obviously have some sort of ingenuity if you could successfully poison Avery both undetected and in the middle of a fight.¡±

    I folded my arms and leaned back against a table nearby. That simple gesture appeared to have startled some of the Tagrosi soldiers in the room, who reached for their swords.

    ¡°So,¡± Eon continued, ¡°I propose a move which will surely make peace between our two peoples. I want you to join the Tagrosi army.¡±

    I failed to suppress my amused snort.

    Eon pointed his index finger at my face. ¡°Hear me out now, Ahv. Joining the Tagrosi army means that you will be a citizen of the Republic from the moment you sign up. Citizens and their families have certain rights. Such rights will protect you and your son in the future, should any hostilities arise between my people and yours. Furthermore, being the sole Tagrosi citizen in Oakbridge will grant you political power. When my army has finished its trek across your bridge, we will appoint you as this town¡¯s judge, and leave a small handful of soldiers to help you enforce law and order here.¡±

    ¡°Sheriff Jayden enforces law and order here,¡± I said flatly.

    ¡°He does.¡± Eon nodded. ¡°But a sheriff is no substitute for a good judge, one who knows the law and how best to administer it.¡±

    ¡°The law? Whose law?¡±

    ¡°The Law of the Republic,¡± Eon said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will be sure you are educated on the ins and outs of Republic Law.¡±

    ¡°You expect Oakbridge to submit to your country¡¯s laws?¡±

    Eon leaned in closer and brought his voice just a little lower. ¡°One way or another, yes. But I¡¯d prefer this transition be handled peacefully, and I believe that if one of their own is the first to impose Republic Law things will go far better.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I want anything to do with Republic Law?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You called the condemned a traitor,¡± Eon said.

    My heart stung at his words. I was the only one in the crowd calling Keren a traitor just before she was killed. The last thing anyone said directly to her was an insult, and it was a friend who said it in those final moments. It had been a desperate attempt to save her life, but it was also a cruel betrayal at the end of her life.

    ¡°I did¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you seem to me like a reasonable fellow.¡± Eon leaned back in his chair, a triumphant gleam in his eye. ¡°The sort of fellow who can lead the people of Oakbridge into the much better world I plan to give them.¡±

    My brain reeled with different possible ways to refuse his offer. I thought maybe I could claim that I feared punishment for treason if he should lose the war against King Octavian. I could claim that the people of Oakbridge were likely to turn on me if I threw my lot in with him. For that matter, I could have simply told him that because I had a son I had no desire to become a soldier and thus constantly risk my life for a Republic I didn¡¯t even understand.

    But the words which fell from my mouth were, ¡°Piss off.¡±

    Eon¡¯s eyebrows raised and he laughed out-loud at my crude response. ¡°You certainly don¡¯t like to mince words, do you?¡± He shook his head, the amused smile never leaving his lips. ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re entitled to throw away my gift and spit in my eye, that¡¯s fine. Just remember that I made this offer when the Republic is victorious and we appoint a judge over Oakbridge who¡­ well, isn¡¯t you.¡± He rolled his chair backward a few rotations, then turned it toward the door. ¡°Come on, everyone, we¡¯re moving out.¡±

    The soldiers left with Eon, a few of them shooting me nasty glares on the way.

    Once they were all gone, Benji patted my shoulder and said, ¡°Proud of you, Ahv.¡±

 Mourning, Sorrow, and Vengeance

    Mourning, Sorrow, and Vengeance

    Zac¡¯s school let out for Keren¡¯s funeral, and at Benji¡¯s advice I took him with me to attend. When I showed my face, may of the townsfolk shot me disgusted and even threatening glares. Calling Keren a traitor had made me the most hated man in Oakbridge, for the time being. Yes, I think they hated me more than they hated Eon Maganti.

    We all gathered in the cemetery on the east end of town. Consul Maganti had agreed to grant us full control over the bridge for the few hours we needed for the funeral, and thus halted his troops¡¯ march across the river.

    The cemetery lay in a small valley between three tall hills. It always made sense to us to bury our dead in lower ground, that way when it rained the dirt would bury them further rather than unearth them.

    Four men carried Keren¡¯s pine coffin down from a dip between two of the hills. The rest of us stood in the green valley, surrounded by headstones older than the town itself.

    I glanced up at the tops of the three hills. On each stood a Tagrosi soldier, there to overlook the proceedings and make sure we weren¡¯t plotting against them.

    Zac¡¯s sobs drew my attention back to him, the sound was the greatest torture I¡¯d ever endured. I peered down at his tear-stained face, his lower lip contorted in grief. I gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and when he looked up at me I tried to convey that I understood his sorrow.

    But I still hadn¡¯t cried for Keren.

    The sky was blue. Birds sang cheerful songs. Flowers of every color had taken root in the graveyard, making the scene beautiful, except for the wails and sobs of everyone who wasn¡¯t me. Even Elora, who didn¡¯t know Keren, had enough sensitivity to cry.

    The four pall-bearers set the coffin down on the edge of a hole that had been dug for this occasion. Reverend Constance walked over to the opposite side of the pit from everyone else, clad in her blue, clerical cassock. She held in her hands a leatherbound book, turned open to a page near the end.

    ¡°At times like this,¡± she began, her face and tone as solemn as stone, ¡°I find it is often best to consult the wisdom of our ancestors.¡±  She cleared her throat and produced a pair of spectacles from her coat pocket. ¡°While we shall shed many tears for those we love who have passed on to the next world, let us not be so overtaken with grief that we forget the good things that they did. For when those we love die, they have not left our side, they have entered into our hearts. Permanently. They become a part of us, guiding us, and living again through us.¡± Constance looked down at the coffin beside what was to be its final resting place. ¡°And, some day, the phoenix shall return, and raise the dead in its light. Until then, may Keren¡¯s kindness, wisdom, strength, and courage live on in us all. May we never forget the¡­ noble purpose for which she died¡­¡± Constance glanced at me, ¡°Or the good she did for us.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I agreed with every word, and still my stomach felt sick at the reverend¡¯s implied accusation.

    ¡°And,¡± she continued, ¡°let us not forget the Heavenly Decree that we should never seek vengeance against those who have done us wrong. Only justice¡­ only justice.¡±

    My mind swam with the implications of her words, and I prayed that the soldiers on the hilltops could not hear her eulogy.

    ¡°Is there anyone else who would like to say something to honor Keren?¡±

    The Reverend¡¯s words weighed heavily on my heart. Two people rose up and delivered their kind words about their time with Keren, and all she did for their children.

    Against my better judgment, I took the opportunity and stepped forward after the others were done. The community glared at me with a mix of hatred and disappointment. Amongst those in the crowd, I spotted Jeseka, shaking her head at me and signaling for me to resume my place in the crowd. Elora was also in the crowd, wiping the tears from her white eyes. Benji stood close to Zac and gave me an affirming nod, encouraging me to say my peace.

    ¡°Keren was not a traitor,¡± I started. The grunts and grumbles from the crowd made me second-guess whether or not I¡¯d made the right decision in referencing my own mistake. ¡°Keren was the kindest, gentlest, smartest woman I knew. She cared more about us than we often cared about ourselves. My boy loved her, as all the children she taught did.¡±

    I paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. Some members of the crowd had softened their expressions toward me, others were clearly still furious. ¡°Keren was a hero,¡± I continued, ¡°And the two worst atrocities committed against her are the stupid thing I said¡­ and what that basta¡­¡± part-way through the word I remembered that Zac was in the crowd, so I finished, ¡°that blackhearted devil Eon Maganti did to her. Let us pray that Keren¡¯s kind, generous nature never leaves our hearts. But¡­ let us also pray that her murderer will face Heaven¡¯s justice.¡±

    Reverend Constance¡¯s soft smile as I made my way back to Zac told me I¡¯d made a good choice from a theological perspective, but the others at the funeral seemed less concerned with theology and more concerned with revenge. Their murmuring and grumbling continued, and I still got nasty looks from several of them before I returned to hold Zac¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Ahv is right!¡± Jeseka called out as she walked toward the front. ¡°It¡¯s Eon Maganti who¡¯s responsible for this, no one else. Let us not seek to apportion blame to any other for this tragedy¡­ no, not tragedy¡­ atrocity.¡± Jeseka gestured to Keren¡¯s coffin. ¡°I don¡¯t know if any of you know this, but Keren herself showed kindness to the Tagrosi soldiers. While they were eating stale bread and pickled meats, she brought some of them home-cooked meals, and encouraged others to do the same. Never forget her kindness, and never let them--¡± she pointed to the soldiers on the hilltops, ¡°--forget her.¡±

    ¡°Amen!¡± said Reverend Constance.

    ¡°Amen,¡± said the community, in near-unison.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing my community was just slightly less likely to do something foolish.

 The Grove

    The Grove

    After the funeral, I took Zac to a small grove in town, one with trees perfect for climbing. Local legends said that the first tree in the grove was actually a ladder which had been left out too long. The wood took root in the soil, rejuvenated, and now all its descendants were trees with branches arranged like steps. It probably wasn¡¯t true, but it was a good story.

    When we first moved to the town, Zac would see the grove and get all excited. He¡¯d run as fast as his little legs would carry him, then start climbing the tallest tree in the grove. He usually got about ten feet off the ground before he¡¯d stop dead in his tracks and say, ¡°I want to come down, Daddy, I¡¯m scared,¡± and I¡¯d oblige by reaching up to help him down.

    Today, as we entered the grove and I let go of his hand, he trudged along somberly with his head hung low. He crossed the grove and sat on the roots of the tallest tree, both cheeks resting on his palms and elbows supported on his knees.

    ¡°Dad¡­ did you really call Miss Keren a traitor?¡±

    The question stung me to my core, as did the look in his eyes, which was both curious and judgmental.

    ¡°I did,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I did.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°I¡­ I thought that if I did, Mr. Maganti might let her go.¡±

    He gave a most puzzled expression. ¡°That makes no sense, Dad.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°In hindsight, I guess it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s hindsight.¡±

    I strongly resisted the urge to break the tension of the moment by telling him that hindsight is when you look too long at a woman¡¯s posterior. Instead I simply answered, ¡°It¡¯s when you look back at things that happened in the past.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    He said nothing more, but merely sat in melancholy silence.

    I approached him and looked up at the branches above. ¡°You don¡¯t want to try to climb today?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, not looking up from the ground.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ve got a day off from school.¡±

    He slowly exhaled, ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    I understood his sorrow, but it wasn¡¯t good to dwell in sadness too long, especially in his case. If he remained like this, wrapped up in his depression for too long, eventually his sorrow would turn into anger and he¡¯d start acting out.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m going to climb it,¡± I said.

    He looked up at me with incredulity, ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To the top.¡± I stepped toward the tree and took hold of a branch.

    ¡°You¡¯re too fat,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°The branches will break.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± I said, patting my hand on my gut. ¡°This isn¡¯t fat this is¡­ table muscle. The tree will hold me just fine. Heck, I bet with my long arms and legs I can climb to the top before you can.¡±

    ¡°Nuh uh!¡± he protested, fighting the smile trying to conquer his face.

    ¡°No, really, I¡¯ll bet on it.¡± I took hold of another branch in my opposite hand. ¡°I bet I can climb to the top before you can.¡±

    ¡°What do you bet?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ how about this. If you win, I have to buy you a new toy boat. If I win¡­ umm¡­ you have to clean the dishes for me tonight.¡±

    One temptation I knew my boy had trouble resisting was gambling. There was a time when his eagerness to make bets worried me, but Benji explained to me that all of life is a gamble, and if we don¡¯t take the gamble every now and then we won¡¯t get anywhere.

    I could see by Zac¡¯s face that the thrill of a bet had won the debate within his mind. ¡°Spit-shake on it.¡± He spat in the palm of his hand and offered it to me.

    I spat into the palm of my hand and shook his, the sticky saliva oozing between our fingers.

    As soon as his hand slipped from mine, he jumped into the tree and started to climb at an alarmingly-fast pace. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves as I started my own ascent, trying to keep up with him.

    While I did have the advantage of longer limbs, Zac¡¯s body was simply lighter than mine, and thus his climb required far less effort and strain. Even so, for every two or three steps he took to bring himself higher in the tree, I could pull myself up once and keep up with him. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    I quickly ran into the next problem. While he could squeeze through the narrow spaces between the branches easily, I had to find larger gaps to move through when the tree¡¯s limbs blocked my way. He kicked a cluster of leaves on his way up, and three acorns pelted my face.

    ¡°Enemy at the gates!¡± he said. ¡°Throw everything we have at them!¡± Zac kicked another cluster of leaves and more acorns hailed down upon my face, forcing me to look away.

    ¡°Your defenses will never hold!¡± I said in an overly-dramatic voice. ¡°I shall reach the summit before you!¡±

    I squeezed past him up the trunk of the tree and he bumped me with his shoulder. ¡°Begone, fiend!¡± he cried.

    ¡°Never! This tower is mine!¡± I said, grabbing a handful of leaves and tossing them at his face.

    The wind picked up a little stronger and the tree-top above us started to sway. The air felt cool and humid, and when I looked off to the west I saw dark clouds rolling in over the horizon. Climbing the tallest tree in the grove no longer seemed like the best idea.

    Rolling thunder in the distance confirmed my fears.

    ¡°Zac, I think we should go back down,¡± I said.

    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m winning?¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°No¡­ Zac, I want to go down. Daddy is scared.¡± I started my descent and glanced up to see that he was following suit.

    ¡°I still win, right?¡± he said. ¡°Because you got scared first?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you win,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a new toy boat.¡±

    The second my boots touched the ground a hiss caused my bones to try to jump through my skin. I whirled my head around and spotted the source.

    It was a snake with jet black scales and a mouth big enough to swallow my head. Its long body stretched out into the distance, hidden in the tall grass. But as I watched it the serpent lifted its head, peering at me with those yellow eyes.

    ¡°Stay in the tree,¡± I told Zac. My eyes never left the snake¡¯s as I reached for the silver-edge on my back. When my fingers touched the hilt, the snake hissed again, showing its long fangs and the gaping pit of darkness in it¡¯s throat. I stepped back, my hands trembling as they struggled to get my silver-edge out.

    Zac jumped down from the tree, causing the snake to recoil from him and hiss yet again. He faced the serpent, opened his mouth, and hissed back.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I snapped.

    ¡°Helping,¡± he said, drawing closer to the snake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I tried to snatch his arm and pull him away from the black-scaled serpent, but he slipped through my grip and continued his approach.

    His eyes locked with the snake¡¯s, and there was no hint of fear in his demeanor. The snake leaned its head back, moving away from him. Its coils slithered to and fro behind it, causing the grass to sway.

    ¡°Zac!¡± I caught his arm again, this time holding a little tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±

    He shoved my hand away with strength I didn¡¯t expect from someone so small. Once he was free, he advanced on the serpent again. The snake turned and slithered away, disappearing into the distance.

    Zac looked back at me over his shoulder. ¡°Snakes do what I tell them to do.¡±

    I stared blankly at him for a moment, not sure how to respond to that claim or what I had just seen.

    The Great Serpent.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± I finally said. ¡°How long have you known that?¡±

    Zac shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I saw a snake at recess once and talked it away.¡±

    A heavy weight pulled on my heart, and I prayed this wasn¡¯t a sign that memories of his former life were returning to him. ¡°Do you¡­ umm¡­ do you know why snakes listen to you?¡±

    Zac shrugged. ¡°Nope. They just do.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever told anyone else about this?¡±

    ¡°Just Emma,¡± he said.

    ¡°Emma? Who¡¯s Emma?¡±

    ¡°My friend from school.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Is she the little red-haired girl?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s Olive. Emma is the girl who always wears pink ribbons.¡±

    I scratched my beard and gave a slow nod. ¡°And she didn¡¯t tell anyone else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°She pinky-swore not to.¡±

    I swallowed my laughter at his simple explanation. As if children are the best keepers of secrets just because they ¡°pinky-swore.¡± Then again, he¡¯d successfully kept this a secret from me, and even if Emma had shared the secret with anyone else none but the most gullible of children were likely to believe her.

    Keeping my tone as friendly as I could, I asked, ¡°So, why didn¡¯t you tell me you could do that?¡±

    ¡°Because Emma and I promised not to tell anyone else,¡± he said, giving me a look like this was the most obvious answer ever and I was stupid for asking.

    I gave my forehead a light slap. ¡°Oh, right! Silly me. So, if snakes listen to what you tell them¡­ what did you tell that snake?¡±

    Zac looked off into the direction where the snake disappeared. ¡°To leave and never come back.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. But what if he bites someone else?¡±

    ¡°She.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The snake was a she. A girl.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even want to ask how exactly he knew that. The very thought was too creepy to approach. ¡°Fine, what if she bites someone else?¡±

    ¡°Whoever she bites will die.¡±

    He showed no hint of emotion when he answered the question, merely stating it as a fact. His eyes were distant and cold, the same way they were when he told me Avery was going to die.

    Trying to get some empathy from him for people he¡¯d never met who might suffer that serpent¡¯s bite, I said, ¡°What if it bites someone¡¯s teacher?¡±

    A hint of sorrow pushed his eyebrows together. ¡°Then some people will be sad. But their teacher will never leave them.¡± He tapped his chest with his palm. ¡°She¡¯ll be here.¡±

    I have long heard that it is a father¡¯s job to help his children come to grips with the harshness and cruelty of this world, and even to help them understand death so that they will not live in fear of it. I thought I¡¯d done well in teaching him about how the ones we love live on in us after we die. But, at that moment, I wondered if my words had turned his heart cold toward the dead.

    Part of me wanted to ask him then and there about his strange abilities. I wanted to know how he figured out he could poison people, like he did to Avery, and how exactly it worked. But I feared the questions he might ask me in return, such as the simple, horrible question I¡¯d feared since he first started to talk:

    ¡°Why am I different?¡±

 The Secret Plan

    The Secret Plan

    The dark clouds were moving in fast. Soon, the storm would hit our little town of Oakbridge.

    Upon our return to the Chalice Inn I found myself befuddled by a sign on the door saying the inn was ¡°closed for repairs.¡± The curtains were pulled shut over the windows, and when I tried to open the door, I found it was locked.

    Forgot my key...

    From within, I heard Jeseka¡¯s voice, ¡°We¡¯re closed. Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Ahv and Zac,¡± I called through the door.

    ¡°Oh, well come on in.¡±

    Jeseka opened the door and hurried us inside. Once my eyes adjusted to the low candle-light within the inn, I saw a great gathering of people inside. Several of the tables had been pushed together in the middle, and those within sat around the gathering of tables as one would in a meeting hall. Benji sat at the head, Elora near him, and Jeseka resumed her seat on Benji¡¯s other side. Piers was seated at the table too, along with several other soldiers in white uniforms whom I didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± Zac asked.

    I stared in silence for a moment, trying to comprehend the possible purpose of such a meeting. Benji broke the silence by telling Zac, ¡°Hey, Mr. Zac, why don¡¯tcha go upstairs and play with your toys? We have ta talk about boring, grown-up stuff.¡±

    Zac let go of my hand, ¡°Ok, Mr. Benji,¡± and bounded up the stairs.

    Piers pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit next to him, which I did.

    ¡°So, I think we should start from the beginning,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°I find that¡¯s generally a good plan,¡± I said, folding my hands on the table.

    ¡°The soldiers in this room--¡± Piers gestured to the other men in uniform, ¡°--are just as furious about what happened to Keren as you are.¡±

    Jeseka, in response to my incredulous look, said, ¡°I know. I was surprised too.¡±

    ¡°Your sheriff offered a good alternative to the death penalty, but Maganti refused to take it.¡± Piers bit his lip. ¡°Some of the men you see here knew Keren. She¡¯d been kind¡­ brought the occasional home-cooked meal, or read to groups of ten or more at a time. Those who didn¡¯t know her are still livid.¡±

    One of the soldiers I didn¡¯t know, a man with a broad jaw and thick neck, said, ¡°The Consul said over and over that there¡¯s no need for hostilities between Oakbridge and us, and yet he did something sure to infuriate the people here. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me if his stupid decision got a few of our men killed tonight.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Maganti¡¯s an idiot!¡± another soldier hissed. He was a thin man with mangy black hair and a chin decorated with stubble. His teeth held a pipe, with wisps of white smoke rising from it. ¡°Damn politicians¡­ All full of ideals but no sense! Any fool who¡¯s had a university education thinks he¡¯s ready to lead an army¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you get when some ass who¡¯s never served in the military wins the election¡­¡± grumbled another.

    Loud stomping above us told me Zac was into his blocks again.

    ¡°Aaaanyway,¡± Piers interrupted, ¡°We have a lot of reasons to hate the Consul, and they¡¯ve only gotten worse since we¡¯ve been here.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Even just the fact that we are here is a sign of his incompetence, because there are plenty of other ways to cross this river without funneling thousands of soldiers through one narrow bridge in a remote town.¡±

    ¡°Listen¡­¡± I raised two fingers to call their attention, ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t like Eon. I don¡¯t like him either, but I¡¯m assuming you didn¡¯t all gather here just to gripe.¡±

    Piers nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re here because we want to help you. As I mentioned, I have no doubt that some people in Oakbridge are plotting revenge against us because of what Eon did to Keren. Tensions are high enough now, but if that happens then Eon will have the excuse he needs to order this town wiped out. When that happens, those of us in this room will refuse to obey him, and will even defend Oakbridge if we need to.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t become a soldier so I could slaughter innocents,¡± the mangy one said, exhaling a plume of smoke. ¡°I did it so I could feel like a hero.¡±

    Piers patted the mangy one¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°But if it¡¯s just those you see here we¡¯ll be slaughtered beside you. We need more people on our side, and that¡¯s what we¡¯ve been discussing. I can work on convincing my fellow soldiers that Oakbridge is worth sparing¡­ and even saving, but we need more than that.¡±

    Benji cleared his throat and raised his hand. ¡°And that¡¯s where we come in. I¡¯ve already spoke to Jayden, and he agrees with me that we can throw the Heroes Festival early this year. Tomorrow, in fact.¡±

    I smirked. ¡°Heroes Festival isn¡¯t supposed to be for another month. You think the revelry of the festival will win over more of the Tagrosi soldiers?¡±

    ¡°S¡¯worth tryin¡¯ at least,¡± said Benji with a shrug.

    ¡°In the meantime,¡± Piers continued, ¡°we need to do what we can to make sure no one in Oakbridge kills a Tagrosi soldier in cold-blood. If that happens, no amount of revelry will save this little town.¡±

    ¡°To that end,¡± said Benji, ¡°I think the feller we need ta keep a close eye on is Rowland. He told me he was sweet on Keren.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember Rowland,¡± I said, ¡°Which one is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a fisherman what lives on the north side of town,¡± said Benji, pointing north.

    ¡°I know him,¡± said Jeseka. ¡°I¡¯ll go pay him a visit. See how he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°What can I do?¡± I asked.

    Piers shrugged. ¡°What you typically do. Be a charming host for those visiting Oakbridge. You certainly won me over that way.¡±

    ¡°You can also help me with the Heroes Festival,¡± said Benji. ¡°Make sure everyone¡¯s having a good time and be ready to break up fights if you have to. We can¡¯t let petty arguments turn into violence.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°You really think this will be enough to win them over?¡±

    Benji shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all we got.¡±

 Gone

    Gone

    After the meeting with the others I headed upstairs to prepare for bed. When I drew near the room, I could see no candle light shining under the door.

    Looks like Zac already went to bed.

    I unlocked and opened the door, yawning as I kicked off my shoes and sat down on the edge of my bed. It was only then that I noticed a distinct lack of snoring, and I glanced up at Zac¡¯s bed.

    He was gone.

    ¡°Zac?¡± I called out in a panicked, cracking voice. ¡°Zac!¡±

    The door to Elora¡¯s room burst open, and she stood in the doorway in a black night robe. ¡°Is he missing?¡± she asked, her tone as panicked as mine.

    ¡°He¡¯s not in our room¡­ ZAC!¡±

    I hurried downstairs, the sound of my pounding feet like bricks rolling down the steps. Benji stood in the tavern area, concern wearing his brow. ¡°Zac¡¯s gone?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I cried.

    Benji crossed the room to me in an instant and clasped both of my shoulders in his hands. ¡°You search outside. I¡¯ll check the cellar and the rest of the inn.¡±

    I gave a brief nod and hurried out the back door, knowing that Zac couldn¡¯t have left out the front unnoticed. The moment I stepped outside, ice-cold rain pelted my face and soaked my shirt. My bare feet stuck in the freezing mud, and my eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness.

    ¡°ZAC!¡±

    Someone bumped me from behind and my spirits soared for a moment, until I turned and saw that it was Elora and not my son. She held out a leather strap with a glowing stone in the middle.

    ¡°Here. Wear this,¡± she said. I fastened the band around my head, letting the light from the stone guide my way. Elora did the same. ¡°You go that way, I¡¯ll go this way.¡±

    Following her instructions, I headed down the eastern street, toward the river and the bridge. Over and over I cried out his name, and as I did lights came on in the homes on either side of the street. Neighborhood dogs barked and scratched at fences. Soldiers patrolling the streets turned and gave concerned looks.

    My mind was swimming with all the terrible things that could happen to Zac if I didn¡¯t find him. Avery¡¯s brother might have snatched him up. Or maybe the snake from earlier returned. Some wild beast could attack him and he¡¯d be helpless.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    The river¡­ I bought him that new toy boat. Maybe he went to the river to play with it¡­

    I quickened my pace, heading straight for the bridge. ¡°Zac! You¡¯re not in trouble, please answer!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing yelling in the middle of the night?¡± bellowed a voice from nearby. The source was a Tagrosi soldier in white uniform with a hooked nose and a pencil-thin mustache.

    ¡°My son¡¯s missing!¡±

    His face went pale. ¡°Can¡¯t find your little boy? Gods above! What does he look like?¡±

    ¡°Tan skin, dark hair, short¡­ and he¡¯s a seven-year-old out at night!¡± I moved to storm past him.

    ¡°Answers to Zac?¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°ZAC!¡± He cried out, taking one of the side streets. ¡°Zac, your father¡¯s looking for you!¡±

    I continued on my way to the bridge, hoping I might find him there. Behind me, I heard more voices cry out Zac¡¯s name. Within moments it seemed like the whole town, plus a significant number of Tagrosi soldiers, must have been looking for my boy.

    By the time I arrived at the bridge, my clothes were completely soaked through and I could no longer keep my body from shaking. My voice was growing hoarse, but I held out for that slim sliver of hope that Zac would be there.

    But Zac was not at the bridge, and when I stood there and peered down at the riverbanks in either direction I did not spot him.

    Maybe he went back to the grove to climb the tree?

    It seemed a long-shot, but the idea that he¡¯d gone back to finish climbing the tree he¡¯d almost climbed earlier wasn¡¯t entirely impossible.

    By the time I reached the grove fatigue had sucked the air from my lungs, and splashes of mud caked my legs up to my knees, both under and on my pant-legs. I called out Zac¡¯s name again as I drew near, heading straight for that tallest tree we¡¯d been climbing together earlier. With the deluge pouring down on my face, I peered up into the branches, trying to shield my eyes with my right hand.

    No sign of him.

    Damn it, Zac! Where are you?

    In frustration, I threw out my fist and punched the trunk. The bark cut my knuckles, and the impact sent throbbing pain up through my forearm. I groaned and rubbed my hand, silently cursing the tree for its part in my injury.

    ¡°Ahv!¡± A voice called from behind me.

    I whirled around and saw Piers approaching me, his uniform somehow unstained from the mud splashing up around him as he approached.

    ¡°Have you found him?¡± I asked.

    He slid to a halt but a few feet away from me and struggled to catch his breath, his palms leaning on his knees. ¡°No¡­ but¡­ I¡¯ve got everyone¡­ looking.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ everyone?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said between gasps.

    ¡°Who¡¯s everyone?¡±

    ¡°The whole army,¡± he said, standing up straight as he finally caught his breath. ¡°You¡¯re almost as hard to find as he is, you know.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ so, you got Eon to order his soldiers to look for Zac?¡±

    Piers gave me a most quizical look, as if I¡¯d just asked him if there were a second sun in the sky. ¡°No¡­ word¡¯s spread that a little boy is missing, so they volunteered to help look for him.¡±

 Clive

    Clive

    All through the night Oakbridge citizens and Tagrosi soldiers were united in the purpose of finding Zac. Every house, every stable, every shed, every tree, every nook, everywhere he could possibly be within the town of Oakbridge was turned on its head for our desperate search. My panicked energy fueled the fires of worry in that town, and even masked legionnaires agreed to show their faces so Zac might be less frightened of him.

    Wild theories abounded in my mind, many having to do with his true nature. He might very well have developed the power to turn invisible, or into a snake. Maybe he had slipped away into the spirit realm.

    And then came the less absurd theory: Clive had kidnapped him as revenge for Avery¡¯s death. I burned with white-hot fury at the thought that someone would actually kidnap my boy, or any child, especially just to hurt me. I imagined hacking Clive into pieces with my silver-edge. Though I had never met the man nor seen his face, I channeled all my emotions into ferocious anger against him.

    I¡¯d been up all night, and yet at the dawn¡¯s first light I stormed into the western camp, ready for the fight of my life. White-uniformed soldiers and masked legionnaires alike turned to stare as I entered their camp, some pitying and some curious. If necessary, I¡¯d fight them all to get my son out of their grasp.

    In the middle of the camp, I cried out, ¡°Clive! Clive! Get out here, now!¡±

    Maybe had I a full night¡¯s sleep I might not have been so quick to march into the middle of enemy territory and call out a man who had reason to want me dead. Were my mind not so riddled with fatigue, I might have remembered that Oakbridge was on the verge of war with these people and not sought to enflame matters. As it was, aggressively accusing Clive of stealing my boy from his bed seemed like the best possible course of action.

    ¡°Clive, you coward! Face me!¡±

    One of the tent flaps opened and out walked a tall man with a leathery face. He wore no shirt to cover his immensely muscular torso, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he emerged. I recognized that smug, despicable face, just like his brother¡¯s. I heard Avery in his voice as he said. ¡°Ugh¡­ what? What do you want, savage?¡±

    Before a thought entered my mind, I had him pinned against his tent post with my silver-edge¡¯s point pressed under his chin. The face of a terrified animal had replaced his, and a modicum of satisfaction entered my heart.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± I demanded. ¡°Where¡¯s my boy, Clive? You want to kill me, just kill me, leave Zac out of this!¡±

    He raised both his hands in surrender. ¡°I don¡¯t have your kid! I don¡¯t even know who you are.¡±

    Lies!

    I pressed the tip of my sword a little harder against his neck and he tilted his head back, sweat beading up on his brow. He was bound to crack soon and tell me where I could find my child. ¡°Tell me where he is!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Behind me, I heard iron-edges igniting and the sound of approaching footsteps.

    ¡°Back!¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him! Get back!¡±

    An invisible force grabbed my by the navel and tore me away from Clive. My weapon dropped from my hand, and the same force spun me around to face Eon Maganti, who¡¯d rolled out into the path between the tents. ¡°Calm yourself!¡± his voice boomed.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± I cried, desperately trying to squirm free of his invisible grip.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, flatly. One of the rings on his hand glowed and his magic forced me to my knees in front of him, and my head down at the ground. ¡°Listen to me, and be logical. I understand that you¡¯re upset. Your son is missing, and that¡¯s a terrible thing. But I swear to you, none of my soldiers have him. I had Captain Marth check every tent last night.¡±

    ¡°Swear to me?¡± I spat. ¡°What good is the oath of a politician?¡±

    Eon¡¯s eyebrow raised and his narrowed eyes darted to and fro at the soldiers in the camp. ¡°What was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Piss off¡­¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Ahv,¡± came Captain Marth¡¯s voice from beyond my view.

    ¡°Ahv, that¡¯s right,¡± Eon said. ¡°Listen, Ahv, we have no reason to take your boy. Even if one of my soldiers did take a child from the town, I would have no reason to want to keep him. What do I have to gain by stealing the children of what my men call ¡®savages?¡¯ Think on that.¡±

    He raised his hand and his invisible grasp lifted me up into the air by my feet, suspending my upside-down. The blood quickly rushed to my face, causing me to feel dizzy. ¡°Peace, now, Ahv! We are not your enemies. Have you considered that, perhaps, your son has actually left the town?¡±

    I stammered for a moment, unable to speak. Barely able to think.

    ¡°My scouts will find him,¡± Eon reassured. ¡°Go home. Get some rest. Sometimes children go missing. I have children myself, I know. You¡¯ve proven what a good father you are. No need to lose your mind over this small disappearance.¡±

    ¡°Send me with them!¡± I demanded.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± He tilted his head to one side and returned me to an upright position.

    ¡°Your scouts¡­ you said they¡¯d find him. Send me with them.¡±

    ¡°Pfff¡­¡± Eon rolled his eyes at me. ¡°You¡¯re in no fit state to go trekking about the forest. Hell, you tried to kill one of my soldiers just a moment ago on suspicion alone.¡±

    ¡°Send me with them,¡± I demanded again. ¡°Or I¡¯ll go out by myself. And if they find me, you¡¯ll have to kill me.¡±

    Eon¡¯s squinted and leaned his head forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m missing the part where that¡¯s an actual threat against me.¡±

    I struggled against his grasp, unable to escape the magic that held me in the air. ¡°Then you haven¡¯t been listening to your men.¡±

    Silence met my accusation. I wasn¡¯t sure if Eon was merely confused or actually frightened by what I¡¯d said.

    Eon gestured toward the ground and I collapsed into the muddy path. ¡°Very well. Captain Marth.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Consul?¡± came the captain¡¯s response from out of my sight.

    ¡°Take Ahv here to the scout outpost on the eastern outpost. If his child escaped the town in either direction, it will most certainly be east, toward the next closest Everburn. Even toddlers know better than to wander into lands where they cannot see an Everburn¡¯s glow on the horizon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Consul.¡±

 Outside the Everburns Warmth

    Outside the Everburn¡¯s Warmth

    Without a moment¡¯s rest, I accompanied Captain Marth to the eastern outpost. Piers joined us on the pathway there, swearing by every deity he knew that we would find Zac together.

    Just as the last visible Oakbridge house disappeared from view behind the trees, I saw a newly-constructed wooden tower by the roadside. Therein stood a man dressed in clothes made from the pelts of foxes, wolves, and boars. He wore a necklace adorned with the fangs of some enormous predator, and held in his hands a staff with a red lac stone on the end. He bore a burn scar over the lower half of his face, and his hair was as wild as a thornbush.

    Piers leaned in close to me and said in a hushed voice, ¡°That¡¯s Lieutenant Cuthbert. They call him ¡®Beast.¡¯¡±

    At the base of the tower stood four men in similar clothing.

    ¡°They¡¯re Tagrosi scouts?¡± I murmured to Piers.

    Piers nodded and whispered, ¡°Disguised as bandits so the merchants stay away from these parts.¡±

    Captain Marth pushed us both forward with the pole of her spear. ¡°The Consul wants you to take these men with you to look for a lost boy in the forest.¡±

    The one called ¡®Beast¡¯ popped a piece of blood-red root into his teeth and started chewing while it poked out between his lips. ¡°A lost boy? In these woods?¡± He shook his head. ¡°If he got lost last night in these woods, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve bad news for you. Seen some wicked things out here at night.¡± He reached down into the tower and produced a glass orb caged with copper. The orb held a tiny red flame suspended in the middle. ¡°At times I worried if an Everburn lantern was enough to scare them off!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find him,¡± I insisted. By his surprised face, I deduced that I¡¯d spoken out of turn, but I hated their protocols anyway. ¡°We must.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Beast shook his head and pointed his staff off into the darker woods, where the canopy blocked out the sun. ¡°There¡¯s a¡­ thing out there. It stands taller than a house, wears a black robe with a hood, and carries a sword made of ivory in its gnarled hands. Under the hood there is only darkness, and a halo of blood and fire hovers above it.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Obviously, even a child knows to avoid something that looks like that. And a child has far more chance of avoiding it than a full-grown man. Are you really afraid for my son, or are you afraid for yourself?¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye I saw Piers raise a finger to his lips to silence me and give a panicked shake of his head.

    ¡°Because if you are afraid for yourself,¡± I continued, ¡°I understand. I will search the woods on my own.¡±

    Beast gave a self-conscious glance down at his subordinates, then at Captain Marth. ¡°Umm¡­ well, if you think there¡¯s a chance then let¡¯s start the search.¡±

    I gestured to the woods. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. Before I grow old.¡±

    Beast climbed down from the tower and looked over his men. He poked one of them in the chest with his index finger and said, ¡°Elling, you stay here and keep the merchants away. The rest of us are going with this civilian to search the woods.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lieutenant.¡±

    I set out into the forest with Piers, Beast, and his subordinates while Captain Marth headed back to town. Each Tagrosi soldier wore a wool cloak to shield his body from the freezing rain. Beast led the expedition, keeping us away from the parts of the forest where the canopy had blotted out the sun. Even from the well-lit areas of the woods where we tread, I could see red and golden eyes peering at us from the darkness. Whenever Beast noticed them, he raised his Everburn lantern and they vanished into the shadows.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    The cawing of crows added to the already unpleasant sense I had about these woods, especially since there were so many of them. The black-feathered watchers sat on every third branch, their black eyes bearing down on us. If a murder of crows this large existed in this forest, surely it was a place which often saw death.

    Miniature waterfalls cascaded down long, winding paths and grooves on the tree trunks around us, forming streams in the forest paths which carried away debris.

    We traveled for hours in that forest, with eyes on the trees, the ground, and the distant shadows for any sign of Zac.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Beast bellowed, causing my heart to jump and crows to scatter from the trees in a panic. I craned my neck to see what Beast had discovered. He knelt low to the ground and pointed at little footprints in the muddy ground. ¡°Unless we have other children wandering about in the woods, looks like we¡¯re on his trail!¡±

    I rushed in and took a closer look at the tracks. ¡°That looks like his feet,¡± I said, realizing immediately how foolish it sounded. How could I really recognize his feet from any other child¡¯s, especially with shoes on? The trail led off to the northeast, and, still crouching low, I followed the tracks, with Piers, Beast, and the others following close behind me.

    The trees around us grew thicker, and the branches protruding out toward us held no leaves. They appeared as twisted spears or claws reaching out to ward us off. Soon, I felt no rain falling on my head, though I still heard the drops hitting the leaves above me. With every step, the forest grew darker. From my pocket I produced the glowing stone Elora had given me and strapped it to my forehead.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Beast said.

    ¡°What now?¡± I snapped, turning back to him.

    Beast and his subordinates peered up at the treetops. ¡°We¡¯re getting to the dark parts of the woods¡­ where the monsters live.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason we need to keep moving.¡± I pointed into the darkness. ¡°A little boy¡¯s in those woods, alone and scared! You¡¯ve got your Everburn lantern, keep moving.¡±

    Beast shook his head. ¡°I have a responsibility to my men, and that includes not leading them into certain death. You said it yourself, Zac might be able to hide from the beasts of the forest. We can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Go ahead and turn back. I¡¯m keeping up the search.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± said Beast, his fingers closing to form fists. ¡°We can¡¯t risk you running off to warn our enemies--¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you do think there¡¯s a chance I¡¯ll survive?¡± I asked.

    One of Beast¡¯s subordinates gestured for me to be quiet while watching the shadows with a frightened expression.

    Piers turned to Beast, ¡°Lieutenant, I may have concocted a solution which could prove pleasing to all parties.¡±

    Beast gave him a confused look. ¡°What?¡±

    Piers said, ¡°I have an idea.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Beast chuckled. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear it, then.¡±

    Piers held out his hand toward Beast¡¯s Everburn lantern, strapped to the scout¡¯s belt. ¡°I will accompany Ahv into the darkness to help him search for his son. I just need you to loan me the lantern.¡±

    ¡°Just?¡± Beast intoned with incredulity. ¡°That¡¯s no small matter you ask. That lantern is the only thing what keeps our outpost safe when night falls. If something happens to you in there and you don¡¯t return before it gets dark again¡­¡±

    Beast¡¯s subordinates all stared at Piers with wide eyes and slowly shook their heads.

    ¡°We have many hours to complete our search,¡± said Piers. ¡°Plenty of time before nightfall.¡± He reached for the lantern insistently.

    Beast took a step back from Piers. ¡°And if you get killed in there?¡±

    Piers pointed to the west. ¡°If we¡¯re not back by the time you see the first hints of red in the sky, hurry back to Oakbridge, where their Everburn will keep you safe.¡±

    Beast folded his arms. ¡°And what am I supposed to tell my superiors, hmm? How am I to explain that I abandoned my post?¡±

    ¡°Tell them I stole your Everburn lantern,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Pah!¡± Beast blinked twice and shook his head, as if recovering from a hard slap. ¡°That would be insubordination¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the risk,¡± said Piers. ¡°Come on, Beast¡­ there¡¯s a child in those woods. I don¡¯t know why you joined the army, but I did it so I could be a hero and help people.¡±

    Beast groaned, unhooked the lantern from his belt, and slipped the ring into Piers¡¯ waiting palm. ¡°Fine! Go get yourself killed chasing after glory. See what I care.¡± He turned and left, grumbling the whole way while his subordinates followed him. One of them looked back at me and gave a silent apology with a shrug of his shoulders.

    Piers patted me on the shoulder. ¡°Swords out. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

 Truth

    Truth

    The white light from my silver-edge coupled with the red light from Piers¡¯ iron-edge and the Everburn lantern¡¯s glow did little to hold back the darkness all around us. The shadows themselves resembled an avalanche, ready to bury us where none would ever find our bones. If there was anything left.

    The sour stench of rotting meat made it impossible for us to forget the dangers of the darkness. As did the occasional deer skull, shattered in two, that we stumbled across.

    We kept our sights fixated on Zac¡¯s footprints, though as we reached drier ground the trail became harder and harder to discern. As far as I could tell, Piers was no tracker, and neither was I.

    A soft glow ahead caught my eye. ¡°Stay here a sec,¡± I told Piers before running over to the source of the light.

    A glowing stone lay on the ground, resting in a patch of grass which had been recently pressed down by one of Zac¡¯s feet. ¡°His Dream Light,¡± I said. ¡°Zac¡¯s been here!¡±

    Piers jogged over to me and shined the Everburn lantern on the spot. ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®dream light?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Zac used to have nightmares all the time, so I gave him this light to put on his bedside table so at night so the dark wouldn¡¯t be so frightening. He must have taken it with him when he went into the woods.¡±

    ¡°Why did he drop it here, then?¡± Piers raised the lantern to illuminate more of our surroundings. Creatures we couldn¡¯t see scattered away from us, shaking the branches and bushes all around. ¡°You think he¡¯s close?¡±

    ¡°Could be,¡± I said. ¡°Bring that lantern down here again. See if we can discern his tracks.¡±

    Piers brought the lantern down to shine upon the spot where the Dream Light lay. I picked up the glowing stone and took a few steps further, attempting to logically deduce where Zac might have gone next.

    Just beyond Zac¡¯s footprints I beheld the tracks of a much larger creature, which had completely crushed the ground. They were large and round, and appeared to be from some kind of beast with cloven hooves.

    ¡°Oh, gods!¡± Piers gasped, obviously seeing the same thing I saw.

    ¡°What sort of predator has cloven hooves?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Umm¡­ yeah, that does seem a bit odd¡­¡±

    I shone the Dream Light and the glow from my sword a little further along the path, where I saw the monster¡¯s footprints continue. There was no further sign of Zac¡¯s trail. ¡°I think he went with that creature. Maybe he rode on it or something.¡±

    ¡°Rode one of the monsters in the darkness?¡± came Piers¡¯ disbelieving reply. ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worth it to keep looking,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on him yet.¡±

    The lantern trembling in Piers¡¯ hand caused shadows to dance around the clearing. Some remained in place even after light shone upon them, just before they disappeared into the darkness again. ¡°Yes¡­ let¡¯s keep searching then¡­¡± he said, his voice wavering.

    We followed the cloven-hoof tracks, which we found were far easier to follow than Zac¡¯s footprints on a dry forest floor.

    Further in, I heard the sound of rushing water, and the ground beneath my feet grew damper. Soon, we came to a stream running through the forest floor, with a stone bridge leading across it. Maybe ¡°bridge¡± isn¡¯t the right term. It was more of a slab of granite stretched over the water.

    ¡°This way,¡± I whispered to Piers as I made my way across the long stone bridge.

    Whispers drifted out to us from the surrounding trees, and we heard the hiss of some enormous creature in the darkness.

    ¡°Turn back!¡± the voice was low and it filled my heart with dread.

    A single, white, shining eye appeared in the blackness before me, and I heard the sound of great hooves splashing in the stream.

    ¡°Sweet gods, have mercy!¡± Piers said, the lantern erratic in his terrified hands.

    The creature before me was obscured in shadow, but every now and then the light of the tremoring Everburn lantern illuminated its features.

    Cloven hooves big enough to crush the kegs at the Chalice Inn.

    Long, spider-like legs rising from its back and clinging to the trees nearby.

    A body covered in jet-black feathers.

    And one eye in the middle of its raven-like face.

    Antlers like those of a stag rising up from its head.

    I had heard of such a creature only one place before.

    ¡°Mr. Muk?¡±

    ¡°Go back to Oakbridge where you are safe,¡± came the booming voice in response.

    Something long and writhing swam through the stream.

    Then there were dozens more.

    Snakes?The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I want my son back!¡± I called out. ¡°Is he here?¡±

    The creature took two lumbering steps toward me, its hooves crashing down into the water on either side of the stone bridge. ¡°Your son is not here, because you have no son. Zahac is prince to those who dwell in darkness.¡±

    I pointed my silver-edge at Mr. Muk, though by its shaking it seemed far more frightened than I was. ¡°Zac is just a boy. I¡¯m leaving here with him. One way or another.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Piers whispered to me.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Zac¡¯s voice cried out from beyond the monster.

    ¡°Zac? Is that you?¡±

    ¡°Dad! Help!¡± he cried.

    Without another thought I sprinted down the length of the stone bridge, raising my silver-edge high. The light from the blade revealed the bizarre form of the monster to me, the mere sight of it threatening to stop my heart.

    The monster reared back like a spooked horse, then brought down its cloven hoof upon me. For a moment, my vision went white.

    Then black.

    I swam in an ocean of dreams, none of which made any sense. I saw Zac¡¯s face in the madness. Heard his desperate cries for help. Voices spoke in a tongue I knew not. A waterfall poured over my head. Hooded figures in scarlet robes walked in a straight line toward a serpent big enough to swallow cities. A lonely minstrel strummed at his lute outside the Chalice Inn. A woman of ethereal beauty smiled at me, and ran her hand over her pregnant womb. The tortured cries of crows, and Mr. Muk¡¯s raven-like face appeared before my eyes.

    I awoke with a start, discovering that I was back in my own bed, staring up at my own ceiling. Rain still beat my window and thunder rumbled in the distance. The same day? Or was it simply raining again?

    I turned over on my side and peered at Zac¡¯s bed, which was still empty.

    Knowing that my son was still missing, I forced myself out of bed, my temples starting to throb as I did. I raised my hand to my head and discovered bandages wrapped there. Looking down at myself, it seemed someone had mostly undressed me, leaving me clad only in my trousers. Actually, no, these were not the same trousers I¡¯d worn when I headed out to find Zac. Someone had changed those for me too.

    My face burned at the thought that it might have been Jeseka.

    And then I remembered again that Zac was still missing, and I had no time to contemplate what Jeseka may or may not have done.

    Snatching my silver-edge from its place propped against my wall, I headed downstairs.

    The moment my foot hit the bottom step, a hand reached out and seized me by the wrist. With surprising force, the assailant yanked my arm behind my back and forced me a few steps forward, into the tavern area of the inn.

    In the tavern area, I saw dozens of soldiers in white uniforms, each with weapons drawn. Benji stood behind the bar, his hands raised in surrender. Jeseka was tied to a chair, glaring her hatred at the Tagrosis. Elora sat at one of the tables, both of her hands raised in surrender like Benji¡¯s. Private Piers stood with his fellows, his weapon in hand and an accusing look in his eye when he saw me.

    Glancing at the windows, I noticed masked legionnaires in their black uniforms standing outside the front door as posted guards.

    And Consul Eon Maganti sat in his wheelchair just inside the front door.

    The soldier who had me by the arm forced me to march forward, until I stood before Eon. The Consul slowly shook his head at me and make a tsking noise with his tongue. One of his many rings glowed and he rolled toward me with his hands forming a pyramid in front of his chest, fingertips touched together. ¡°Well well. It seems our little secret-keeper is finally awake.¡±

    For a moment, I was sure my heart had stopped. I glanced up at Piers again, who pursed his lips together as if fighting to keep his emotions inside. Benji simply looked confused. Jeseka was clearly searching for an opportunity to escape, any which might come her way.

    Eon¡¯s wheelchair stopped just outside my arm¡¯s reach, apparently cautious that I might break free and lunge at him. A fair assumption, under the circumstances. ¡°Zahac,¡± he said, and the veins in my neck turned to ice. ¡°That was the name the creature in the woods called your son.¡± Benji gasped upon hearing this. Elora gave a pained sigh. ¡°Clever that you should shorten such a name to ¡®Zac.¡¯ Kind of cute, really. Or, at least it would be, if you hadn¡¯t been harboring the Great Serpent in Oakbridge all this time. Keeping such a wicked creature in your care for so long¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a wicked creature!¡± I protested. ¡°He¡¯s a child!¡±

    The soldier behind me twisted my arm upward, causing pain to shoot through my shoulders at the socket.

    Eon sneered. ¡°Are you unaware of the legends of Zahac? The Harvester who comes to judge humanity? Every one-thousand years he is reborn, and he destroys whatever civilization stands at the time, leaving only a few survivors to repopulate the world. According to the legends, he¡¯s done it nine times by now. That¡¯s nine worlds ended, Ahv! Do you really think this time will turn out any differently?¡±

    ¡°Whatever he might grow up to be some day, right now he¡¯s just a boy,¡± I groaned, my shoulders throbbing.

    ¡°Is he?¡± Eon asked, tilting his head to one side. ¡°Or has he already killed someone? Private Avery died from snake venom, even though there wasn¡¯t a snake-bite anywhere on his body. Tell me truly, was that Zahac¡¯s doing?¡±

    I wanted to deny it, but the words never left my throat.

    Eon gave a slow nod and pointed a finger at me. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. He¡¯s already a killer. How old is he now? Five?¡±

    ¡°Seven,¡± Elora said.

    Eon turned to one of his soldiers, ¡°Private Parry, how old were you when you first killed a man?¡±

    ¡°Sixteen, Mr. Consul,¡± said the soldier.

    Eon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sixteen? Well, it seems little Zahac is way ahead of us, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    I struggled against the man who held me, relieving some of the tension on my shoulder sockets, and bellowed, ¡°Eon! I swear to you, if you do anything to hurt my boy I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll come back from the grave if I need to. No force, whether Heaven, Hell, or otherwise can keep me from spilling your blood!¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°Dear Ahv, who said anything about hurting your boy?¡±

    ¡°You did!¡±

    Eon shook his head. ¡°No. No I didn¡¯t. Never said a word like that.¡± He rolled closer to me, a surprisingly gentle expression on his brow. ¡°All that I said was not an argument about why we should kill Zahac. I¡¯m not even sure it¡¯s possible to kill Zahac, given what I¡¯ve heard in the legends. No¡­¡± He poked me in the chest with his index finger. ¡°By my words I mean to call you out. You have failed as a father, Ahv. The boy¡¯s already used his powers to commit murder. That makes you a failure.¡±

    The words stung far worse than what the soldier behind me was doing. There was no argument I could offer. From the moment he said it, I knew it was true.

    Eon continued, ¡°I hold you personally responsible for Avery¡¯s death. Yes, Zahac poisoned him, but that boy was your responsibility when it happened.¡± He glanced over at the soldiers around him and sighed. ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t deny that what happened amounts to self-defense. Just as Zahac was your responsibility, Avery was mine, and he tortured the child. One cannot expect to poke a snake with a stick without getting bitten. What I¡¯m more concerned about now is Zahac¡¯s current situation.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been captured by a monster in the woods,¡± I said.

    ¡°So Private Vinter has told me,¡± said Eon, gesturing to Piers. ¡°If the boy learns to kill while in your care, I hate to think of what he¡¯ll learn while captive to such a beast. Therefore, it is my intention that we should rescue him.¡± He must have seen the look of shock on my face, because his next words were, ¡°Surprised? What sort of monster do you think I am? I told you, Ahv, I¡¯m a father too, I have great compassion for children. And that boy¡¯s fate affects us all. We will rescue him, and once he is safely back in Oakbridge we will decide who shall take over his care.¡±

 Rescue Preparations

    Rescue Preparations

    After much discussion, we collectively agreed that it would make far more sense to go after Zac with a small team rather than a full fighting force. A small team could slip in and out quickly. A full fighting force would prove a feast to the monsters in the darkness.

    The team was to consist of myself, Benji, Jeseka, Elora, Piers, ten other Tagrosi soldiers, and Eon Maganti himself.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need me,¡± Eon had said. ¡°With all the relics I¡¯m wearing, I¡¯m the most dangerous person you know.¡±

    Each of us had our own Everburn lanterns, supplied by the Tagrosi army. Since the rest of them were staying in Oakbridge, where the town¡¯s Everburn would keep them safe, it seemed reasonable enough for us to take several of the lanterns.

    Outside the Chalice Inn, I watched as my friends prepared for the dangerous mission ahead of them.

    Benjamin Strato had a sledgehammer slung to his back, and was busy using a whet-stone on the head of a wood-chopping axe. I approached him and said, ¡°Benji¡­ about Zac¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean about what you hid from me?¡± Benji said flatly.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ about that¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you, I just¡­¡±

    Benji¡¯s eyes met mine. There was a deep understanding in those sparkling irises I¡¯d not seen anywhere else. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t hide anything important from me. Where Zac came from¡­ what his destiny might be¡­ it¡¯s all balderdash.¡±

    ¡°Balderdash?¡±

    ¡°It means ¡®nonsense.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I know what it means, Benji. Why is all that balderdash?¡±

    The edges of Benji¡¯s curled mustache pressed upward, telling me there was a smile hidden underneath it. ¡°Because any child could grow up to be something evil. If you don¡¯t believe me, just remember that Avery and Mr. Maganti were both children at one point.¡± He rested his massive hand on my shoulder, which sagged under the weight. ¡°But every child is also hope. Just like Zac, they all judge the world. And when they come of age they each decide what parts of it are worth keeping, and what parts need to come to an end. Zac¡¯s just another boy. What makes him special ain¡¯t his being¡­ some kind of ancient devil or some such. It¡¯s his heart.¡±

    He returned to sharpening his axe. ¡°Only parts I needed to know,¡± he said, ¡°were the parts you told me ¡®bout.¡±

    I moved on from Benji to find Jeseka, who sat patiently on a stump near the town square, a spear in her hand. I noted as I approached that she sneered at every Tagrosi soldier nearby, her jagged, lower teeth jutting forward in a most fearsome expression.

    ¡°Ahv,¡± she said, in a tone that was merely acknowledging.

    ¡°Thank you for helping with this,¡± I said.

    ¡°Getting Zac back? Of course! I love that little guy,¡± she said. Her hand reached out to my shirt and pulled me in closer. In a low voice she said, ¡°But, tell me, you don¡¯t really trust Maganti, do you?¡±

    ¡°I trust him to help me rescue Zac. Nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she grunted. ¡°Because the second we have the boy back, we need to kill him?¡±

    I stammered unintelligibly for a moment, unsure of why she was suggesting we murder the Tagrosi consul.

    ¡°He¡¯ll take Zac away,¡± she whispered, suspicious eyes darting back and forth. ¡°You heard him in there¡­ saying you¡¯re a bad father because Zac killed one of his soldiers. Rotten bastard! First time I killed a man I was six. You know why? Because I was in danger, that¡¯s why. Just like Zac.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°If I¡¯d been watching Zac a little better that day, he¡¯d not have gotten himself in trouble. Hell, if I¡¯d been watching him better last night¡­¡±

    ¡°Kids get into trouble, Ahv,¡± she snapped. ¡°It¡¯s what they do. And parents get them out of trouble again. You¡¯re not a bad father, Maganti just wants you to think you are so you won¡¯t fight him when he takes Zac away.¡± Jeseka¡¯s face turned grave. ¡°And he will use that boy as a weapon. Maganti has nothing short of world domination on his mind. What better way to achieve that goal then to have on his side the boy who can end worlds.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do you know this for a fact, Jeseka? Or are you just guessing?¡±

    Jeseka turned away, casting her glance toward the Tagrosi war camp. ¡°Like I told you, I was a bandit. Bandits sometimes work as mercenaries too. When enough ambitious lords hire you to fight their wars for them you get to know the warning signs that they have plans to conquer the world. Maganti¡¯s one of those folk. He talks about spreading freedom, liberty, and law¡­ but he¡¯s really just a tyrant looking to expand his influence. He will never stop until all the world bows at his feet.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s only suspicion.¡±

    Jeseka poked me in the chest with her finger. ¡°We will not let him take Zac. After this is over, Maganti needs to die, you understand? It¡¯s the only way to protect the boy.¡±

    ¡°I will never take a life because of what someone might do,¡± I told her, rubbing the place where she¡¯d poked me. ¡°If he tries to take Zac from me, then I will deal with him as needed. No one takes my boy away.¡±

    Jeseka sighed and hung her head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to be satisfied with that, then.¡±

    I moved on from Jeseka, leaving her to stew in her violent thoughts.

    Soon, I came across Elora, who stood in the middle of the bridge, watching the river pass beneath her. Without turning to see me, she said, ¡°You¡¯re aware how bizarre this is, yes?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°As delvers we learned all about Zahac and what the legends said he did to the Ancients and those who came before them. Those who fought on his side, who supported him and protected him¡­ all the stories speak of them as if they were demons in mortal form.¡± Elora turned and looked at me. ¡°They will count us among them.¡±

    ¡°Who will?¡±

    ¡°The people of the future,¡± she said, gesturing off into the distance as if that were where the future could be found. ¡°After the next Apocalypse. They will count our names among Xabier, Uxio, and Ovidia. Rebellious young women will name their children ¡®Ahv¡¯ and ¡®Elora¡¯ to upset their elders.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s optimistic,¡± I said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Optimistic?¡± Elora tilted her head to one side, her long hair falling over her shoulder.  ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re assuming anyone will remember us at all,¡± I said. We both laughed, and when we were done I said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what people in some distant future say about me. Who cares if they malign me? I won¡¯t be around to hear it anyway. All that matters is that now--¡± I pointed at the ground beneath my feet, ¡°--we do the right thing.¡±

    Elora gave an amused smile. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s all anyone can be expected to do.¡±

    Behind me I heard the sound of wheels rolling over the bridge¡¯s boards.

    Eon Maganti approached, accompanied by a small entourage of Tagrosi soldiers, including Piers and two masked legionnaires. Eon wore a confident smirk on his lips, his hands rolling the wheels toward me. ¡°My people are ready to move out and rescue Zahac. Are yours?¡±

    Peering over his shoulder I saw Jeseka and Benji approaching. ¡°They are, but I have a question before we do this.¡±

    Eon shrugged. ¡°Ask away.¡±

    ¡°Once we¡¯ve rescued Zac from Mr. Muk, will you leave him in my care?¡±

    Eon¡¯s eyes averted from me. ¡°One thing at a time, my friend. Let¡¯s save the child first, then worry about where he¡¯ll live.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go anywhere with you unless I know your intentions,¡± I said. ¡°I will not hand him from one kidnapper to another.¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have much of a choice, do you? If you want to survive in those woods you need my help. If I were you I¡¯d take all the help I could get.¡±

    My eyes met Jeseka¡¯s, and I recalled what she said about needing to kill Eon after all this was over. The solution was horrible and barbaric, but it seemed there was little choice. Once we had Zac back in our care, Eon would need to die.

    And once he was dead I¡¯d need to flee Oakbridge forever, disappear with Zac far away from that place, for the people of Tagros would surely want their Consul avenged.

 Back in the Woods

    Back in the Woods

    There¡¯s only slight comfort in knowing that none but the biggest, most dangerous of darklings will come after you because you are traveling with an Everburn lantern in your hand, as are your companions.

    Piers and I led the way, quickly finding Zac¡¯s trail as we had before. Both of us held weapons at the ready, ignited with silver and red light.

    Though he never put any words behind his complaints, it was easy to tell from grunts and groans that Eon Maganti greatly regretted his decision to go with us into the woods. Every few feet his wheels would get stuck trying to cross over a protruding root, or through a dip in the path. His rings would activate to lift his chair enough to keep moving, costing him just a little more energy stored up in those golden relics. He might have decided instead to ride a horse through those woods, utilizing a saddle which would strap him firmly in place, were it not for the fact that horses were terrified of darklings and would spook all too easily.

    Benji walked at the back of our group, his bulky body snapping tree branches as he tried to follow our path. Now and then he¡¯d swing his axe, chopping down the obstructions in his way so he could more easily keep up. Every time his axe¡¯s blade hit a tree branch I heard darklings flee further into the shadows.

    After hours of travel, our group finally reached the stone bridge where we¡¯d previously encountered Mr. Muk. I raised my lantern high, trying to extend the reach of its light.

    No sign of him.

    Not even cloven tracks on the ground.

    ¡°Zac?¡± I called out.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    When Zac¡¯s voice rang out, it was not as it was before, where I felt I could just look a little further into the darkness, and I would see him. No, the sound came from everywhere at once, resounding off the trees. The others with me looked up at the branches above, which told me they too had heard his voice come from everywhere at once.

    ¡°Zac, where are you?¡± I called out.

    ¡°Here¡­ it¡¯s dark!¡± Again, his voice came from all directions at once.

    I walked further across the stone bridge, until I came to a clearing on the other side. The ground beneath my feet was flat, the first piece of level ground I¡¯d found in the whole forest. The soil under my boots was soft and moist, but there was something solid underneath.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming to find you!¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad¡¯s here.¡± Following my instincts, I knelt down close to the ground, set my sword down, and brushed away the soil with my hand. Once the thin layer of soil was removed, I felt metal under my fingertips. ¡°Elora! Put your hand here, see if you can sense Ancient ruins underneath this spot.¡±

    Elora hurried over and I rose to get out of her way, picking up my sword in the process.

    Eon rolled up closer and strained his neck to see what Elora was doing.

    Benji, Jeseka, Piers, and the other soldiers kept their eyes on the shadows.

    Elora splayed her fingers on the metal ground and closed her eyes. Tiny, red lac stones woven into the fabric of her gloves began to glow, and she said, ¡°Yes¡­ definitely Ancient ruins under us. Looks like a vault.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°A vault?¡± Eon intoned.

    ¡°The Ancients used to store their wealth in places like this,¡± I explained as I started clearing more soil, searching for the entrance. ¡°Anyone who had the right set of keys and passwords could get through without a problem. Burglars would face deadly traps designed to keep them from getting through.¡±

    ¡°Is it impossible to get through without the keys?¡± Eon asked.

    Elora started clearing more soil away as well. Jeseka soon joined her.

    ¡°Not impossible,¡± I said. ¡°The traps were usually designed by master thieves, who would then, in turn, sell the secret ways through to prospective burglars. For a price. Survival was not impossible by any means.¡±

    ¡°And this outfit I¡¯m wearing--¡± Elora chimed in, ¡°--was designed for thieves. It should allow me to bypass most of the locks, but there are blindspots down there preventing me from seeing the traps.¡± She glanced up at Eon, her white eyes gleaming in the low light. ¡°Of course, something like this isn¡¯t without side-effects.¡±

    My fingertips found a circle carved into the metal ground beneath us. ¡°Found it!¡±

    Elora crept over and pressed her gloved hand over the circle. Her lac stones glowed again and I heard a series of latches snapping and gears turning. Both of us backed away as part of the ground opened up, revealing a long staircase leading downward.

    A snarl from the shadows caused us all to jump. I pointed my silver-edge toward the sound, the white light revealing shapes moving in the dark.

    Eyes glowed in the blackness, some appearing in pairs and some in far greater numbers. The forest was alive with hisses, snarls, and growls.

    Benji raised his lantern and his axe and stomped toward the darklings. One of the pairs of eyes drew closer to him, and I saw a flash of its white teeth, like two rows of daggers pointed toward one another.

    The creature¡¯s black shape leapt from its hiding place and latched its claws into Benji¡¯s shoulders. The impact knocked him back, causing him to drop his axe.

    Benji¡¯s lantern barely illuminated the creature, which appeared to be some sort of large cat with two snake-like tails. The monster opened its jaws and moved in to bite Benji¡¯s neck.

    But before it could reach his throat, Benji¡¯s hand palmed its face and his fingers wrapped around its skull. The strongest man alive bellowed in pain and fury, before squeezing the darkling¡¯s face.

    The monster yowled, and we all heard a crunching noise. Violet ooze poured from under Benji¡¯s palm, and the creature went limp, its claws released from his shoulders.

    With a painful grunt, Benji hurled the beast¡¯s corpse at the other creatures lurking in the darkness. At first, they scattered from the spot where the body fell, but in an instant they were back upon it. Slurping and tearing noises ensued as they feasted on the fallen darkling.

    Eon held out his hand and aimed his palm at the place where the creatures feasted. One of his rings glowed and a beam of golden light pierced the shadows and scorched the creatures and the trees around them. The darklings fled, howling as they trailed embers through the woods.

    Jeseka sneered at Eon. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you not to set things on fire while we¡¯re IN THE FOREST!¡±

    Eon shrugged. ¡°These woods are too wet to catch fire easily.¡±

    ¡°And too thick for us to escape in a hurry if we need to,¡± said Jeseka.

    ¡°I see,¡± said Eon, smugly folding his arms, ¡°And at what university did you study?¡±

    ¡°No university,¡± Jeseka said. ¡°All my learning was done in the actual wilderness.¡±

    ¡°We have more pressing matters at the moment!¡± I shouted over them, waving my hand to get their attention. ¡°Zac, can you still hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± came his reply, his voice surrounding us.

    ¡°You say it¡¯s dark where you are. When Mr. Muk took you there, did he take you down stairs? Could you tell?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡±

    ¡°Still our best bet,¡± I mumbled. ¡°We need to get down there. Eon, I¡¯m assuming your chair doesn¡¯t do so well on stairs?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± said Eon. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let a little thing like that stand in my way. Private Vinter, Private Leynthall, you two will carry me as we descend into the Ancient vault.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said both soldiers.

    Jeseka grunted her displeasure at Eon¡¯s command and rolled her eyes.

 Into the Vault

    Into the Vault

    We descended into depths which had never seen the light of an Everburn until our arrival. Fungi grew on the walls, and they shriveled and burned when our lanterns¡¯ light illuminated them. Rodent-like creatures scurried into tiny, rusted holes in the walls.

    Behind me, Piers and Private Leynthall finally reached the bottom of the stairs and set Eon down with pained groans.

    Leading the way, with Elora following me the most closely, I walked down a long hall. At first, the walls were barren and undecorated, except by the melting fungus. But soon I saw statues lining the walls. Holding my lantern closer to them, I saw that they were statues of odd creatures with the faces of falcons, their beaks gaping open, the bodies of wolves, and feathered wings splayed out behind them.

    I heard a floor tile click under someone¡¯s feet and the statues turned in place, their open beaks aimed at us.

    ¡°Get down!¡± I cried just before dropping to the ground.

    Blue flames spewed forth from the mouths of every statue in the room. Even flat on the ground I felt the intense heat singing the fibers of my shirt and the hairs on the back of my neck.

    The roaring of the fires faded and when I looked up, Eon Maganti sat with his hand outstretched and rings glowing. A thick layer of ice covered each of the statues¡¯ mouths.

    Steam rose from the ice, and blocks dripped.

    ¡°Move!¡± Eon shouted. ¡°That won¡¯t hold forever!¡±

    Piers was the first to run past me, followed by two more Tagrosi soldiers. Jeseka yanked me up to my feet, and we all rushed to the area beyond the statues, to a point where the hallway curved. Eon rolled behind us, the magic of his rings moving him along at our pace.

    Just around the curve, I heard another tile click.

    Elora shouted, ¡°No!¡±

    But before any of us could act, one of the Tagrosi soldiers disappeared from sight. A second later, we heard a sickening crack from below, and all of us rushed to see what had happened.

    A hole lay open in the floor, and when our lanterns shone into the pit the Tagrosi soldier lay at the bottom, with steel spikes jutting up through his body. We had only a moment to behold the gruesome sight before the tile he¡¯d stepped on slid back into place, completely indistinguishable from those around it.

    ¡°How can we possibly survive this?¡± Piers asked. ¡°There are no markings on these tiles¡­ no patterns¡­ how can we distinguish the good ones from the bad?¡±

    ¡°Walk softly,¡± I said. ¡°Test each tile before you shift your weight onto it. If it starts to give step off of it immediately. All of us need to go single-file.¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°Oh, Ahv¡­ so brave and yet so simple-minded. I have a much better solution.¡± He waved his hand at the path in front of us and a layer of ice coated on top of the tiles. ¡°Just try not to slip and all should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s¡­ another way to do it, I suppose,¡± I said.

    Marching single-file, we crossed the path in front of us, careful with each step so we would not slip on the ice. At the end of the hall another curve waited for us, and the ground made a slight decline downward. Once we were all across Eon¡¯s field of ice, I said, ¡°Let me go down first.¡±

    The floor there was not tiled, but rather one solid piece of polished steel. The slight decline made it easy to slip, especially after walking on ice just a moment ago. Not wishing to fall upon my sword, I sheathed the silver-edge and held out my hand to feel along the wall for balance.

    My fingertips brushed over a small, perfectly round hole in the wall.

    Oh¡­ that¡¯s never a good sign¡­

    I brought my lantern closer to the wall and saw that there were countless holes there, all of them shaped the same and lined up in neat rows.

    ¡°Hold!¡± I called out when I heard Elora¡¯s footsteps behind me. ¡°I think we have poison darts here.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t they fired yet?¡± Elora asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°Because someone up there still likes me? I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t build the place.¡±

    ¡°If you lie down low, can you crawl under them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Good question.¡± Attempting her experiment, I laid down on my belly and looked over at the wall. The lowest holes were just above me. ¡°Yes, if I crawl I can make it through safely.¡±

    ¡°This is a waste of time!¡± Eon shouted from the back. ¡°Just seal it up!¡± He waved his hand and a layer of ice coated the walls on either side of the downward ramp.

    But the moment he did so, I heard a deep rumbling behind the walls.

    The ice burst as streams of water sprayed out from every gap. When the water poured down the ramp, I tried to stand so I wouldn¡¯t drown, but the flow swept me away before I could rise.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Rushing water tumbled me head over heels, carrying me downward into the darkness. The Everburn lantern was torn from my fingers. My shoulder smacked into a wall as the water carried me around a curve, and into a spiral moving ever downward.

    Then, even the ground beneath me disappeared, and I fell through open air.

    Smack!

    For a fraction of a second I thought I¡¯d struck the ground.

    Until I broke through and sunk into a deep pool of water.

    It was cold as ice, and my chest throbbed from the sudden shock.

    My arms flailed and thrashed around as I struggled to return to the surface.

    Something long and scaly swam past me, its body rubbing against my leg.

    Then there was another.

    And another.

    Panicked, I finally reached the surface and breathed in the sweet air. My lungs stung from the rush.

    Around me I could hear the others flailing about in the waters, some of them crying out in terror. But the room was pitch black.

    ¡°Something touched me!¡± one of the Tagrosi soldiers cried out.

    ¡°Oh, gods!¡± cried out another, followed by the sound of his body being sucked under the water.

    ¡°Find land!¡± I cried and started swimming straight ahead, hoping to reach a place where I¡¯d be safe.

    ¡°Agh!¡± cried out another Tagrosi soldier, the splash of his body pulled under immediately following.

    ¡°Damn beasts!¡± Jeseka cried as she beat the water around her.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use! Just swim!¡± I cried.

    Something behind me burst out from under the turbulent waves, and golden light emanated from it like a sun. When I glanced back over my shoulder, I saw that it was Eon Maganti hovering in the air, his medallion glowing brightly.

    Peering around at my surroundings, I spotted a flat, steel island in the pool, far ahead of me. ¡°There¡¯s land! Swim for it!¡±

    Still floating in the air, Eon aimed his palms at the waters and beams fired from his hands. The ice-cold liquid turned warmer with every strike, and the long, scaly corpses of water serpents floated to the surface.

    Two rows of needle-like teeth sunk into my calf, and the water serpent yanked me under the water with one hard tug. The surface fled from me, and I could breathe no more.

    I turned to see the creature attacking me, flashes of golden light revealing the scene of carnage under the water. The bodies of several Tagrosi soldiers sank into dark, their blood turning the water pink. Hundreds of water snakes swam about, weaving to evade Eon¡¯s constant attacks. The one that had a hold of me wriggled its body to pull me ever downward, to the infinite darkness below.

    I bent my body at the waist and wrapped my fingers around the water snake¡¯s throat, squeezing with all my might. I felt its vertebrae shift in my grip and heard something crack, but its teeth sunk deeper into my leg. My scream came out as a stream of bubbles.

    My head started to feel light, and my grip on the snake¡¯s throat loosened. The world around me was growing dark, and I looked up to the surface of the water, where Eon still shone like the sun.

    A forearm bigger than my neck reached past me and seized the serpent¡¯s neck. I heard a loud crunching noise, and its teeth released my leg. Benji¡¯s hand roughly grabbed me by the back of my shirt, and he swam upward. With a great force, he threw me from the water onto the steel platform in the middle of the pool. Once more, I gasped for air, grateful to receive it.

    Benji pulled himself up onto the steel island as well. All of us who¡¯d gathered there were coughing and sputtering to get the liquid out of our throats and lungs.

    Eon floated over to us and sat down on the island. The glow from his medallion dimmed and he leaned back on his hands.

    I did a quick head-count. We still had Benji, Jeseka, Elora, Piers, and Eon, all the people I knew, plus two others. I exhaled my relief, until I realized that seven Tagrosi soldiers had died in that pool and I counted it a victory simply because I didn¡¯t know any of them.

    The darklings had claimed seven human lives and I couldn¡¯t weep for a single one.

    ¡°One of you needs to carry me,¡± Eon said.

    Jeseka rose to her feet and spat. ¡°You can crawl, can¡¯t you?¡±

    Eon chuckled. ¡°My dear lady, I¡¯m glad you think so highly of my abilities, but it would be impractical to crawl through the rest of this vault.¡±

    ¡°A moment ago, you were flying,¡± said Jeseka.

    ¡°How right you are,¡± said Eon, ¡°But that takes far too much energy to maintain. If I were to fly through this vault my relics would run out of power far too fast, and I¡¯d have none left to fight off the darklings. Considering most of you lost your weapons when we landed in that pool, I¡¯d say you need me.¡±

    ¡°Or we could just take your relics and leave you here to die,¡± Jeseka said.

    Benji walked over to Eon, crouched, and lifted the Consul up onto his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving Mr. Maganti to die, Jeseka. Maybe you didn¡¯t notice, but he saved our lives.¡± Benji turned to me. ¡°That water snake bit ya real good. Can you walk?¡±

    ¡°A darkling dug its claws into your shoulders and you lift Eon with no problem? Yeah, I think I have no excuse not to be able to walk.¡± I tried to stand, but pain shot through my leg and I dropped to my knees again.

    Benji turned to Jeseka. ¡°Help him walk, would you please?¡±

    Jeseka¡¯s hateful face softened and she rushed to my side and helped me to my feet again. She slung one of my arms over her shoulder and supported me as I limped along.

    ¡°We have no more Everburn lanterns,¡± said Elora, peering into the waters behind us. ¡°I think they sank into the depths.¡±

    ¡°So, nothing more to ward away the darklings?¡± Eon said. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to fight our way through if we see any more. Who¡¯s still armed?¡±

    I reached for the silver-edge on my back and discovered that it was still there.

    Piers drew his iron-edge from its sheath and ignited it.

    Elora raised her hand and the lac stones woven into her glove glowed.

    ¡°So, most of us,¡± said Eon. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Can I use that?¡± Jeseka asked, holding her hand out to my silver-edge. ¡°You¡¯re not really in a fit state to fight.¡±

    ¡°I can fight just fine,¡± I said, giving the sword a little flourish in front of us. ¡°I still have use of my arms.¡±

    Jeseka held my cheek in her hand and forced me to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re cute, you know that?¡± My face burned at her compliment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to prove yourself. I certainly don¡¯t doubt that you¡¯re a tough, masculine man. But, please, let me handle this.¡± Her fingers left my face and slipped over my hand to grasp the hilt of the sword. The light touch of her hand tickled me a little, and I surrendered the weapon to her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.

    She kissed my cheek and turned to continue our trek, lighting the way with the light from the silver-edge.

    Ahead of us stood a doorway, and beyond it many unknown terrors hidden in the darkness.

 Mr. Muk

    Mr. Muk

    I reached the end of that final, long hallway with such shooting pain in my leg I feared I might never walk again, but I was grateful for Jeseka¡¯s help.

    The room at the end was wide open, with walls outside what our poor light sources could illuminate.

    But far more interesting than the walls were what stood glimmering in the middle of the room: a stack of gold ingots taller than the Chalice Inn.

    ¡°In this place--¡± spoke a deep voice from the darkness, ¡°--the Ancients stored what was most precious to them.¡±

    My eyes scanned the shadows surrounding us, trying to spot any sign of Mr. Muk hiding there. I could hear his hooves upon the steel floor, but the echo in the room made it impossible to pinpoint his location.

    ¡°The Ancients built their technologies out of the cosmic metals,¡± Mr. Muk continued, ¡°Each one drew power from the heavens above, and the lac stones made it possible to harness this energy. Because gold drew its power from the sun, and the sun¡¯s power is far greater than any other celestial light, gold became the most valuable of all resources.¡±

    The medallion around Eon¡¯s neck glowed more brightly, extending its rays out further, to cause the darkness to flee. But rather than illuminating Mr. Muk, it revealed more stacks of golden ingots. More gold, I suspected, than any king, emperor, ruler, or bank held.

    Piers, Jeseka, and Eon stood in stunned wonder at the treasure trove before them.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Zac?¡± I demanded.

    Mr. Muk met my demand with laughter. ¡°It seems this one would disagree with the wisdom of the Ancients. What is Zahac to you, Ahv? A son? If you were to take as much gold as you could carry from this place you could buy ten boys to be your sons, and give them a better life than you ever could have given Zahac.¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡± I demanded again, disgusted at his attempted bribe. ¡°I want my boy!¡±

    ¡°Take the gold!¡± Mr. Muk called back. ¡°Take it and go!¡±

    I cursed at him, using words I vainly hoped Zac would never learn.

    ¡°He refuses,¡± Mr. Muk said, ¡°So, what about the rest of you? Eon Maganti¡­¡±

    Eon froze at the sound of his name.

    The hint of amusement in Mr. Muk¡¯s voice hinted that he knew he¡¯d caught the Consul¡¯s attention. ¡°You want to create a new world in your own image? Destroy the Great Library at Naukratis and raise a better future from the ashes? Imagine the armies you could fund with this gold. Or the relics you could replicate. I can teach you how to make weapons like the Ancients forged, and no force will be able to stand against the might of your army.¡±

    The medallion around Eon¡¯s neck glowed and his body floated away from Benji¡¯s shoulders. Benji reached out to grab him, but Eon was already outside his grasp. The earring hanging from his left ear shone almost as brightly as the medallion.

    The lights revealed a twisted, greedy grin on Eon Maganti¡¯s face. ¡°All I have to do is kill Ahv for you and you¡¯ll give me all I¡¯ve ever wanted?¡±

    Benji ran to the nearest stack of gold ingots, seized one, and threw it at Eon. Eon raised his hand and a shield of light deflected the ingot. With a wave of his hand, an invisible force grabbed the rest of us and forced us down, onto our knees.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Jeseka groaned as she fought against Eon¡¯s hold. ¡°I¡¯ll tear your arms out!¡±

    Eon shook his head. ¡°Please understand, one does not build the foundation for a better world on mere kindness. Paradise is built upon blood.¡± He drifted toward me, the ring on his middle finger starting to glow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡± Piers cried out. ¡°Please! I know you¡¯re a reasonable man. You can¡¯t possibly think accepting the offer of a darkling will--¡±

    Eon waved his hand at Piers and the ring hanging from his right ear glimmered. Piers¡¯ voice went silent, though his lips still moved for a few moments before he realized what had happened. The Consul hovered over me, staring down with cold eyes. ¡°I will make a world so grand that even Zahac will not wish to see it destroyed.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to shed Ahv¡¯s blood for it!¡± Elora called out. ¡°I know of other vaults, countless other vaults, with relics beyond your wildest dreams! If you spare him and release us, I¡¯ll show you how to find them. You can still build the world you want to see, just please don¡¯t kill him!¡±

    ¡°No one gives me what I want!¡± Eon shouted at her. ¡°I take it.¡± He raised his hand in front of my face and I stared into his palm as an orb of light formed there. I could feel the heat radiating from it, and smell my own beard hairs burning.

    Eon snapped his arm upwards and loosed a beam of light from his palm. Mr. Muk roared in pain and fell from the ceiling, his body knocking over a stack of gold ingots with a loud clatter.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Eon shouted. ¡°Quick!¡±

    His hold on us released. Jeseka, Benji, Elora, and Piers rose to their feet.

    The spider-like legs on Mr. Muk¡¯s back forced him up to his hooves and he charged at Eon, roaring with fury.

    Benji leapt onto the monster¡¯s back and held tight.

    Jeseka swung out the blade in her hands, cutting a deep gash in the monster¡¯s side.

    Elora waved her hands at the gold ingots, then whipped them over to Mr. Muk. The ingots pelted the monster, battering his body from every angle.

    Piers swung out his sword and severed one of the spider-like legs protruding from the monster¡¯s back.

    But none of this slowed down Mr. Muk enough to save Eon.

    Mr. Muk¡¯s body plowed into Eon and carried him off into the shadows.

    A loud smack, followed by a crunching sound and Eon¡¯s cry of agony.

    Piers and Jeseka ran after Mr. Muk, the light from their weapons soon revealing that the darkling had crushed Eon¡¯s body up against a pile of gold ingots.

    I limped toward them, intent on helping, though I had no idea how I could.

    Benji climbed up Mr. Muk¡¯s back and wrapped both arms around his throat, his hands grasping the monster¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple.

    The monster thrashed and flailed about, its spider-like legs trying to pull Benji from his back. Benji held fast as the shirt was torn from his torso and the monster¡¯s pincers cut his flesh.

    Jeseka leapt and drove her sword into the monster¡¯s back, forcing another roar of pain from its throat.

    Piers circled round to Mr. Muk¡¯s front and thrust his sword into Mr. Muk¡¯s chest.

    Shadows cast in red and white light danced around the room as the three of them fought Mr. Muk.

    Benji raised his sledge-hammer fist and brought it down on Mr. Muk¡¯s head over and over.

    Piers stabbed wildly, his body soaked in the violet blood flowing from the wounds.

    Jeseka hacked at the creature as she shrieked a chilling warcry.

    Elora continued pelting the beast with gold ingots, the waving of her hands sending them at the creature with all the velocity of bolts launched from a crossbow.

    With one final, gurgling roar, Mr. Muk fell lifeless on the floor.

    I finished limping to that spot, and Piers lifted Eon¡¯s broken body from the ground. Blood flowed from Eon¡¯s mouth and he coughed when Piers sat him up. The Consul looked at me. ¡°Take my relics¡­ they¡¯re yours now¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you to a physician,¡± Piers said.

    ¡°No,¡± Eon told him. ¡°It¡¯s over. Shut up!¡± Blood sputtered from his mouth and flecks of it covered Piers¡¯ face. Eon reached out and grasped me by the collar. ¡°Take my relics and protect that boy. He will judge the world one day. He will decide what survives and what perishes. Promise me you¡¯ll take care of him!¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± I said.

    ¡°And never cause him harm!¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    Eon nodded to me, coughed twice more, and his head rolled back. His hand fell away from me as the life left his body.

    I cursed myself. I¡¯d not wept for the soldiers who¡¯d died under his command, neither had I wept when he executed Keren. But the death of this proud, greedy man was what finally brought me to tears.

 The Fairy Tales End

    The Fairy Tale¡¯s End

    We found a door at the end of the room, past all the stacks upon stacks of golden ingots.

    Before we entered the room, Elora placed her hands on the wall and closed her eyes. ¡°Looks like Zac is in there by himself.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°I think Ahv should go in alone to see him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, might scare him if we all go in at once,¡± said Jeseka. She slapped Eon¡¯s medallion onto my chest. ¡°Don¡¯t try to walk in there, though. Use this to fly. Keep pressure off that leg.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, fastening the medallion behind my neck.

    My feet hovering but an inch off the ground, I entered the next room.

    The light from the medallion revealed Zac seated upon a copper throne, one carved to look like countless serpents entwined with one another. Zac wore a scarlet robe, one I¡¯d never seen upon him before, and a copper crown which resembled a single asp wrapped around his head.

    The expression on his face was not the warm smile of a father-son reunion like I was expecting. There was suspicion there, a look of one who had reason to mistrust his visitor.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± he replied with a shake of his head. ¡°But it looks like you are.¡±

    I followed his gaze down to my leg, and the droplets of blood on the floor beneath it. With a shrug I said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°You sure do like lying, don¡¯t you?¡±

    My heart stung from his barb and I said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It hurts like Hell.¡±

    Zac waved his hand and whispered a few words I couldn¡¯t understand. The floor beneath me slid open and a chair rose underneath me. ¡°Here,¡± he said.

    I sat down in the chair, letting the medallion¡¯s light dim.

    Zac drew a circle in the air with one finger and a spark appeared. When he withdrew his hand, the spark grew into a burning flame, suspended in mid-air.

    In a stunned voice I asked, ¡°Is that¡­ an Everburn?¡±

    ¡°Yes it is,¡± Zac said. ¡°Mr. Muk told me I made all the Everburns. All the darklings too.¡±

    After a brief moment of silence, I said, ¡°What else did he tell you?¡±

    ¡°Who I really am,¡± he said. ¡°That you¡¯re not my real father. Where you found me. What I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°And what are you supposed to do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Judge the world,¡± Zac said. ¡°When I grow up, I¡¯m supposed to decide if the world should end or not. Mr. Muk said you knew all about that. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess I was scared,¡± I said.

    ¡°Scared?¡± He tilted his head to one side curiously. ¡°What were you scared of? Me?¡±

    ¡°Scared of what might happen to you,¡± I said. ¡°Think about it, Mr. Muk captured you because of¡­ you know¡­ of who you are. I was afraid that if I told you then someone like Mr. Muk might come to take you away.¡±

    He gave me a skeptical raise of his eyebrow and folded his arms.

    With a sigh I said, ¡°And, yes¡­ I was scared of you too. Scared of what you might do if you knew about your past¡­ and your destiny. You¡¯re the judge of the world, but you must understand, everyone makes mistakes. Good people, bad people¡­ everyone. I was scared you might judge me because of my mistakes.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    He blinked twice, his eyes softening at the sound of that. ¡°Umm¡­ well¡­¡± he rattled his head and resumed a more stern expression. ¡°So, you lied. All these years, you lied and said you were my dad.¡±

    ¡°Was that really a lie, though?¡± I asked, my tone pleading with him. ¡°I didn¡¯t put you in your mother¡¯s belly, but that¡¯s not all a dad is. A dad is your best buddy, who loves you, looks out for you, and is old enough to help you understand how to get through life. Your dad is someone who gives you good advice, helps you back up when you fall down¡­ Am I not really your dad?¡±

    The pause he gave hurt more than his accusation that I liked to lie. ¡°We shall see,¡± he said, his palms grasping the arm-rests of his throne. ¡°First, I want you to tell me everything you know about my mother. My real mother. You told me part of the story before, but I know you kept some parts secret.¡±

    ¡°Did Mr. Muk already tell you the rest?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, but he promised he would.¡± Zac craned his neck to look past me. ¡°But, since he¡¯s dead, you''re the one who has to tell me.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a happy story. Are you sure you want to hear it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a nod.

    ¡°Very well. This is the story as I learned it. Once upon a time, there was a woman named Lady Mitra. In all the world, she was the most beautiful of all women, and she lived in a palace on top of a waterfall. Suitors came from every land, hoping to win her love. They would shower her with gifts and flattery, and ask for her hand in marriage. She appreciated their gifts, but she always turned them down.

    ¡°Then, one day, along came a handsome prince. Prince Steed. And Prince Steed sung to her the most lovely songs, not just about her beauty, but also about her kindness and her wisdom. Moreover, he sung her songs about famous heroes of old, of glorious sunsets, and of far-off lands. For his beautiful songs, Lady Mitra fell in love with Prince Steed, and when he asked her to marry him she accepted. The two married in the spring, and by summer she was pregnant with their baby.¡±

    Zac interjected, ¡°That baby was me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°But there¡¯s more to the story.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°But many men were jealous when they saw Prince Steed and Lady Mitra together. Even some who had been Prince Steed¡¯s closest friends. So, they plotted against him. One day, they convinced him to come to a party they were throwing, told him that it just wouldn¡¯t be a good party without his beautiful music to bring them joy. Happily, Prince Steed agreed to attend.

    ¡°Once he arrived, they locked the doors to prevent his escape. They fed him pastries and gave him wine to drink. And just when he was at his happiest, they attacked. They beat him, stabbed him, and shot him full of arrows. Once they were done and he was dead, they left his body to hang by the neck from a tree outside.¡±

    Zac drew in a sharp breath, and when I looked up I saw tears in his eyes.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t long until Lady Mitra found out, and she was furious, though she did not know who had killed her beloved husband. All her bitterness and rage went into her child¡¯s heart, and on the day her baby boy was born she said, ¡®May this child judge all the world for what happened to his father. May the venom in my soul pour forth from him like a fountain, poisoning all who have wickedness in their hearts.¡¯

    ¡°And she named her child ¡®Zahac.¡¯ Since that day, every one-thousand years, Zahac has returned to judge the world. Every time, he has decided to slay almost everyone, leaving only a select few to repopulate the world.¡±

    Zac finally released the breath he¡¯d drawn in, and I saw a tear roll down his cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s not a happy story. Those terrible men so long ago¡­ what they did to your real father was so wrong¡­ and millions¡­ no, BILLIONS have paid the price for it, because the same wickedness was in their hearts.¡±

    For just a moment, I saw his grief start to turn into anger.

    ¡°But, things are not the same as they were then,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t come down here to save you on my own, you know.¡± I licked my lips nervously, fearing what sort of terror he might be about to unleash on the world as revenge for his father. ¡°Eon Maganti helped.¡±

    ¡°The bad man who killed Miss Keren?¡± Zac said, his fingers tightening on the arm-rests.

    ¡°That same bad man died so I could come here and save you,¡± I said. ¡°He gave up his life to make sure you would be safe. He did this even though he knew that you¡¯re Zahac and might destroy the world some day. Even though he knew you killed one of his soldiers, Avery If even a bad man like him is capable of something so noble, how bad could he really be?¡±

    His eyes softened at that, and he loosened his grip on the arm-rests.

    I stood from the chair, wincing as I was reminded of the pain in my leg. I lowered myself to my knees before him and bowed my head, then raised it again and held out both my arms. ¡°Zac¡­ let¡¯s go home.¡±

    He sobbed, stood from his throne, and ran to me. His arms wrapped around my neck and hugged me tight. I held him close and rocked him gently as he whispered a single, wonderful word in my ear.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡±

 Where Do We Go?

    Where Do We Go?

    Zac brought the Everburn with us to light our way, and in its glow we found secret paths leading out of the vault and into the woods. Elora and Piers carried all the gold they could. Benji carried more gold than either of them on one shoulder and Eon¡¯s body on the other. Jeseka supported me and helped me limp along the way.

    The Everburn frightened away all darklings in those woods, giving us a safe journey back to Oakbridge. Just as we left the edge of the trees, I convinced Zac to leave the Everburn he¡¯d created behind, rather than invite the slew of questions which would surely await us had he brought it into town.

    When we arrived in town, the Tagrosi soldiers rushed to us to receive Eon¡¯s body. Piers stayed with them to answer their questions while the rest of us returned to the Chalice Inn. We left up the sign which said the inn was closed. After all, who could work after everything we¡¯d experienced?

    We gathered in the inn¡¯s tavern area, this time with Zac sitting among us. Piers soon joined us, the only Tagrosi soldier Benji was ready to tolerate at the moment.

    ¡°Zac and I need to leave town,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡± Zac whined. ¡°Why? I love it here!¡±

    ¡°I know, son,¡± I said, giving his hair a gentle ruffling with my fingers. ¡°I love it here too, but Eon told his soldiers who you are. It won¡¯t be safe here for long, we have to leave.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave!¡± Zac protested.

    ¡°Would it make you feel any better if I went with you?¡± asked Benji.

    Zac¡¯s eyes lit up at the prospect.

    Benji nodded and lifted my son up onto his knee with one hand. ¡°Mr. Zac, you¡¯re my best buddy. I¡¯ll go wherever you go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go with you too,¡± said Jeseka, flashing a grin that made my heart pound joyfully. ¡°If you run into any trouble out there, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll need me.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°We can go to my mansion in Sunvale,¡± said Elora.

    ¡°Your mansion?¡± I asked. ¡°You have a mansion? How¡¯d you afford that?¡±

    Elora chuckled. ¡°About a week after you left to take care of Zac on your own, I discovered Ancient relics worth a fortune, and I bought myself a place in Sunvale. If you¡¯d stayed with me, you could have raised Zac there from the beginning.¡± She stood from the table and walked over to Zac. ¡°Do you know what a mansion is?¡±

    Zac shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a house,¡± Elora said. ¡°One bigger than the Chalice Inn. If you live there, you can have your own bedroom and your own playroom too.¡±

    ¡°Playroom?¡± Zac said, giving a confused look. ¡°What¡¯s a playroom?¡±

    Elora looked at me. ¡°See what happens when you raise a kid in an inn?¡± She turned back to Zac again. ¡°A room that¡¯s just for you to play in. It¡¯s a place where you can keep all your toys, and even invite friends over to play with you. Just imagine¡­ two rooms all to yourself.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ sounds fun.¡± The look of confusion on his face slowly turned into a smile.

    ¡°Is there enough room for all of us?¡± I asked.

    Elora nodded. ¡°Yes, you can all have a room there. We can set out right away.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I said, then turned to Benji. ¡°What are you going to do with the Chalice Inn? Sell it?¡±

    Benji cracked his knuckles and rested his hands behind his head. ¡°Probably just give Sheriff Jayden the key and tell him to entrust it to anyone he likes. Someone great will come along to claim it soon.¡± He peered up at the stuffed monster heads mounted on the wall over the fireplace. ¡°That¡¯s just the fate of this place, I reckon.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s gather our things,¡± I said. ¡°We should leave as soon as possible.¡±

    . . .

    We set out for Sunvale that very day, just as the Tagrosi soldiers started their own journey back to their homeland. I would have liked to have said goodbye to Piers, but I thought it best to avoid the Tagrosi soldiers, in case any of them blamed us for Eon¡¯s death.

    With Zac¡¯s help, we¡¯d be able to travel night and day, and wouldn¡¯t have to stick to roads leading to the nearest town, so our journey to Sunvale was sure to be short.

    At the top of a hill, we looked back and saw Oakbridge on the distant horizon. Any further and I knew it would disappear from sight.

    ¡°This is it,¡± I told Zac. ¡°Look back and wave.¡±

    Zac looked at me as if I¡¯d just said something stupid and asked, ¡°Why? No one there can see us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Sometimes we don¡¯t say goodbye to a place for them,¡± said Benji. ¡°Sometimes, we say goodbye for us.¡± He raised his hand and waved at the town on the horizon.

    Zac thought about it for a moment, shrugged, and then did the same.

    I joined in as well, and rested my other hand on Zac¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll make Sunvale home for us too.¡±