The rain poured relentlessly from the grey skies, it weighed heavily on their backs. Their vision was blurred by the intense downpour. The winds whipped through the woodlands, bending the trees to its will and cutting through their clothes. Their horses galloped full speed, but they couldn’t outrun the storm. Lightning and thunder roared behind them as if the gods were in pursuit.

  Tek’mer More’ti, rode in front. He appeared young and lean, though his muscles never caught up to his height. Among the four of them, he was the only elf. His stark blue doublet grew a shade darker under the rain, his drenched puffy white sleeves glued to his sinewy arms.

  Following closely behind Tek’mer was Jalems Woresole. An older man past forty, but still in good shape. Jalems bore their loot, an ancient amphora stashed in the leather knapsack he kept at his side.

  While Tek’mer rode, he kept looking back at Jalems. It was a futile endeavor, he had too many other things preoccupying him. Apart from the reins of his horse, the night was dark as ink, and the rain obscured his sight. Nevertheless, suspicion lingered in Tek’mer’s mind like a putrid stench. He regretted not holding onto the relic himself, he never fully trusted humans.

  The girl landed face first into the ground, she was alone in a cave. A portal dissipated behind her, though she didn’t notice its presence.The taste of mud and blood pungent on her tongue. She lifted herself from the soil, her head throbbed. She was young and slender as a knife. The girl observed her surroundings but nothing felt familiar.

  She looked down and noticed small letters engraved on her wrist. The word “White” in neat cursive calligraphy. She looked upon the tiny marking with confusion, until its meaning fell into her remembrance. It was her name.

  Behind Jalems was Marie Woresole, his adopted daughter. A young girl seventeen years of age. She never met her parents, and though Jalems did his best as her father, she mourned her childhood.

  Lastly, behind Marie was Gale, the Drey. Most Dreys were identified by their petite build, lilac eyes and skin pale as milk. Though Dreys were an enslaved species, Gale salvaged freedom, an accomplishment her kind rarely achieved.

  While the others kept moving forward, the two lagged behind.

  The sky rumbled. Then suddenly a spear of lightning struck the ground. The blinding light illuminated their immediate proximity, and for a moment Marie could see clearly. The leaves looked like a thousand hands waving in the wind, in the distance she saw Gale beckoning to her. Behind her was a cave large enough for the group and their steeds.

  Marie’s eyes widened. Her damp clothes stuck to her slim frame, she wanted nothing more than to find shelter. Marie yelled, in an attempt to alert the others, the wind swallowed her voice. She squinted in search of her companions, but the rainfall clouded her eyesight. She felt fear coil in her stomach like a snake, she lost sight of her father.

  An idea crawled into her mind, though she was uncertain of its success. She closed her eyes and focused all of her mental effort. Droplets of rain trickled down her pale skin. A sphere of fire slowly emerged in her palm. She felt the warmth burning bright in her hand, her eyes shot open.

  She launched it as far as she could, hopeful her plan would work. The fire flew through the air like a flare, coloring the sky fire engine red.

  From the ground, Jalems could see her signal. The projectile landed in front of Tek’mer. The blaze sparked the ground only for a moment. His horse brayed lifting its forelimbs to avoid the flames. They both turned their horses around aware something had changed.

  Her head felt light, her temples pulsated, she felt her heart speed up. She knew the risks of her plan, but she pushed through.

  Marie yelled again, this time they heard her.

  White wandered closer to the entrance of the cave. The mist from the rain drifted inward. She could feel the moisture against her fair skin. Her wide-sleeved pastel dress was soft as sin, she felt almost naked. She rubbed the tattoo gently, hoping she could remember anything else that led her to this current situation, her mind was vacant. She heard horse hooves trotting towards her. The noise startled her, but she remained still.

  Gale strolled into the cave, a thick scarlet cloak covered her head. Her face hidden under the brim of the hood. She guided her beloved horse Wildfire behind her. She gave her that name because her mane grew red as rubies. Wildfire was different just like she was.

  White watched Gale, though her face was concealed by a covering, she could still see those eyes. Gale’s eyes were a stark magenta, vibrant and intense. A glimpse of them seared into White’s soul. She was speechless.

  A draft entered the cave, White felt her teeth chatter, her body trembled. She grabbed the nearest sticks she could find.

  Gale heard crackling from behind, her muscles tensed and her breathing quickened. She was accustomed to surviving. She escaped slavery when she was only twelve years of age, growing up her master looked for reasons to beat her and her people. Overtime Gale grew numb to his whip. She understood violence better than her mother tongue, it was all she knew.

  She turned around expecting to find an enemy, she was ready. But instead, she saw a young woman, with hair white as powder down to her ankles, fixing a fire.

  “Who are you?” Gale asked, her accent was thick, it sounded like her tongue did not move when she spoke, but she could understand her. “I’m White, what’s your name?” she said, a smile appeared on her face. Gale studied the girl’s expression, she had never met anyone that looked quite like her.

  White shifted her focus back to sparking a fire, but the sticks she found were damp and brittle. Her efforts were useless. White became slightly frustrated, but she persisted, “Why won’t this work” she whispered, before she gave up, a flame ignited before her. The flame rose to the ceiling, then calmed to a safer acme. Gale took a step back.

  White examined her hands but nothing had changed. “I-I don’t know how that happened, but look we have a fire!” she said excitedly, she ran over to Gale and embraced her. Gale was breathless and unsure of what to do. Though the girl was a stranger, her scent disarmed Gale. Vanilla and honey filled her nose.

  White released her new friend from her arms, a cool chill entered the cave, she scurried back over to the flame. Her body shivered. It didn’t help that all White wore was a thin off-the-shoulder dress. Her clavicle was exposed and the bottom barely covered her poulaines.

  The others finally entered the cave. They stationed their horses next to Wildfire. Their backs were turned to the flames.

  “Since when do you know how to start a fire” Marie jested at Gale. She twisted her hair wringing the water from her golden curls. The others towered over Gale’s tiny frame. Her skin pale as milk, she looked like an apparition standing next to them.

  Gale stayed quiet, she avoided making eye contact with the others.

  “Good job Drey, you’re finally good for something” Tek’mer snorted unimpressed, he peered at her, with pupils white as cotton.

  Jalems unsheathed his sword, Iris, a double edge blade made of refined steel. Jalems earned it while serving a high lord, though life forced his path from riches to poverty.

  “Who is this?” he grimaced, his lips encased by the thicket of his beard. Gale stepped in front of Iris, “a friend” she fumbled under pressure, grasping for a name. “I’m White, it’s nice to meet all of you” she grinned from ear to ear, unthreatened by the tension suffocating the confined space.

  Marie touched her father’s wielding arm, her icy blue eyes softened him. She gave him the same look that always worked. He sheathed Iris securing the blade at his waist. Marie took one look at White, and could tell she was a friend.

  The cave was musty, the soil moved beneath them, but the warmth made it feel like home. White sat on one side of the fire, Gale next to her, and the rest of the group directly opposite from them both.

  “Where are you from?” Tek’mer inquired, his tone dry. The flames revealed his skin, dark as umber, his gaze unrelenting. Those sharp angular cheekbones made him intimidating.

  “I don’t know” White responded, her mind drew a blank. “What are you doing out here?” Jalems jumped in, he crossed his arms waiting for a response. White paused, her eyelids fluttered, “I don’t know” she shrugged.

  “Do you live near here?” Marie asked a softness behind her tone. Before White could respond “Oh wait let me guess, you don’t know” Tek’mer interjected. “I wish I could tell you more, but all I remember is waking up in this cave,” White apologized, her chiffon white hair washed out her skin. Her long tresses laid beside her in a small mound. Her soft facial features made it hard to find her untrustworthy.

  “Well, this is a lost cause, onto more important matters” Tek’mer turned to Jalems. “Where’s the relic?” he queried. Jalems pointed in the corner, the item bundled in leather bound by a thin rope. Tek’mer shuffled over to the knapsack, eager to inspect its contents.

  Tek’mer unraveled the bag, the ancient artifact glistened like gold. The handles were sculpted stallion heads. Rose, amber and fuschia-colored jewels encrusted its circumference, their color changed dependent upon the direction he held it. His eyes met with disappointment. It wasn’t the artifact he was searching for, but he figured they still could get a good trade for it.

  Jalems kept his eye on Tek’mer, he trusted him, but anxiety lingered in his gut like food he could not digest. That artifact would keep them afloat, for the time being, he could not afford for anything to happen to it.

  “We should help her” Marie whispered tugging on the sleeve of her father’s thick black cloak.“I know we’re not supposed to take on other people’s problems but,” Jalems interjected. “You take on their problems once and you’ll be doing it for the rest of your life” Jalems huffed, he sharpened a dagger with a whetstone. Marie rolled her eyes and mocked his gestures.

  “But she’s like the same age as me” she protested. “What if...she was me” she uttered, her tone was sad and empathetic. Her chin sank between her knees. Jalems sighed, he stopped her. “Fine, we’ll escort her to a nearby village, after that she’s no longer our concern” Jalems commanded, he held a gentleness in his voice. “We have a deal?” Jalems lifted his pinky. She raised her head, “deal” Marie smiled, she linked her finger with his sealing their arrangement.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  ***

  Marie woke to sweet melodies of birds singing. The sun glazed over the cave. She covered her mouth as a fierce yawn parted her lips. She hadn’t slept that well in ages.

  They departed for the nearest village. Marie and Jalems took the lead, behind them Tek’mer, and at the rear Gale and White rode Wildfire. The streams of sunlight fingered through the lush greenery. The air smelled crisp and sweet with rustic leaves blowing in the chilly winds of Fall.

  “Where are we headed again?” Marie looked at Jalems beside her. He kept his focus on the dirt road ahead of them.

  “Brinebourne,” he said sharply, “just think, on a day like this you were born,” he mentioned, Marie’s eyes narrowed unsure of what that meant to her.

  Jalems told Marie when she was seven that she was adopted, though he never mentioned much of her parents. Her chest tightened whenever she thought of the subject. She wondered what kind of people they were and often daydreamed of the life she should have had.

  “What were they like?” Marie asserted, she could feel her temper stirring. Jalems turned to her, his forehead wrinkled, “Who?” he knew who, he prolonged the conversation hoping she would drop it.

  “My parents, what were they like?” she asked, Jalems sighed heavily, he cleared his throat. “I never knew your parents, I only found you,” Jalems said, he became impatient. He wanted to leave the topic in the past, it was too painful for him to remember that day for more than one reason.

  “You didn’t try to find them? I mean who just leaves a baby lying in the dirt to fend for herself” Marie grew upset the more she thought about it, her cheeks flushed pink with fury.

  “I tried my best to find them, I did” Jalems lied. Though he always promised to tell her the truth. Some truths are too difficult to say out loud and she was not ready to hear it.

  “From that day forward I vowed before the Gods to protect you,” Jalems said, Marie scoffed at his attempt to give her an answer. Her attitude infuriated him, “And that’s what I did” he shouted, his voice startled a flight of crows. The trees repeated his words.

  Marie became quiet, she turned her face eastward. She didn’t want him to see her tear-filled eyes.

  “Where are you from?” White asked, her high-pitched voice alarmed Gale. White placed her hand on Gale’s forearm. Her body was shaking, she relaxed slightly under her touch.

  “Are you okay?” White wondered. Gale responded with a slight nod. It felt brutal and unconvincing. “Then why are you shaking?” White meddled, digging her gaze into Gale.

  She averted her eyes, though she was no longer a slave she carried the trauma with her like a waterskin. White backed away from Gale. She felt an uneasiness brewing. “I didn’t mean to pry” White lamented. Gale looked back at White, her lips formed a brief smile. “You didn’t pry, I was always told to never make eye contact and when I did-” Gale struggled, her expression went blank. She felt numb for a moment, stuck in a recurring memory of her past.

  “And when you did?” White asked, her voice brought Gale back to the present. “Nothing” she shifted her gaze back to facing forward.

  ***

  The clouds had turned tangerine, they knew they needed to find shelter before nightfall. Upon arrival in Brinebourne, a rural town buzzing with liveliness, their first stop was a bustling tavern. The interior mirrored an aged-pecan color, the tables were so well kept they glimmered in the sunset. Jalems marched to the barkeep, Marie rolled her eyes at her father. The rest of the group nabbed a table by an open window. White lagged behind she was too busy drinking in her surroundings.

  The barkeep brought Jalems an ale in a tall frost-covered mug, he downed the glass before it touched the mahogany counter top.

  “Long trip huh?” the barkeep laughed, he cleaned a beer mug with a towel he pulled from his waist. His hands were riddled with age spots. Jalems wiped his mouth with the back of his fingerless gloves.”If you only knew” he chuckled.

  “How’s the wife?” Jalems asked, the man stopped cleaning. His eyes saddened, “the sickness took her.” the barkeep mumbled. Jalems regretted asking that question. He still hadn’t faced his own grief, let alone share someone else’s.

  “But one day, if the Gods allow it, I’ll see her again. So that gives me my peace” the old man beamed, he started wiping down the counter. Jalems feigned a smile. The barkeep poured him another round.

  “Jalems, I don’t know who you screwed over this time, but I’m not sure if I can house you tonight” he warned. The barkeep’s frail grey hair blew lightly as the front door opened.

  Jalems jaw tightened “Come on, all I need is one night and we’ll be out of your hair,” he beseeched. Jalems was a proud man, but he’d do anything for his little girl, even beg.

  The barkeep hesitated, his jowly face frowned, his lips formed a hard line. The only thing he had left to live for was his establishment, and Jalems’ presence would put that at risk. “Alright one night, but that’s it no more Jalems, I mean it.” he reminded. Jalems grinned, he finished his second glass.

  A bright canary yellow butterfly attracted White’s attention. She eyed the creature, keeping up as it passed each window until she found herself floating out of the entryway.

  Marie scanned the pub looking for White. She spotted her prancing outside. Jalems walked over to the group, he blocked her sight “Marie, we’ve done our part, best let her be on her way” he reminded her. Marie kept her eyes on White, she was protective of her, though she didn’t know why.

  Tek’mer felt something, he never could find the words. It was a sensation that left as quickly as it came. A high-pitched noise pierced his ears, his breath became heavy. He recognized the feeling it never meant anything good was about to happen.

  A loud horn permeated the tavern walls. The sound was deafening, it brought the liveliness to a halt. Marie could feel her heart beating through her clothes.

  “Come out Thieves, we have you surrounded.” A Crimson Guard announced, his voice stoic and menacing, the group froze in their tracks, while the other patrons scurried to the exits. Crimson Guards were highly-trained knights. They served King Cerulean, ruler of the realm Luition. They called him the Just King, though his methods were quite brutal.

  Marie ignited two small orbs of fire in both hands. Jalems readied Iris, his palms sweaty with anxiety. Tek’mer pulled a dagger from his side, the jewels glittered on its hilt. Gale’s eyes gleamed a shade brighter. They were ready or at least they believed they were.

  A handful of Crimson Guards stormed the tavern. Jalems lunged forward he easily cut down the first two, another rushed in and surprised him. Before he could attack, the soldier was engulfed in flames. Jalems looked behind him, Marie folded over, her head was pounding. She wrapped her temples with her forearms. The immense pain pulsated behind her eyes, it brought Marie to her knees.

  Jalems rushed to his little girl, he couldn’t bear to see her in such agony. Marie raised her head, “look out” she shouted. The pub flooded with soldiers armored in crimson. Their polished musket rifles aimed at the group. The click of their rifles rippled. The four of them had no choice but to resign.

  A dozen Crimson Guards pulled them out of the establishment. Their hands bound behind their back, thick metal collars slapped on their necks. The Crimson Guards lined them up with their shoulders touching. They raided their personal items.

  “I got it” A lowly guard announced, he ripped the relic from Jalems’ knapsack. The commanding officer stepped forward, planting his feet before Jalems. “You realize you stole from the King?” the commander said, he stepped closer to Jalems.

  “If you’re going to kill me, you need to include your Majesty, he stole that from the Ashmor temple.” Jalems shouted. The commander chuckled “that place no longer exist,” he turned his back to him.

  “That’s a lie” Jalems interjected the collar forced him still, the man turned around and stepped in front of Jalems. He stood face to face in front of him. He towered over Jalems, he had to lift his chin to look him in the eyes. “You can’t openly disregard the king and not expect repercussions,” he sneered. Jalems eyes widened.

  The commander walked behind his troop. “By order of King Cerilium of Luition, the Law of the Land and Keeper of Peace” the commander stopped, he fixated his gaze on Jalems though he was referring to all of them.

  “I sentence you to die.”

  White headed back to the alehouse from her spontaneous adventure. The butterfly rested on her shoulder like a broach. The insect was drawn to her. White felt a certain connection to nature, she couldn’t explain it.

  Abrupt loud shouting voices scared off her new friend. She looked around, but all she could see were trees standing over her. The noise continued, she walked closer to it, and spotted a group of men dressed in crimson armor. She cowered behind bushes. She looked closer observing the spectacle, she saw Marie and the others chained by their necks. White covered her mouth, she knew she had to do something, but what could she do against twelve professional killers.

  Marie grasped for her father’s hand, their fingers fiddled until they interlocked. She tried forcing the collar off with a spell, her powers stretched the collar’s chains, but it was resistant to her strength. The metallic collar was cold and unbending. She could feel the life escaping her body under its suffocating weight.

  Jalems knew there was no talking about of this one. The weight around his neck forced him to cough viciously, and veins protruded from his forehead. His face was turning beet red, he was angry and afraid, he had failed his family again.

  Gale’s neck was too small for her chains. Though her hands were tied behind her back, she was cutting away at the hemp with her fingernails. She kept her moves slow and effective to go unnoticed, but she had barely reached half way through the rope, her heart raced she knew she was running out of time. She didn’t escape bondage to die in chains.

  Tek’mer, was the calmest of them. A deep sigh escaped his mouth, almost like he was getting bored by their prolonging it. He stood still completely unbothered by the chains and ropes that subdued him. He had lived his life, and he was ready to die, unashamed.

  White shuffled closer to the scene. She saw them lined up like cattle and linked together with chains. The image triggered a memory. She had been at this very moment in her life before, powerless. She stepped into another place, a different time. The remembrance felt real, she had stumbled into an alternative reality, a post-apocalyptic ruin. The air reeked of exhaust and death, she covered her nose, but the smell was unrelenting.

  Three people stood on the gallows, thick nooses around their necks. The accused, shared her face and hair color, but they felt foreign. The crowd was wide as the sea, they hurled insults at the accused and shoved against one another like a mosh pit. A guard shot one in the air to calm them.

  She squeezed through the crowd making her way forward.

  White had finally reached the front, she stood a few feet from the gallows. She locked eyes with her sister, she had to make a choice. Risk it all, or regret it forever.

  She lunged forward extending her arm, but before she could intervene, the floor under them dropped. She heard their heads disconnect from their spines. White gasped, her eyes filled with rage and tears. She dropped to her knees, hopeless.

  The faces around her paused in unison. They turned to her when they heard sobbing. Her cries echoed in the crowd, the air was silent not even the wind said a word. Her face was buried in her palms. They regarded her, not with empathy, but anger. To them, she was mourning the deaths of people who brought with them famine and destruction.

  White stopped crying, something had changed. She felt their eyes on her, she leapt to her feet holding her dress in her hands. They closed in from all sides. She hurried towards the postern, it was only a few feet away, yet in the moment it felt much further, she could feel them clawing at her dress and her long hair. The mob chased her like prey, they threw their bodies at her, they were hungry for her blood as well.

  She ran fast as her feet would allow, and in the process a ring of light formed in front of her. She jumped through it arms first. The circle closed behind. Somehow she escaped the dark colorless world and reemerged back to where she began, in the forest. She folded over taking a moment to understand what just occurred. Was that real. Did that happen now or in a different world. How much time had passed. It frustrated her like a scratch just out of reach.

  A picture of Marie popped in her mind, She remembered they needed her, she wondered if there was still time. This was her second chance. She bolted towards them.

  “Fire”

  Their rifles rang out simultaneously, one shot each.

  Marie clenched her eyes bracing for certain death. Bodies dropped onto the gravel. She opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the Crimson Guards laid dead. Blood soaked the ground under their armor. A bullet in the head for every one of them. She scanned the surroundings, no one was left alive.

  She was so focused on the dead guards, she didn’t even notice White standing there. The wind stirred her hair behind, the look in her eyes Marie would never forget. The friendly girl they met in the cave, was not the same woman before them. This should have terrified Marie, instead, she was intrigued. White’s eyes were contained pure-white flames. She was as equally beautiful, as she was terrifying.

  White stretched open her hand, she moved her wrist in a small circle, her fingers flowed like ribbon. A moment later their collars popped off their necks and their chains rolled off of them. The solid metal made a loud thud on the ground, dust bounced from the dirt.

  Marie’s eyes widened, her mouth agape.