“Kaius,” Mother called from the other side of the campfire they sat around.

It was the dead of night—the forest was darker then Kaius had expected—when father called for them to stop. Kaius had trudged through the woods like a blind ogre, stepping on every snapping branch and crushing all crackling dry leaves the forest had to offer. How his mother and father glided through the forest, he could not tell, but they made little to no noise.

After a while, father had found a camp for them to rest in. He and Mother worked together to set it up with evident experience. Kaius had tried to lend a hand but only got in the way. Even then, he decided to start a fire, thinking it was going to be easy. What he didn’t know was how long it took, after many a broken stick and his father’s constant chuckles, he was finally convinced to let his mother do it. She had it ready in minutes.

Now they sat around a dancing fire—flickering back and forth. Their only source of light and protection from the unnatural cool that warned of a storm. It surprised Kaius that the massive clouds had yet to pour out their gullets, dousing all those under its encompassing frame.

Kaius sat on the opposite side of the fire, just staring at the flame and thinking about the barmaid he had forgotten to ask her name. But, his mother’s call had woken him from his fancies.

“Come closer. I-It’s time I explained everything to you.” Hesitantly, she added, “Promise me you will wait until the end.”

Kaius nodded, wondering why they had to leave everything they had in the village. Their home, their work, and even those they cared about. Everything was forgotten back there. He didn’t even get to say a single proper goodbye. Father moved around them and sat next to him. Placing a heavy arm around his shoulder. His smile infectious smile had returned at last.

“Listen closely, son. Keep your mind open, you’ve read enough for that, haven’t you.”

“I…” Mother started. “Long before your father and I ever met, I was the daughter of a commoner family given dominion over a growing city beyond the plains of grass and even further, neatly tucked into the shadow of a Mountain and a small woods behind our home.” She flourished her hands as though she could see the scenes play above the fire. “I lived as close to what a Noble might experience, well as close as any person of our blood could. My father was the Reeve of the Keep of Halem, now a bustling city filled with bazaars and trade centers aplenty.”

“Why aren’t we there now?” Kaius said.

“Patience,” Father squeezed his arm around him. “She will get to it. Cecily needs time …that’s all. Isn’t that right, dearest wife?”

Mother smiled—one of her large, all teeth smiles—and nodded. Taking a deep breath, she looked up with distant eyes. “In my youth, we were visited by the Lord Noble of the lands we administered. He stopped on an important journey towards the Far North, or at least that was what my father had told me. I had tried to learn more, but the Nobles never spoke about it.

With him came an entire army of servants, entertainers, and even beasts. Some were caged and others they rode on as mounts. They towered over the other animals, somewhere bigger than Bronny if you could believe. It was a spectacle to behold.” Her smile had grown smaller and eyelids began to droop from the sides.

“Dragons?” His voice was filled with wonder. Many a book had featured the mystical beasts. Enormous creatures the size of a barn, and wings even larger. Not to mention they could breathe fire.

“No, not dragons,” mother chuckled.

Kaius was clearly disappointed.

“But close enough. Drakes and mangy mutts the size of a wagon. The Lord himself rode on a lion even larger. It strutted towards us with majesty. With the Lord came his sons, the first I couldn’t care to remember his name,” mother frowned, thinking deeply. “Jalen Juouf…something of that nature.”

Father laughed.

She smiled in return, but it was a far cry from her earlier one. “But the second son, that I will never forget. The love, the cloudy feeling…the pain.” She closed her eyes, hand shook in remembrance. “For weeks on end, we were in love. Inseparable, willing to face the world together or so I had been naive enough to believe. It was my fault really, but he could have been kinder.”

Kaius’s mouth felt parched as a single thought ran wildly in his mind. “Are you saying-”

“Till the end. Wait till the end,” fathers grip had become stronger and mouth was in a straight line.

“Thank you Hrolf,” mother said to father. “Yes, Kaius, you’re his and mine. My sweet golden flower.”

Kaius felt the world spin. He would have found himself on his back if not for his father’s steadying arm. It kept him afloat as he struggled to comprehend what he heard. For a few long seconds, his mind tried to wrap around it, but in the end, all he could think about was Father, his father Hrolf. Not the absent figure mother spoke of. He looked from mother to father and back again in a silent question.

“I met your father, my husband years later, after my own sent me away with his best guards for my protection. I had to escape before any of the Nobles found out. It would have been a scandal that would have ended everyone I knew, including you. But that opened us to another threat entirely. Mercenaries and elite warriors discovered us somehow. They were from a dark group of cruel slavers and pseudo nobles that sought to take you away from me.”

The ending came out strained, mother’s face was red and lips pursed. She gripped her dress tightly. “I will never let them touch a hair on your head. Never.”

It took her long seconds to collect herself. She closed her eyes again and took deep breaths. “Years on the run, most of the guards had passed on in battle to protect me. The last of them, the head guard of my father, passed just a few years ago. She stayed strong to teach me everything she could about wielding the spear.”

“Hanna? Kind and frail Hanna, who baked me sweets was your head guard?”

Mother nodded then continued, “Your father, my big oaf, saved us when you were only four years old, he’s been around since then. Always willing to help more than necessary.”

“Anything for you, dear.”

They locked heated eyes. Then smiled at once.

Kaius groaned. But eventually worked up his courage. “What’s his name?”

A reserved smile grew on mother’s face as she recalled his blood father’s name. “Bhalt-”

Mother leaped to her feet. Her spear rang out in a melody of death, swirling and slashing. It flashed once, twice, then for a third time in arcs reflecting the dull, flickering light of the fire they had stoked. The distinct sound metal crashing echoed in the clearing they laid their beds. Her fine dress bellowed out as she danced around for long seconds.

Kaius did not understand what had just happened until he saw the broken shafts of arrows clattering on the ground around her in a full circle. They were all split in half. His eyes subconsciously drifted onto his mothers imposing back as she stood with a broad base, crouched. He watched her sway the spear from side to side like a scorpions tail ready to lash out. Though his eyes surveyed the scene with a great deal of confusion. When had his mother been able to do…that?!

As he continued to watch her, his eyes caught a bright orange gem on the dark blade of her spear. The cloth covering that hidden it was lost during the few seconds of action. It glowed brighter by the second, giving the darkness of the sharpened edge a dark purple tint. It was beautiful, worthy of the golden flowers that coated its shaft.

Kaius jumped in his spot as two heavy thumps came from his right. Falling backward, his father’s shadow covered him. With raised shield—two arrows sticking out of it—and axe ready for use, he made a frightening figure. Not to mention the low growling he made, which only added to that effect. He had shown Kaius injuries he had sustained in his line of work as a warning to stay more careful, yet now Kaius sincerely doubted they were accidental wounds.

“Stay behind me.” His words were barely more than a growl—a snarl covered his face that scared him.

Kaius nodded, scampering behind his father’s broad shoulders. He felt his mother step back closer to him.

“Two archers.” Her eyes constantly surveyed the surroundings. She read more than he ever could from the darkness of the forest.

“I would’ve been more comfortable if they sent more. So few,” father shook his head. “I fear how strong the party after us is.” The creaking of his axe spoke volumes to how tense he was.

“Kaius,” mother said. “When I say, I want you to run into the forest,”

“But-”

“No questions. Do as I tell you. W-we’ll follow you in a bit.”

The uncertainty in her voice shook Kaius. She wasn’t sure they were going to make it out alive. They were going to sacrifice themselves for him.

“Mother, Father,” Kaius said, eyes becoming blurry.

“Now, now. You’ve become an adult. Don’t let your emotions take control,” father said with a smile, closer to that of a wolf.

The brush surrounding the clearing shook. Kaius’s eyes became laser focused on what might come out. It cracked and twisted until three men dressed in brown leathers walked in. Just from looking at them, Kaius saw at least three blades on their bodies. Not to mention the two who carried bows nocked and ready to fire. Their faces were covered in a black garb that wrapped around their hoods—leaving only their eyes exposed to the world. An insignia sat on the left side of their chest—a sword and staff crossing each other.

“Hunters,” mother said with gritted teeth.

Father’s growl continued to get louder as a white foam started to coat the edges of his mouth. “Kaius needs to go now, Cecily. It’s a Hunters’ Party, their Neifalite will arrive soon.”

“Mhm,” her face became resolved. Hardened from a life of struggle. “Kaius, when I charge them, I want you to run in the other direction without looking back. We’ll follow in a few minutes,”

“No, I-I can help. I have powers, I need to help,”

“Sweet, sweet flower. Go, we will be with you in a few minutes. Trust me,”

Kaius rubbed his eyes and sniffed. His breath felt become shallow and his heart thumped loudly in his chest. But, in the end, he nodded.