Chapter Twenty Nine: A Memory

I was dreaming again, of that I was certain. But perhaps the more correct term would be memory.

I remember it too well. I was sitting at a camp fire, surrounded by the black wood tree's famous in Scarl Forest, the light of the flames set the shadows to dancing as I leaned against a fallen log and relaxed. Night had long ago taken the day and we were settled in for the night. Tomorrow we could continue the hunt for the deserters and hopefully secure a friendship with Baron Carrow, one of three Lords of the Red and a key player in the Vampire Nation. More politics, more games I had to play to gain the support I needed to take the fight to the Church of Vitriss.

My armies were currently stationed on the the border with Paltos, but after the missive came from Carrow I decided to take care of it personally. Partly because I wanted the issue to be resolved quickly, partly because I needed a break.

We had left Ellai about six months ago, Drogna was still there continuing to build the city with a token force. I didn't want to stay away for too long, it may give the Church an opportunity to attack in our absence. While I had faith in Drogna as a warrior, I had no doubt that should Gorvo attack he would do so in force and send his newly christened champion, Valant, as the snakes head. I was on a razors edge, this new expedition into occupied Paltos had been hard on everyone, even with the support of Abhor and the tribes. It had been non stop fighting and negotiating for months now. We were gaining ground but it was taking too long. I decided I needed to let off some steam, bring myself back down to the level. Hence why I found myself miles from my forces, in Scarl Forest, hunting down a group of deserters turned terrorists.

I leaned my head against the log that lay behind me and closed my eyes, listening to the merry tune of the crackling fire as I felt myself begin to slip out of consciousness.

“Hey! You're not falling asleep, are you? You're on first watch tonight.”

I sighed and cracked one of my eyes open, staring at the woman who sat across from me. The only the thing that threatened to disrupt my little holiday. Faral, my Knight.

“I wasn't asleep, just resting my eyes. It's not like we need to be very cautious here, Faral. The creatures of the forest know better than to attack those with a more powerful aura and the tracks of those deserters puts us at least three hours behind them without magic.”

Faral stood up from her place on the other side of the fire and stretched. My Knight and the commander of my Navy, Faral had only just met up with us when we had entered into Paltos. I didn't want anyone to figure out I had left. In fact, that was the reason I decided to leave Marwenna a note, to ensure that she couldn't follow or send anyone to get me. Unfortunately for me, Faral had seen me leave camp and had tracked me. I knew she was there of course, but she didn't make herself known to me for the first four days of the trip. After that I just decided to have her walk with me, better that than her trying to remain inconspicuous.

Faral shrugged “Better to be safe than sorry, Corus. I mean, I am the only Knight you have out here with you. Considering your importance to The Court, I think I'm entitled to be a little bit paranoid about your safety. I'm the one who has to answer to Marwen if you wind up dead.”

I smiled at my Knight as she examined her surroundings. Faral was pretty care-free when it came to general life. Unfortunately, when it came to me she was always dead serious. She was the newest addition to our little band, only being with the Court for five years, four as my Knight. She was tactically brilliant when it came to naval combat and she was almost my match with the blade. I watched as she once again checked the scimitar that hung from her waist, another hanging from her back. Her leather armour was well worn, images of waves were delicately engraved into the metal plate that covered her chest while the rest showed signs of scars in the leather, stating clearly that it had seen many battles. Her three pointed hat rested at an angle on her head, her dirty blonde hair pushed up underneath it haphazardly, her storm grey eyes analysed the tree line, searching for a threat that I knew wasn't there.

While she was very pretty, one would never describe Faral as beautiful, she cared little for her appearance and the dirt that stained her fingernails and smeared her face attested to that fact.

“Faral, just sit and talk with me for a bit if you're not going to sleep. The both of us don't need to keep watch.” I said with a yawn.

She nodded immediately at my word ad returned to her seat on the opposite side of the fire, a grin spreading across her face.

“Ok, I'm not really tired anyway. I just didn't want to do another watch while you slept the night away like a baby... So, are you finally going to tell me why you left like you did?”

I rolled my eyes “I needed some time alone. Something that didn't really turn out as I wanted considering you are sitting in front of me.”

“True. You should be aware by now, your Majesty, that you can't really be alone any more. Too many people relying on you... Although, I would have paid to see Marwen's face when she woke up and read your note. She must be furious, probably got Abhor and Heilvol to send out everyone to look for you.” She laughed out loud at the thought of Marwenna running around like a headless chicken, screaming at the top of her lungs to find me and I joined her. Marwen was my second and my most trusted General, but at times she could be a little over protective of me.

“That's why I left the note. I haven't had a day off in... well... ever really. Not since I founded The Court. I thought this would be the next best thing.”

Faral nodded her head as she played with the hilt of her scimitar, her outstretched legs crossed as she gazed into the fire.

“I understand. Well, I think I understand. Ever since I became a Knight I've been treated like a celebrity by my crew, not like before. I used to just be Faral, the captain of The Sea Spider. Now I'm Faral, Knight of the Rebel Court and Admiral of the King's Navy. It's quite a jump.”

I smiled at her and pulled my cloak closer around me in a attempt to get warmer. I understood where she was coming from. When I asked someone to become a Knight it was always a double edged sword. They would be key players in my Armies. They were the best of the best, the leaders who would be looked up too and respected. But that also came at the price of losing the familiarity of your people. Overnight, my Knight's experienced something similar to what I experienced; a disconnect from the masses. They feared and loved you all at once.

“That's why it's important that we have each other. If we stay together then we stay sane. I don't want any of you to get too big of a head, start believing all the fantastical tales that I hear muttered around camp about us.” I smiled jokingly at my Knight and she returned it with a jovial grin and a chuckle.

“Yeah, you should have heard the one I heard the other day about Marwen. They were saying that she was the ruler of the wind and that it bended to her will, that she could call storms with a single breath. It's hilarious, honestly.”

Faral and I laughed at that before a moment of quiet silence overtook us and we sat there, comfortable with each others company.

“She loves you, you know?” I heard Faral whisper after a while. I sighed and looked up into the clear night sky, the stars twinkling as the moon cast it's rays down upon us.

“I know she does. I love her too. But there's too much to do. One day, perhaps, when this is all over, I'll tell her how I feel, but until then, my mind needs to focus on one thing. The Church and Gorvo Nali.” I said the words convincingly enough, or so I thought. But as I looked down and met Faral's eyes I found her staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Bullshit, Corus. You don't believe you deserve it. You believe that you deserve to suffer. We all know it, even Marwen knows it.”

She shifted to get into a more comfortable position before giving up and letting out a heavy sigh before folding her arms under her chest.

“The funny thing is I never asked you why you fight. I asked the others and none of them knew. Marwen said that you came back to Callai after being away for ten years, The Rebel Court fully formed in your mind. That's a large chunk of time that no one knows anything about.” She said questioningly, her eyes squinted now, as if she hoped to glare the answer out of me. But I just smiled.

“I won't tell anyone that story, Faral. I fight because I must fight. I fight because I can. If that's not enough of an answer for you then I'm sorry.”

She stared at me for a few more seconds before she let loose yet another sigh.

“I'm sorry I question your reasons. But it tears us all apart when our King doesn't seem to want anything after the Church is gone. What will you do when the enemy is dead, Corus? What will you do when the world is safe again? There will be no need for you to pick up a sword any more. You will have to start living your own life.”

“There will always be an enemy, Faral. I only ever wanted one thing in my life; peace. But I will not know that dream. I am a killer. My hands have not sown fields nor have they baked bread. I am a warrior, a commander and nothing else. There will always be someone for me to fight.” I shifted in my seat as my eyes took on a hard tone, while my smile remained. “To keep Vita safe, I will fight. To protect you and the others, I will fight. Do I enjoy it? No. Do I wish things could be different? Of course, I do. But I am happy with who I am.”

Faral and I sat in silence once again as she thought over my words, her eyes occasionally looking my way. I focused on the dying flames of the fire, which had almost gone out completely now, the hissing of the flames pulling my thoughts back from a time centuries before, swords clashing and people screaming filled my ears for a split second and then it was gone, locked back away inside of my mind. Never to be visited again. I would make right the mistakes of my past. I would save this world from the madness of the Church. Or I would die in the attempt.

“Corus... I-”

Faral's words were interrupted as a scream echoed out into the night, bouncing off the tree's of the surrounding wood and amplifying it to deafening proportions. It was a sound of terror and absolute fear, a sound that caused one to shiver with trepidation and shiver I did. I had never heard a man scream quite like that before. I was on my feet in an instant with Faral following close behind.

“What the fuck was that?!” Faral hissed in a hushed voice, her hand on her sword as she threw her eyes around the clearing we had made camp in.

I raised a single finger to stop her from speaking further and focused in on the sound, trying to trace it's origin. It seemed to have been coming from close by, no more than three miles further into the darkness of the Forest.

“It's close, seems to have come from the north. It could be our quarry, stay sharp, ready for combat.”

Faral nodded quietly “Yes, my King.”

With but a twitch of my finger the fire extinguished, no smoke escaping as it died. It would not do to have whatever is out there get curious of the fire and come searching. It was of course possible that they had already seen it, but it was better late than never.

I began to move forwards, slowly, my senses all amplified as I pulled in mana and felt Faral do the same. She was more comfortable on sea than on land but she moved like a cat as she followed me through the wood, her aura hidden like I had taught her. Thanks to our magically enhanced senses we moved with ease through the woods and avoided making any noise that would alert any potential attackers.

We weren't walking for long before the smell hit us. It was familiar scent, one we had experienced before and many times. Fresh blood assaulted our senses and we both stopped, reaching out and trying to discern what exactly had taken place. Then we saw it.

Bodies, about a dozen, spread out ahead of us. Some had been ripped apart, others merely lay still, one lay hanging on a high branch above our heads, but all were dead. Blood painted the tree's and the pale moonlight allowed us to see it clearly. Whatever had happened here was a massacre.

We were silent for a moment before I spoke.

“What do you think, Faral?” I didn't need to clarify, she knew the intent of my question. I had a theory, but it was better to bounce it off someone with a mind just as capable.

“One attacker, no magic from the looks of things, but they were extremely strong. That one over there has been dismembered. His death was a slow one, perhaps he was the one we heard scream. The others didn't have a chance to. There's a lot of blood but the bodies look a bit too pale to have only been recently dead. It's a Feral. Has to be. Two of them have had their throats ripped opened and it looks like they've been drained.” Faral finished, her analysis of the massacre firm and professional. She knew she was right and I concurred. It looked like Scarl Forest had a rogue vampire in it's midst.

“I agree. But something's off here. No Feral, even using magic, would be able to take down a dozen men without them letting out a sound.” I said faintly, more to myself than too my Knight.

There were tents nearby, not yet raised and the beginnings of a fire near the centre of the area. Another theory brewed in my mind.

“They let their attacker in, they lowered their guard. Strange.... But these are the deserters we were looking for, the sigils on their armour are distinctive. Four are missing. We should search the area, if we find the Feral, then we kill it. Avoid getting bitten, some are infected and it would be rather nasty if we had to cut off one of our limbs.” I said the last part with a small smile.

“Right, okay I'll avoid getting bitten by the Feral. Thank the Gods you said that because I was going to let it have a chew on my leg” Faral said sarcastically before drawing her scimitar silently.

I didn't carry a weapon on me, I had never really needed one before and most of the swords I had tried left a lot to be desired. I could rely on my magic anyway.

We walked a little further through the wood and discovered more signs of the Feral. Branches were broken and light blood splatter sprayed some of the trees. The four had been running and the creature had chased them.

“Little Mary run, run, run. Little Mary fall, fall, fall.”

I stopped when I heard the sound of singing and Faral stopped just behind me, I could feel her hot breath on my shoulder as I strained to hear the voice.

“Little Mary scream, scream, scream. Little Mary crawl, crawl, crawl.”

We moved closer, our footsteps silent. The voice sounded strange, like it was a child's but that would be foolish. Why would a child be out here in the middle of Scarl Forest? The place was notorious for vicious predators of all kinds.

It was then that we passed through a break in the tree line and into another clearing. What we saw was... horror.

The four deserters bodies were all over the place. They had been ripped apart, bits and pieces of them decorated the ground nearby and the soft green grass was covered in a layer of blood, still wet. A twitching and still intact arm lay nearby, it's hand fixed into a claw, the tips of two fingers missing, as if they had been bitten off. As far as I could see, it was the only piece of a body that was in relatively good shape. But that paled in comparison to the scene being played out in the clearings centre.

A little girl sat in a pool of crimson, she was drenched from head to toe. A gruesome smile fixed onto her face as she played with the liquid, her hands sweeping through it before lifting it to her lips and guzzling it, her eyes alive like fire, glowing in the darkness, beacons in the night. Short white hair hung down to her neck, looking like it had been roughly shorn. She wore a filthy dress that had lost it's original colour, now dyed the same colour as the rest of her.

“Little Mary die, die, die. Cinder takes the eyes, eyes, eyes.”

She giggled at the conclusion of her tune and filled two hands with blood before downing it, her little body shivering in delight at the taste. I watched all this take place with an even expression, even as I began to draw in mana. This was an abomination. This thing needed to die.

That was when she noticed us, her face turning to stare. It looked confused for a second before a terrible fear entered into those glowing red eyes. The little girl backed away, slipping on the blood as she pushed herself up against a large rock on the other side of the clearing. Her body was shaking, tears appearing as she began to cry and mutter “please, please, please” over and over again.

“She can see our auras. She's afraid of us.” Faral said quietly behind me.

I turned to look at Faral and saw that she was looking at the little girl with pity in her eyes, no fear or hatred present as she looked at her, the gruesome scene forgotten.

I turned back and looked at the girl, she remained where she had been, her back pressed against the rock as she tried to somehow merge with it. The smell of urine filled the air as her fear affected her bladder, her hands were pushed into her eyes.

“What could cause such a strong reaction? She can see aura's, but it fills her with fear. Something terrible was done to her. Perhaps it's why she is the way she is now.” Faral continued as I remained silent, my eyes not leaving the little girl. “We should put her out of her misery. She's beyond help now, she's a true Feral.”

A long moment passed before I shook my head.

“No”

I could feel my Knight's surprised gaze on my back “Why?”

I couldn't explain why, but the thought I had to kill the girl was gone. She was hurting, she was in pain. She was alone and was doing what was necessary to survive. That necessity had become the reason to survive. She was like me when Marwenna found me, scared and without hope. For some inexplicable reason, the need to protect her rose to the forefront of my mind.

“I can save her.” I said, my voice cracking slightly. Memories that had been hidden before rose up again but I pushed them back down. Now was not the time for the past.

Faral shook her head “You can't, Corus. Whatever she is, she's not a child any more.”

I turned and gave my Knight a gentle smile “That's where you're wrong, Faral. I'm the Rebel King. I can save everyone.”

Without waiting for my Knight to reply I walked across the clearing and towards the girl, Faral hesitated behind me before following.

The girl shivered even harder, her voice gone as she stopped speaking but continuing to let loose the occasional sob. I could feel the fear radiate off of her in waves.

I took a knee just a meter away from her and I stopped drawing in mana, letting my defences fall and hiding my aura. I felt Faral tense as I did this and her grip on her sword tightened.

“Hello, little one. What's your name?”

The girl gave out a shout and held out a hand as if to ward off any blows that I was about to deliver, the crying reaching new heights as she waved it in front of her.

I reached forward and grasped her hand with both of mine, holding it gently. At first she tried to pull away and I was surprised by her physical strength, but she eventually stopped. For a few minutes we just sat there, she and I, as I stroked her hand until she stopped crying.

“My name is Corus, and this is Faral. We might look scary but I promise we're nice. What's your name?”

A few more minutes passed in silence and the girl said nothing. The only sign of progress being that she opened one of her eyes to look at us for a few seconds before closing it again. I tried my best to let her see that I was smiling during this time, but that only seemed to make her more afraid. What had been done to her to make her so afraid of Mages?

“We're going back to our camp soon. It's a big one, filled with people. Would you like to come with us? It'll be warm there, we have loads of fires that burns through the day and we can get you some blood to drink if you get thirsty.” I said, trying to talk with her again. At the mention of the word blood both eyes opened hungrily before she seemed to shut down again, closing both.

“Corus, I don't think this is working. Let's just go, we can't take her back to camp.” Faral said impatiently, she had long since sheathed her sword but she hadn't dropped her guard around the young girl.

A few moments passed and indecision ran through me before I nodded and pushed myself to my feet.

“If you want to come with us, now is the time. Otherwise we'll leave.” When the response was silence, I nodded and began to walk slowly away, hoping that I was right.

“Cinder.” The word was so quiet I wondered if I had actually heard it or imagined it.

Faral turned with me, surprise on her face and triumph on mine.

“What was that, little one?” I asked, returning to my spot to kneel in front of the girl.

She looked up at me with glowing eyes that darted everywhere except at my face, her fingers playing with the blood on her hands.

“Cinder... name...” She said again, this time slightly louder.

I gave her a wide smile and for the first time, she didn't turn away. She looked at my face hesitantly, partly filled with fear, partly filled with hope.

“Well, Cinder. Looks like you're a part of the family now. Would you like to come home with us?”

She looked at me for a moment before she nodded, her head bobbing two or three times, as if she had forgotten the gesture.

I held out a hand to little Cin. She reached out with shaking fingers and took hold of it. Together we walked backwards towards Faral, who smiled at the little girl before giving me a look of bafflement.

“Let's go home, Faral. I think we're done here.” I said with a smile, gently squeezing the little girls hand reassuringly.

“Well, shit me sideways! I never thought I would see something like-”

“Bad word” Cinder said quietly, pointing up at Faral.

We both kind of blinked at her for a couple of seconds before Faral started laughing, with me joining her.

“You're right, little Cinder, I'm sorry.” Faral said as she wiped tears from her eyes “I can already tell you and I are going to be friends. Would you like that?”

Cinder looked up at me with an unsure expression on her face, I smiled and nodded. Cin turned to my Knight and nodded.

Faral chuckled “Well, alright then, since our little deserter problem is already taken care of” Faral looked pointedly at Cinder who turned red “I think it's time we got Corus back to Marwen before she shi- I mean, goes crazy. What do you say Cin, will you help me get him home?”

The little girl firmly nodded and squeezed my hand a little bit, almost as if she was reassuring me.

“Alright, let's hit the road!”