Chapter II

Chapter II

    The moon was slowly climbing her way to the comfort of her shelf in the sky. The day had gone by without the smallest hint of its passage. Kaizair got up from the bar stool and laid a few coins down on the counter for the bartender. “Very kind of you, laddie. Go home, get some rest. And I wish you the best for you and this maiden,” the old man said with a humorous smile, adding to Kaizair’s pain. He nodded toward the bartender and slipped out through the door. The darkness blinded him for a few moments until his eyes were able to adjust to the moon’s pleasant glow. He glanced up at the sky, noticing how clear it was. The stars looked as though they were smiling down at him. The city was quiet, with only a few vendors closing down their tents and returning to their homes. “I wonder if Eona is okay. She left for the blacksmith hours ago,” he said to himself. He decided that he would venture to the smithy, just to see if she was still there. He wondered where she was planning to stay for the night, and how she was doing. As he started to leave however, he heard a commotion in the alleyway beside the tavern. At first, Kaizair wanted to leave it be, but his instincts kicked in, forcing him to wander over to the noise. It was dark, but Kaizair did not feel fear. 

    He heard faint talking, drunken banter. “Come on, baby. We know you want this,” Kaizair heard a man say. He lifted his hand and manifested a small flame in it so that he could see. Two men reeking of alcohol were poised in the corner of the alley, holding a young woman against the brick wall. They had her arm twisted around her back, and a foreign looking spear had been thrown away from her onto the ground. Tears were stained upon her cheeks, but she did not attempt to scream. She did not show these men fear. “Why are you being so quiet, wench?” one of the men said. “She’s just waiting for it”, said the other, “Why don’t you give her what she wants?” The first man began to unbuckle his belt. Kaizair’s flame grew larger at the sight of this revolting display. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kaizair yelled at them. The drunks averted their attention to him. “Run back to your mother, son. Before we get there first,” one of the men said, pulling out a dagger. Kaizair’s eyes ignited with rage. “You may not want to do that, you sick b*****d,” he braced himself for a fight. 

    The flame in his hand had died down and his eyes could finally see without its aid. The man with the dagger came at him with a burst of quick jabs. Kaizair evaded all of them and waited for an opening to strike. He punched the man right in the side, cracking a few of his ribs and sending him straight to the ground. The other man released the woman and came at Kaizair with a few unsuccessful punches. Dodging them all in the man’s drunken stupor, he elbowed him hard in the chest then landed a strong punch on the man’s face, forcing him to the ground, unconscious, next to his partner who had passed out in agony. 

    The woman looked up at Kaizair, and he couldn’t help but notice how her distinctive features were illuminated so beautifully by the moon’s light. She had long, straight purple hair and brilliant eyes the same color. Her skin was almost as pale as the light surrounding her. Kaizair extended a hand to her, and she slowly took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Her legs wobbled a bit, and parts of her dress were torn. “Can you stand?” he asked her. She nodded, and walked over to the lance that had been thrown away from her. “They came out of nowhere...” she said as though she were disappointed in herself. “They disarmed me before I even had the chance to draw my weapon. I can’t believe I was bested by two drunk men. How sad is that?” she said, trying to laugh to lighten the mood. “Well, you’re alright now. That’s all that matters. You were just put into an unfortunate situation. It happens to everyone. Don’t let it hurt you,” he smiled at her. That seemed to lift her spirits, for she returned to him a smile. “My name is Kaizair,” he held out his hand to her. “Marrin,” she said, shaking his hand.

    “Shall we leave?” Kaizair offered, gesturing with his arm for her to walk in front of him. Marrin nodded, and lead the way back to the street. There were no longer any vendors on the street. Aside from the moon and a few lights lit from taverns, the square was dark and lifeless. Kaizair searched around one of his pockets and fished out a few silver coins. “I wonder if this will be enough for a stay at an inn,” he said, hoping Marrin would tell him it was. “Kaizair, here,” she took out a coin purse and handed him three gold pieces. “Only one of these will buy you a room for the night. Besides, it’s the least I can give you.” A fire seemed to sprout in Kaizair’s eyes. He gratefully accepted the coins, and put them in his pocket. “But before I get settled down, I have to make a quick stop at the blacksmith. You’re welcomed to join me if you’d like,” he looked down at her. She was very small, at least a foot shorter than he was. Her figure was similar to her height, no substantial feminine features, but still very pretty. Kaizair noticed again how unique her hair and eyes were. “Where exactly are you from, Marrin?” he asked, hoping it wasn’t offensive. She stopped walking, and looked at the ground. She looked as though she was trying not to cry. “Braystoss. A small village near the southern ocean. I’m sure you’ve heard stories...” she said with a certain reluctance. “Oh, yes. Braystoss. My father was telling me about how the whole entire village had been whiped out by...” Kaizair stopped. He looked upon Marrin with a new found sympathy. She glanced up at him and sighed. “I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not the only one left. A few years ago the village fell victim to a terrible plague. It was a disease that no healer or priestess could cure. Many people died, but we are working on rebuilding our civilization. Everything will be alright,” she seemed to be reassuring herself more than Kaizair. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry. I had no idea. I shouldn’t have asked,” he looked ashamed. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, shrugging her shoulders. “To be honest, I’m glad you asked. I’ve been wanting to talk to someone about it. I needed to get it off my chest. You see, up until recently, I was a priestess of the Braystossian Air Temple. It was a very exclusive lifestyle. I never had time to make friends. So, it’s been great letting someone into my life,” she looked up at him, but felt herself blushing and looked away. Kaizair didn’t notice, but he smiled. He began to think whether or not stumbling upon her in that alleyway was just a coincidence. “You said an air temple?” he asked. She nodded, suddenly intrigued. He began to think about his master. His master, who had been like a father to him, had taught him the art of swordplay along with the ability to manipulate fire. It was a coming of age tradition in his village, and Kaizair had always shown such advancement in the fields of magic. 

    When Kaizair’s master had spoken to him of this journey, he had mentioned that the other companions would be fluent in the the elemental magicks opposite to his own. Perhaps this was one of the people his master had mentioned. “Marrin, here’s a question for you. Is there an important reason you came to the capitol city? A reason that has to deal with destiny?” he asked. The street was now stretching wider, bringing other shops into view. Kaizair could see a small sign in the distance that displayed a hammer and an anvil. There were still candles lit in the windows and smoke was still rising from the forge, clouding the sky. Marrin gazed up at Kaizair in such shock, she almost lost her footing. “A fire mage...Of course! The House Mother of my temple said I’d meet three people here. Masters of the other magicks. You must be one of them!” she said with such enthusiasm. Kaizair chuckled and replied, “Well, I don’t know if I’d consider myself a master. But I understand what you mean. It’s a small world, isn’t it? I’ve actually already met another person who I believe is destined to join us. That’s why  I’m going to see the blacksmith. She departed for it hours ago, so I can only hope she’s still here.” Marrin looked at the ground. She noticed how excited Kaizair had become just by speaking of this woman. She worried that he already had developed feelings for this woman and that her chances had dwindled. 

    They now stood before the smithy, breathing in the smell of melted steel and smoke. Kaizair pushed open the large oak doors, allowing Marrin to enter before him then following behind her. The room was only dimly lit, but they could see with no trouble. The walls were lined with prized weapons displayed on plaques. Kaizair longed to practice with each of these swords, like he had done back home. There was a wooden counter near the back of the room with a small assistance bell on the edge of it. Marrin walked over and rang it while Kaizair looked over all of the weapons. “Whoever made these is incredibly talented,” he said with admiration. There was a distant chattering, then the sound of someone setting down glass. A young man stepped through the doorway and approached the counter. “Hello. I apologize for the inconvenience but the shop is closed. I must’ve forgotten to lock the door. If you have an order to place, I’ll be open early tomorrow morning if you want to come by then,” the blacksmith said leaning against the counter. “Oh, pardon us. We don’t have an order. I was just wondering if you had spoken with a young woman earlier today. Her name is Eona. She came here earlier in the day to buy a few arrows. I came here to see if you knew where she was,” Kaizair said as he diverted his attention away from the weapons on the wall. The blacksmith eyed Kaizair suspiciously then called out, “Eona! You have visitors.” 

    Moments later, there she was. Kaizair seemed to melt causing both Marrin and Havock to shift uneasily. The light created an aura around her, making her shimmer in the dimness of the room. She looked the same as when he’d left her; long, beautiful black hair, blue eyes that promised safety. “Kaizair? Well, this is a surprise. Havock, this is Kaizair. He’s the one I told you about. Oh, hello,” she looked at Marrin, “Who is this?” 

    “I’m Marrin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

    “The pleasure is all mine. How long have you two known each other?”

    “Almost an hour,” Marrin said with a small laugh. Eona smiled at her, then at Kaizair. “Is she a mage?” she asked. “Yes. The third edition to our little fellowship. By the way, Eona. You still haven’t told me what art of magick you’ve been trained in. I’m practiced in the ways of fire, while Marrin is trained in the ways of air. So which one is it? Water or earth?” he asked. Eona looked over at Havock, then back at the mages before her. “I figured that you would’ve guess due to my origins. I’m a water mage. Which means Havock must be an earth user,” she said, looking at the blacksmith hoping she was correct. He nodded, causing her expression to ignite. “Well, we’re all here it would seem. This can only mean that tomorrow our journey begins. We’re all here with stories of our destinies, ones that are tied up within one another’s. How fascinating...” Havock said with an adventurous tone. “There are a few guest rooms in the back. You’re all welcomed to stay if you’d like. It might not be a smart idea to split up, now that we’ve all found each other.”

    The group nodded their heads in full agreement. They had all traveled long distances with high hopes that their paths would cross. And here they all stood, in the dim light of the smithy, exchanging glances and laughs. Eona lifted up a section in the counter to allow Marrin and Kaizair behind it. Havock led them to their rooms and bid them goodnight. “Don’t tell anyone, but I saved the best room for you,” he led Eona to the end of a long hallway and up a small flight of stairs. There was a door at the top that looked as though it hadn’t been opened for quite some time. Havock fished around a ring of keys until he found the right one then opened the door. The room was a fairly good size, with many pieces of artwork hung on the walls. Havock walked over to a window and opened it, allowing the cool night breeze to dance throughout the room. “This room has been closed off for a very long time. I apologize for the smell. But I thought you’d appreciate the scenery,” he beckoned for her to join him beside the window. She walked over and looked through it, her eyes widening. The city was sleeping soundly, tucked beneath a thin veil of navy blue and a sky filled with stars. Eona gazed out amongst the rooftops and church steeples, and beyond them stretched a small lake that reflected the light of the moon. The only sound she could hear was the gentle blow of the evening breeze and the distant lapping of water against a shore. “It’s beautiful...” she said, looking at Havock and smiling. “I knew you’d like it. This was my mother’s gallery before she left us. She’d come up here every day and sketch. She’d let me sit on her lap as a child and watch her. But, those are distant memories now. I hope you sleep well, Eona,” he turned to leave. “Havock, wait,” Eona gently grabbed him by the hand. They stared at each other for a moment, both desiring to lean in to each other’s lips. Havock began to slowly move forward, but Eona just looked down. “Thank you. For the room, and this whole day. I’m glad I met you,” she met his eyes. He smiled and reluctantly let go of her hand. “I feel the same way, Eona,” he said, hoping that he had hinted to her how much he was fond of her. “Goodnight,” she said.

    He offered her one last smile, then turned to leave, closing the door behind him. The room grew so empty without his presence. Eona sat down on the bed, looking through the window at the slumbering city. So much had happened within the past few hours. She’d almost been killed by shades, discovered new companions that would share her destiny, and fallen in love with a blacksmith. She laid down on the bed, attempting to put to rest her thoughts. She closed her eyes, and let the distant sound of water lull her to sleep.

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Author's Note

I welcome criticism as long as it's civil :) Thank you