Chapter 1: Fool

            As the Karmila clock tower bells chimed nine, a tall man moved through the gradually growing market crowd, his legs carrying him in long strides. Around him, the conversations of market goers filed the air, mish-mashing into each other and creating a blur of sound that seemed to clarify every now and again.

            “I’m telling you.. carrots… small…”

            “Children… story…”

            “I heard… Elin… Odir…”

            Alden didn’t walk slowly enough to catch much of it. He had to meet his fiancée at nine-thirty and he made it a policy to always be early.

            “Alden!” The call of his name stopped him and Alden glanced around for the source of the voice, his eyes landing on Linda, A farmer’s wife. She was minding the family market stall, waving at him with a bottle of milk and a large grin on her face. Not one to pass on free food, Alden crossed over to where she was.

            “You should have told me you were back in town Alden.” Linda scolded as she handed Alden his drink. “I would have invited you for dinner with the family.” Alden chugged the bottle down finishing with a loud burp and a sheepish grin at Linda’s disgust.

            “I just got back yesterday. Sorry if I didn’t decide to announce my arrival from the top of the clock tower,” Alden replied.

            “I’d pay to see that,” Linda said, pointing out the milk-moustached on the top of Alden’s lips.

            “Don’t hold your breath,” Alden chuckled, licking his lip clean. Linda rolled her eyes at her friend’s childishness. “I have to go,” he continued as he handed the empty bottle back to Linda, who nodded knowingly.

            “Don’t forget to stop by sometimes!” Linda called after Alden as went on his way. Alden called back an affirmative and kept going. The delay with Linda was unplanned but he wasn’t late just yet.

            The town clock was just chiming the first quarter of the hour when Alden arrived at his destination. The town square was as lively as the rest of the town with all the market stalls set up around the iconic Fountain of Wishes. Well, that was really just a title. Everyone just called it the town square or the town fountain. Whatever they called it, every child in Karmila knew the story behind it.

            The fountain was a statue of a man and a woman dancing gracefully together. They were Kar and Mila, the two founders of this town. It is said that they stumbled upon a spring in the middle of the Gralin Range and there, Kar proposed to Mila. They had been wandering lost for weeks and so overwhelmed with hope were they at the discovery of the spring that Kar suggested to start life anew right then and there. That was how the town of Karmila was born, right on the edge of the country of Lark in the southern regions of the Gralin Range. Today, it was on the only trade route between the two neighbouring kingdoms of Lark and Rimval on the island of Lockye. Alden had questions about the logic behind the decision to just start a new life in the middle of nowhere but he liked the story behind it anyway. Nowadays, lovers who visited the fountain came to wish for a lasting relationship with their spouses, throwing in a coin as an offering for their wish. Linda herself came to wish her and her husband a happy relationship the night before her wedding. Of course, the story and fountain was about hope and some people wished for the health of their relatives or success in their business, but the stature in the middle seemed to encourage more romantic desires than any other.

            Looking around, Alden made sure no one was watching him. The clock tower showed that he had some time left before the person he was meeting arrived. The fountain was covered with coins that had been dropped in there, gathering moss and grime. Someone had to be desperately parched to drink from the fountain now. Reaching into his pockets, Alden searched among the coins he had for the one that was worth the most, before clutching it in his fist and closing his eyes.

            ‘I wish Liran and I will have a lasting relationship where we can support and respect each other as individuals.’ Alden opened his eyes and threw the coin into the fountain just as somebody smacked him on the shoulder.

            “Making a wish, Alden? I didn’t know you believed in that sort of thing,” Liran greeted him with that playful look in her eyes she reserved just for him. Embarrassed, Alden looked at the clock tower that loomed over the entire city, showing the time to all of Karmila’s residents. Thirty-five past the hour. By Liran’s standards, she was early. Alden point that out, diverting the subject of the conversation.

            “I’m not always late, Alden. I was definitely at least five minutes early when we met here last week. Before you left, remember?” Alden distinctly remembered Liran being definitely at least five and ten minutes late, but he didn’t want to start an argument and he shrugged ambiguously, neither claiming victory nor conceding defeat. He walked off from the town square, down a busy side street trawling with people as the market carried on around them, unheeding of the couple and their exchange.

            “Where are we going?” Liran asked, not recognizing the path that they were taking. She moved here two years ago and wasn’t all that familiar with all the streets of such a large town as Karmila. Liran mostly dealt with herbs and spices close to the western edge of town. It wasn’t easy to set up a shop there, especially with Liran’s status as an outside, but having Alden, who’d live there all his life, support her, the town mayor finally allowed her to open up ship, provided Alden was named partner, receiving half its profit.

            Alden of course, was livid when the announcement was made, and tried to persuade the mayor otherwise. He’d never spoken so angrily to someone in his life, but he was so struck with the unfairness of it all. When he was finished, the mayor raised his hand and Alden flinched, expecting him to strike. Instead, the mayor patted Alden on the shoulder and explained, “You don’t understand me now Alden, because you are young and in love. But one day, you’ll realize how I care for each and every one of the people who live in Karmila as one of my own and I’m only looking for what’s best for them. Even if it means discriminating against outsiders.” The mayor left the conversation at that, and Alden was left confused and furious.

            “We’re going to get married anyway so I don’t mind sharing the profit. What’s mine is yours, Alden,” Liran had tried to calm him down later on, but Alden was having none of it.

            “You worked hard night and day for that money. As partner with ownership of half the profit, I bequeath said profit unto you,” Alden declared, his face set indignantly. Liran laughed at this, how Alden had to make a grand gesture out of it, but Alden could see the affection in her eyes as she did.

            Alden himself made enough of a living by hunting. The hills surrounding Karmila was covered in dense forest, teeming with game. From bow hunting to trapping, Alden had an array of skills to make his livelihood, often spending days in the forest going after game. Every time he left, he challenged himself to go just a little bit further away from Karmila. Just last week, he’d gone so far easy that he reached the edge of the Gralin Range. Beyond him spread the Lio Plains. In a way, Alden felt both pride and a pinch of remorse at having got so far. Pride, because he had the ability to get there, as no other hunter hunted this far away from Karmila. Remorse, because he’d gone as far as he ever would go. There was no need for a hunter to traverse the plains and he always had to head back to Karmila anyway.

            Now, as Alden led the way, Liran’s hand enclosed in his, Alden’s mind was far away from the Lio Plains. “We have a wedding in a week and we don’t have flowers. Why is this not bothering you?” Alden asked Liran in return.

            “Flowers are expensive! And they wilt! And sixty years from now, when we’re old and senile, I highly doubt we’re going to remember whether or not we had geraniums or bluebottles in the bouquet.” Liran had given this speech before when they were discussing wedding plans. Now she tugged at Alden’s hand, trying to lead him away. “We can spend money on more practical things. Like pillows. Or a new pot for when we move in together. Or scales. You have no idea how useful a good pair of scales "” Alden had placed his finger on her lips, stilling them.

            “No matter how many years have passed, how old we get, how senile even, I would have carved every detail of our wedding into the deepest parts of my soul, so I will never forget. What flowers you held, the dress you wore, the number of steps you take down the aisle. I will remember all these things because that is the day you and I come together as man and wife. When you become mine and I yours.”

            Liran listened to all this as her cheeks reddened to her ears. “That was a very romantic speech Alden,” she finally said. “There’s just one problem,” she continued. “You could have chosen a better spot than in the middle of the street.” Around them, market-goers jostled and shoved their way down the road. A man rushed past the couple, bumping into Liran and causing her to fall forward. Alden caught her before she could hit the ground and steadied her. “Come on,” Liran took Alden’s hand when she regained her balance. “Let’s go get those flowers you’ve been harping on about.” Alden caught the smallest of smiles at the corners of her mouth.

            “Liran, do you know where we’re going?”

            “No”

            When they arrived at the florist’s, they were bombarded by a parade of porters carting flowerpots filled with shrubs into the shop. There was a large wagon of lowers outside of the shop and one by one the porters went in with the pots of flowers and came out empty handed, only to pick up another pot to transport back into the store.

            Confusion on their faces, Alden and Liran made their way into the shop. The porters announced their arrival towards the back of the store. “Go away! We’re completely booked up this week! Get your flowers elsewhere!” An irritated voice called out from the back of the shop.

            “Florien, is everything alright?” Alden called out, trying to weave his way past the porters.

            “Maybe we should go somewhere else,” Liran suggested. “She just said she was going to be busy this week.”

            “Maybe,” Alden turned to go.

            “Alden! Is that you? You brought Liran with you too! Perfect timing, I was just about to send a runner for you.” The irritated voice from before changed its tone to a more amiable one. From beyond the bushes and flowers that were gradually filling the shop appeared a head, as if dislocated from the rest of its body. Rough and unkempt, with dark circles under her eyes, Florien stepped forward to greet Alden with a strong grip of a handshake and an even stronger smack on the shoulder. When they were children, Florien was always stronger than all the other boys, climbing the tallest trees and venturing the furthest into the woods. No one would have guessed that of all things, she’d take up the family florist business. Some of their old friends still joked about how she would have made a better blacksmith, but there was no denying that Florien was still talented in her arrangements. At least, even Alden could see that they were good.

            “Send a runner? You needed us for something?” Liran asked, narrowly dodging a porter who was struggling with his load.

            “Careful with those!” Florien’s voice boomed. “Drop a pot and I’ll bury your toes in one of them!” Turning back to address Alden and Liran, Florien grinned sheepishly. “A little birdy told me that somebody’s wedding wasn’t going to have flowers in it. Now what sort of childhood friend would I be if I didn’t decide to help out by supplying a few flowers?”

            Alden and Liran’s eyes widened at her words. “Are you sure?” You just said that you’re busy. We wouldn’t want to put you out,” Alden gestured at the wave of flowers being carted into Florien’s shop.

            “Oh these? Don’t worry about it. They’re all yours.” There wasn’t a hint of a joke in Florien’s voice.

            “This isn’t a few! At least let me pay "” Florien waved away Alden’s offer.

            “Think of this as a wedding present to an old friend. No wedding is happy without flowers and weddings should be happy occasions. Especially because it’s this idiot’s wedding,” she motioned at Alden with a nod of her head, laughing at his cry of protest. “Let’s face it Alden, you got really lucky with Liran. She could have any man in Karmila and she chose you. Tell me you haven’t forgotten all her admirers when she first moved here.” Florien led the couple to the back of the shop where she began measuring out lengths of twine and barking orders at the porter boys.

            “Oh please don’t remind me. I thought they wouldn’t leave me alone,” Liran groaned. “Day in and day out they were bringing flowers and sweets, I didn’t want to hurt their feelings but acting like I was interested when I wasn’t would just be too cruel to them”

            “Do you want us to pity you for your charm or wonder at how noble you are?” Florien joked as she worked, putting together an arrangement deftly with her hands.

            “Actually, you’re right,” Alden said before Liran had any chance to reply. “I am lucky.” He turned to face Liran. “Extremely lucky that of all the men who she could have chosen, my one true love chose me. I don’t know why, but she did, and I am so thankful to Sonica for that.” As he said this, he grasped Liran’s hands in his own, willing her to recognize his sincerity.

            “I’ll tell you why,” Liran said, her blush appearing again. “I chose you because of all those admirers, you were real. You see the world for what it is, full of unfortunate and dark things. And yet you remain true to yourself, you never dissemble, you show the world exactly who you are, not trying to impress but wholeheartedly being a good person. That’s why I love you.” Liran looked deep into Alden’s eyes as she said this. Alden could feel his own cheeks burn up from her words.

            “If you’re going to practice your wedding vows, do it elsewhere. I’m already regretting inviting the two of you back here. Now scoot, before I show you what I ate for breakfast!” Florien’s voice brought the couple back to reality and they separated, shyly letting go of each other’s hands. Laughing their embarrassment off, they said their goodbyes and left Florien to her work, her loud voice shouting out when they heard a crash behind them, “Who dropped that?”

            The couple was still laughing that evening when Alden walked Liran home. They’d spent the day seeing to other details regarding the wedding; Liran’s dress, the venue, the catering, making sure that all the preparations was ready. Dusk was falling and Liran had to go home. “We could have dinner together,” Alden suggested. “I have some leftover chicken from this morning, we could head to the lake, watch the stars…” Alden trailed off, letting Liran consider his suggestion. The lake was a small ways off into the forest outside of Karmila. Alden stumbled upon it years ago and he brought Liran there for their first date. The trees around the lake grew low, offering a breath-taking view of the stars above them. And when the moon hit the lake just right, the lake was their favourite spot. Tonight though, Liran pulled herself away from Alden.

            “I’d love to, you know I would. It’s just, I already took the day off today and I have so many orders to fill out for tomorrow morning. And with the honeymoon coming up, there’s going to be a backlog and "”

            “Liran, relax, it’s alright. We’ll have all the time in the world to have dinner together when we are married,” Alden leaned down to give Liran a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll come by to help out in the shop tomorrow morning?”

            “Yes. You should go home and rest. You just got back yesterday after all.” Liran opened the door to her house and stepped inside. “Good night, Alden.” Alden smiled after his workaholic fiancée even after the door closed and he made his way down the road. The door opened and slammed behind him, making him turn and he felt a pair of lips brush the corners of his mouth.

“I love you. I can’t wait to marry you. I love you.” A whiff of cinnamon filled the air as Liran’s hair brushed his face when she turned away and closed the door behind her again. His knees buckling, heart in his ears, Alden made his way down the street.

The moon was on the rise and Alden decided to walk through the town. The shop owners had lit the lanterns underneath their signs, lighting the way. Karmila was built into a slope and as Alden walked, he could barely see, over the tops of the houses and shops in front of him, the hills and forests he loved to explore so much. Admittedly, they were beautiful in the daytime when they were rolling emerald filled with birds singing, animals rushing in the undergrowth. And when autumn came and the trees shed their leaves, the forest gained a haunting quality and silence that Alden felt reluctant to break with his footfalls. But it was at night when Alden loved the forest best. When the frogs croaked and crickets chirped, and in the distance, an owl hooted quietly. If he was lucky enough, he’d find a stream to camp close to and the sound of running water would lull him to sleep. It was at night when Alden felt the forest was most alive.

Alden was so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t realize when somebody called out to him. It wasn’t until he was tapped on the shoulder with a heavy hand that Alden stopped to turn.

“Alden! For a second there I thought you’d gone deaf!” the deep baritone of a voice belonged to Joseph, a blacksmith.

“Sorry Joseph. I sort of, went into my own world. Did you need something?” Alden asked, grasping the man’s proffered hand. It was strong, callused and warm, three words that described Joseph completely.

“No, nothing of the sort. I just saw you wandering by with that vacant look and a ridiculously happy smile on your face and I wondered if you were going delusional from starvation. Those weeks in the jungle aren’t easy I hear.”

Alden blushed as he thought of Liran’s final actions earlier that evening, probably the main cause for his smile. He felt he should keep the focus of the conversation on food. “Yes, they’re not easy. Poor me has to go out there and starve for days.”

“Well if that’s how it is then come on in! Harriet’s made good use of this leg of beef I got today.” As he spoke, Joseph steered Alden towards his smithy. Joseph’s home was situated on top of it and Alden recalled the days when he worked as Joseph’s apprentice, spending the nights having a rowdy dinner with Joseph’s sons. They weren’t a bad group, but Alden didn’t want to put them out, not after all that Joseph’s family had done for him.

“Sorry Joseph, I didn’t mean it like that. Really, you don’t have to go through the trouble.” Alden said. “I don’t want to intrude and you still have to feed the Jeffrey and the others "” Alden gave a yelp of surprise when Joseph hoisted him over his shoulder, carried him into the forge, up into the house and sat him down at the table. Alden had to blink a few times from the shock of what just happened.

Around him, a beehive of activity carried on almost unheeding of his presence. Harriet, Joseph’s wife, called greetings from the kitchen while giving order to all her five sons. “Wash your hands Jeffrey, I’m not having soot in my food! Jen, Jon, take the plates out would you? Alden, I’m so sorry it’s so hectic " oh but do tell me how Liran has been! Jillian, help me take the beef out of the oven, quickly, before it burns! Oh, Sonica bless me, Jacob did you put the beef in the kiln again?”

In the end it was a good half hour before all of them could settle down for dinner. Joseph reached his hand across the table to Alden, taking Alden’s as Jeffrey on Alden’s left took Alden’s other hand. Everyone at the table did the same and bowed their heads. “Goddess Sonica, we thank you for the meal we are about to have, that we may enjoy it in the safety and comfort of our home and with our family.” Silently, Alden gave a prayer of thanks by himself to Sonica for the family around him. Joseph and his family practically raised Alden since his parents died of a plague about a decade ago. The disease took over the whole island of Lockye, killing thousands of people. In the lowest moments of despair, salvation arrived in the form of the Witches.

A tribe of women who occupied the northern region of the Gralin Range, partaking in neither Lark nor Rimval matters. They came and offered medicine to the people. Of course at first, the people were apprehensive, unsure if they should trust the Witches. But desperation leaves little time for consideration and the people grasped at the straws life presented. And the straws held. The medication worked and people got better. But medication only went so far. In the end, Alden’s parents were too far into the disease for the medication to save them. The people grieved for their dead, blaming the Witches for not coming sooner. Wordlessly, the Witches left, back to where they came from.

When his parents died, Joseph and Harriet took Alden in. They were friends of the family and they raised Alden like one of their own sons. Jeffrey, Jillian, the twins Jan and Jen, and Jacob all treated him like a brother and Alden was thankful each and every day that he was in their care.

As they had their dinner, the boys being rowdy as always, Harriet trying to subdue them, Joseph leaned over almost conspiratorially to talk to Alden.

“So how’s the groom to be? Nervous? Excited?”

“More the latter. Both of us can’t wait. You’re all coming right?”

“Well if I can get all six of these boys cleaned up, we’ll be there on time.” Harriet joined in just as Joseph claimed they wouldn’t miss it for the world. Alden laughed as Joseph registered what Harriet said with denial.

“Oh, Jeffrey, I’ve been seeing you with Mina for a while now. Is something going on I should know about?” Alden asked mischievously. Jeffrey choked on his beef at this, sending a glare at Alden when his younger brother started asking for details. Joseph gave a booming laugh at this, complemented by Harriet’s deep chuckle. Alden always appreciated how well their laughs went together and wondered if his and Liran’s did the same.

When dinner was over and the dishes put away, Joseph saw Alden to the front door, sending him off. The moon had risen and was casting a glow on everything outside.

“Thank you for the meal Joseph. It was great seeing everyone again,” Alden said with a smile. He always felt a twinge of guilt whenever he thought about how he didn’t spend as much time with Joseph and his family since he moved out, back to his parents’ house, his childhood home.

“No matter, no matter,” Joseph brushed it off. “You know we’ll always welcome you anytime. If you ever have a lover’s spat with your wife, come on over. You can sleep in your old room.” Joseph gave his boom of a laugh at his own joke. Alden wasn’t sure if he should laugh along and so smiled politely, albeit awkwardly.

“Well, I best be going now. Thank you again, Joseph. Good night.” With a wave, Alden turned and made his way down the street.

“I meant it,” Joseph’s loud voice made Alden turn back. “You’re always welcome here. We may not have the same blood but we’ve all come to see you as family. And family is forever. I’m proud, of you, Alden. Your parents too. I’m sure they’ll be very proud.” Alden felt his throat constrict and his eyes water up at Joseph’s words. Before he could give a reply, he heard the door close.

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Alden walked down the street, deciding to talk to Joseph tomorrow. Recalling his foster father’s words, Alden focused his gaze on the moon above him and willed himself not to cry. This was the best day of his life.

A few hours later, as Alden lay sleeping in his bed, the stifling heat of the night caused him to toss and turn until he got up, sweat running down his body, his pants sticking to his legs. Fanning himself with his hands, Alden got out of bed and groggily made his way to the window to open it. What he saw woke him up completely.

            The entire street in front of his house was burning down. People ran down the street, screaming, some of them having caught fire themselves. A crash to his left shocked him. The door to his room was ablaze, the frame collapsed and the hallway beyond a raging inferno.

            Alden opened the window and clambered out, landing hard on the other side. More and more people were running down the street and when Alden looked, he saw men armoured in the gold and blue of the Rimval army cutting his neighbours down. A few feet from him, Alden recognized Tam, a man who lived next door, lying in the dirt, his body badly burned. His heart beating wildly in his chest as he realized the situation he was in, Alden pulled himself up onto his feet and started running. Karmila was under attack. Liran was in danger.

            All around him, houses were burning and people were fleeing for their lives. Alden ran as fast as his legs would carry him, making a sharp turn whenever soldiers were in sight. He was sure they saw him but to them, he was no one special, just another target who would be cut down sooner or later.

            Alden turned a corner and immediately crouched behind a wagon of barrels. There was a group of soldiers raiding a shop in front of him, one of the few buildings that wasn’t on fire. They dragged the owner and his family out into the street, yanking at the women’s hair and screaming at the children to be quiet. Alden could feel tears running down his cheeks as he watched the owner and his family be slaughtered where they knelt. He couldn’t do anything.

            As soon as the soldiers left the area, Alden stepped out of his hiding place, stepping around the bodies of the fallen family. With a gasp, Alden recognized the daughter to be Mina, the girl who was with Jeffrey. She was clutching a baby, probably her younger sibling. His hands shaking, Alden picked the baby up to check on it. It wasn’t crying, or breathing. His own heart in his ears and the deafening roar of the fires around him, Alden listened to the baby’s chest. Silence. Alden didn’t know what killed it, but Mina probably didn’t even know her sibling was dead when she died; she clutched it so tightly even in death. Alden returned the baby to its sister, his eyes watering up again, so much so that he didn’t notice the body on the ground in front of him.

            He tripped and Alden started screaming when he realized that the body was Jeffrey, his arm outstretched to Mina’s home. No. No. No. This cannot be. Alden backed away and started running again, unwilling to face the truth. Jeffrey was badly burned. No. Not Joseph. Not his family. Please, please let them be safe.

            Alden ran down the street he was walking earlier that evening, praying to Sonica that he was wrong. He wasn’t. The whole street had been set ablaze, no shop house was left unburned. Around him, the roaring of the fires was so loud he could barely hear himself think. Alden stopped when he reached his destination.

            Joseph’s forge seemed to have exploded, bringing the rest of the house down with it. Fire was escaping through the windows, licking up at the sky. In front of it though, were the bodies of Jan, and Jen, Harriett, and Joseph. Alden was no longer sure if the screaming he heard was the screaming of the other townspeople or of his own. A hand clutching his ankle made him yelp.

            “Alden, thank Sonica you’re alright,” Joseph was looking up from the ground, a smile on his face. It was burned badly, just like Jeffrey’s. Alden didn’t want to look at the large gash across Joseph’s back, causing a pool of blood to form around the man. “The others…” Joseph’s eyes began to water. “Jeffrey, he got out as well. He” Joseph wheezed,” He went to get Mina.” Joseph’s grip on Alden got tighter. Alden had never felt Joseph this weak. “You have to get out of here, Alden,” Alden’s vision was blurring up.

            “No, no, Joseph. Come on. Get up. Let’s get out of here together. Harriett. Come on. Stand up, please.”

            Joseph’s chuckle turned into a hacking fit. “I’m so proud of you, Alden,” Joseph took Alden’s hand. “Remember… family… forever… always welcome.” Joseph’s sentence trailed off. Alden reached over to shake Joseph’s shoulder.

            “Joseph. Get up. Joseph! Come on! Please! Get up!” Alden let out a wail of anguish but so many things had happened he didn’t know the main reason for his screams. Karmila burning down. His neighbours and fellow residents slaughtered like animals. Joseph and his family, dead. He hasn’t even found Liran yet.

            Alden struggled back up onto his feet and took off. Please. Not Liran as well. Please.

            Liran’s home was right across the town. After checking for soldiers, Alden passed the town square, running around and tripping over the bodies that lay on the street. The fountain was destroyed, the couple torn apart, parts of their bodies melted away from the fire burning at the base of the statue.

            Alden was about to move on when he spotted a figure by the fountain, by the mayor’s residence. Liran. There was a creaking and a deafening crack and what happened next seemed to happen so slowly for Alden.

            One of the pillars holding the front of the mayor’s house was burning and its base had snapped, threatening to land on Liran.

            “Liran! Watch out!” Alden called as he started running towards his fiancée. Liran turned, a look of surprise on her face and Alden pushed her away just as the pillar landed on top of him. The world went black.

            Alden groaned as he struggled to open his eyes. His head felt like it was split into two. The sky above him was a dark red, as if dyed by the fires of all the burning buildings reaching for the heavens. What wasn’t red was a deep grey, the smoke that filled the air.

            Alden tried to move but found that he couldn’t, his body seem as if paralyzed. Panicking, he tried to move his head to no avail. “You’re awake,” Liran’s voice alerted Alden to her presence and he cast his eyes around to look for her. “I was so worried that you wouldn’t.”

            Liran, you have to get away, Alden willed himself to speak but couldn’t get out anything more than incoherent sounds. His mouth wouldn’t move. He still couldn’t see her. Out of the corner of his eyes, Alden could see that the fallen pillar had landed on his arm, pinning it to the ground.

            “Don’t try to talk,” Liran’s face came into view and Alden felt a wave of relief wash over him. She straddled his torso and the relief turned to dread. Something about Liran wasn’t right. Her voice wasn’t panicked, her movements were languid, she had an almost lazy smile on her face. “Old Man’s Oak induces full paralysis on the entire body. One whiff and you won’t be moving for a while. Which is fine by me.” Liran waved a knife in front of Alden’s eyes. “I like it when they watch.” Alden tried to move but as Liran said, he was completely paralyzed.

            “I supposed I should thank you. It was because you were so infatuated with me that the people here trusted me, even though I was an outsider. After that it was pretty much smooth sailing from there on. I was able to locate all Rimvalen here in Karmila and obtain their cooperation. I could collect information from all across Lark and send it straight to Rimval efficiently. Karmila is on the only road between Lark and Rimval and taking it would allow safe passage for all the Rimvalen soldiers that will come and invade Lark.

            Alden’s gut sank when he understood what Liran’s words meant. He though back to all those weeks he spent hunting, those nights Liran excused herself early, how she was always so busy. She could have done any number of things and Alden blindly believed everything she said. Liran continued, “And with the wedding this week, well, I’m glad the order to act came when it did. I’m sort of saving myself up for someone special,” Liran giggled like a young girl sharing a naughty secret. Alden was disturbed by the depravity of the situation he was in.

            “I wanted to raze the town to the ground. Leave no survivors. I don’t trust captives. They always try to escape. They’d kill you in your sleep.” Liran was talking again. Alden willed his limbs to move. Liran might do any number of things to him and he was beginning to realize they were best left unthought-of of. “And you came along and I remembered how much of a help you’ve been. You even tried to save me. What a silly man. You probably would have lived if you hadn’t stayed behind. But I guess you were looking for me.” Naively, Alden allowed a glimmer of hope to well up inside him, that perhaps Liran may have changed her mind and spare his life. “So much for true love. Every line I ever spewed, telling you I loved you, how you were the one for me, I can’t believe you actually fell for such trash. Who says such clichéd things? Sure, it was a great laugh watching you wag your tail just for a few kisses and hugs. It’s watching idiots like you run devotedly after such simple things that amuses me the most. “Tears welled up in Alden’s eyes as he listened to Liran’s words.

            A soldier showed up in Alden’s vision, saluting Liran. “Milady, the troops are ready to move out.” Milady?

            “What of the residents? Survivors?”

            “None, Milady.”

            “Good. I’ll join you momentarily.” Alden felt his stomach sink. No one else was alive? The soldier walked off as Liran pulled out a vial from her skirt. She waved the vial around Alden’s nose and Alden tried to hold his breath, unsure of what was in it. “You’re going to want to breathe in a bit of this Alden. Otherwise this next bit is going to hurt. A lot.” Alden kept holding his breath until he couldn’t bear it anymore and reluctantly took a whiff of the contents of the vial. The smell was sweet and moist. Liran took it away just as he did. “Heaven’s Tear takes away the sensation of pain. It takes a while to set in but I’m on a schedule so we have to move on to the next part. See, I feel I should thank the man who made my mission here so easy. And your arm is trapped under that pillar because you pushed me out of its way. So I think, I should do what every good person would do in this situation and set you free.” Liran plunged her knife into Alden’s upper arm.

            The pain shot through Alden like lightning through the sky. Alden wanted to scream. He could feel Liran pull the knife out and thrust it back down, pull it up, that gross feeling of a blade against his flesh, and down, the tip of the knife and the sharp sipping sensation that followed. Blood splattered and Liran had a ghost of a smile at the corners of her mouth. The knife hit bone. Liran switched from stabbing to sawing. Alden’s vision went white.

            When Alden came to, the last of the soldiers was stepping over his body. The drug Liran gave him, Heaven’s Tear, was setting in as the pain in his arm was fading. Achingly, Alden willed some part of his body to move. His fingers twitched. Encouraged, Alden kept willing himself up, knowing that with an open wound, he wouldn’t last long. After a few more minutes, Alden finally pulled himself into a sitting position. Reaching, Alden yanked at a piece of wood that was burning near him. Taking a deep breath, he held the flame to his wound; the Heaven’s Tear helping him get through this ordeal. When the wound stopped dripping, Alden yanked at the leg of his pants, ripping at it all the way to his knee. He bent down to pull at the strip with his teeth, tasting dirt and blood and urine. He must have lost control of his bladder when Liran was hacking away at his arm. Without giving himself time to think about it, Alden tied the strip of cloth around the stump that was left of his right arm. It didn’t hurt now, because of the Heaven’s Tear, but Alden didn’t know how much time he had left until it did.

            Bracing himself on the pillar that imprisoned his arm, Alden got onto his feet and started walking. All around him lay the fallen bodies of his friends, the other residents of Karmila. The buildings were still burning, Alden wouldn’t find anything useful here. Alden trudged his way through the streets and out of the town, making his way into the forest. Liran shouldn’t be able to move a troop of soldiers so easily through the forests of the Gralin Range. The closest village was a day away. If Liran was telling the truth and Rimval was really planning to invade Lark, the soldiers wouldn’t head there, heading for the larger towns instead, through the roads instead of the forest. Alden knew the range like the back of his hand; he’d be able to outmanoeuvre anyone in it. Alden picked up his pace as he went deeper into the forest. Hopefully, he would reach the next village before the pain kicked in and he died from the shock. And if he were really lucky, he’d see that woman again and laugh while he slit her beautiful white throat.

Reviews

[JMKane117]

I like this story. It's a different type of fantasy than the usual. I the history of Karmila and how you wove the world into the narrative. Most writers mess that up, but you did a great job of that. With maybe just a little more description of the minor characters you could paint a much more vivid picture.

As for some of the things you might want to work on (and this is totally just how I feel coming from my own style of writing) your perspective changes somewhere in the early middle. You start of looking from the outside onto Alden. It seemed almost omnipresent and then it switched to third-person limited.

Also, when you described the mayor's house burning: "the mayor’s house was burning and its base had snapped, threatening to land on Liran." This made it seem like he knew what was about to happen. This turned the whole scene into a telling scene rather than a showing scene. With some minor adjustments to your sentence structure, you could easily change it from telling to showing.

But this was a good read really! I enjoyed the lighter tone at the beginning and with some polish I'd love to reread it and maybe even the next chapter. Ps. I'm also writing a book, and I'm new here. Maybe you could take a look and let me know your thoughts. ;)