Chapter Two

Hadrian cracked open his eye, groaning, and instantly shut them. Nauthos, his head hurt. He was on the ground, and it was very warm. And there was something that smelled delicious sizzling... was that... goat?

He sat straight up, ignoring the way his head pounded. His attention was instantly drawn to the fire right besides him, which was roasting a large piece of meat on a stick spit. And then across from him, face illuminated by the fire-

“You're a girl?”

The female laughed. “A lady would be more accurate. I'm much to old to still be a girl, but not old enough to be a woman.” She stood up and kicked at a log, withdrawing her foot before she was burned. “Lady will suffice. I'm Alyss.”

Hadrian studied her for a moment. So, this was the girl responsible for almost setting rebellion to Thet and possibly sparking something much bigger. And just by taking goats for food. She looked a few years younger than him, maybe about twenty. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a very messy braid. Her clothes were dirty and torn, and she looked like she'd been out her for quite some time.

“Hadrian,” he responded curtly, placing a hand over his hair.

“Sorry about the head ache,” she apologized, smiling a bit sheepishly. “I didn't get away completely perfect, either. My arms hurt. I'm not used to dragging large men around.”

Hadrian looked at her curiously. “Who are you?”

“I told you, I'm Alyss.”

“No. I mean, who?”

“Oh. Well, why don't you go first?”

“What? I asked you first.”

“Fine.” Alyss bit her lip, thinking. “Well, I'm on the run.”

Hadrian looked at her. “From who?” If it was from the King, well, wasn't that just peachy? Not only would he get a pardon from bringing her in, but maybe even a raise. Joy.

“Um... I'm not so sure I should tell you that?”

“And why not?”

“Because...” Alyss looked up at the sky. “You probably wouldn't believe me.”

“Why wouldn't I?” Hadrian leaned forward, curious now.

“You sure do ask a lot of questions...” she mumbled, turning over the meat.

“I wouldn't if you just answered the question.”

“Fine.” She leaned forward close to him and whispered, “Kaethurios.”

Hadrian spat and jumped back at the sound of the name. “No.” he hissed. Instantly a flood of memories hit him.

He'd been six when the Attack had happened. He remembered it very quickly, the fear, the darkness. His mother, telling him to take the horse and run, run- 'Run, Hadrian. Don't come back. Run to Tristan City and tell them we're being attacked. Beg for shelter. Stay there. RUN, CHILD.'

“No...” Hadrian found himself on his knees, his breathing heavy. He looked up at Alyss and shook his head. Again: “No.”

Alyss knelt down next to him. “Um, no, yes, yes. I'm fairly certain that's who I'm running from. I left about four months ago, I think, and-”

She was broken off as Hadrian slipped a knife out of his shoe and barreled into Alyss, shoving her roughly against a tree and placing the blade against her throat. “Explain yourself,” Hadrian growled, baring his teeth as he looked down at the girl who was half his size.

Alyss gave a nervous little laugh. “When I said you wouldn't believe me, I didn't think you really hated liars that much.” She was broken off as Hadrian pressed the dagger harder against her skin.

“I didn't say I didn't believe you. I just don't want to. Now, start talking before I slit your throat.”

“What do you want to know?” she whispered, her eyes growing wide.

“Everything. About you, Kaethurios... everything.”

Alyss nodded slowly. “Alright, alright. Let me go. The meat's done, I think. We can eat while I tell you.”

Very slowly, Hadrian backed off. “Fine. Where's my crossbow?”

Alyss bent down to take the meat off the spit. “I left it in the clearing. I didn't feel like carrying it back and I don't know how to use it.” She looked up at him. “Please don't shove me against the tree again. I... I can lead you back to the clearing. It will still be there.”

Hadrian studied her for a moment. She was obviously terrified. “Just start talking.”

“Okay. Take as much meat as you want.” She shoved the cooked goat towards him.

“Start talking.”

“Sorry. Alright, I, um...” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Well, Master-”

“Who?”

“Oh, well, Kaethurios, that's what we called him. Master.”

“You called that monster your Master?” Hadrian stood back up, his eyes flaming.

Alyss cowered back. “That's what he told us to call him! Now, if you would stop screaming at me I can explain everything.”

Hadrian turned around and kicked a stick, fuming. “Continue.”

“If I may ask, why... why does he fill you with such anger?”

“Both my parents died in that war. That beast robbed me of everything. And you call him your master.” He didn't look back at her. “I should kill you right now.”

“Well, before you make any final decisions about my fate, why don't I finish my explanation?”

Hadrian finally turned back and sat down again. “You said 'we'. Who's 'we'?”

“Me and... the rest of us. Master-”

“Don't call him that,” Hadrian growled.

“...Kaethurios. He's training us all. As his army.” Alyss' eyes averted down to the ground. “I don't know where I came from. He told us we were all born there, but I've never seen and married couples and their babies. We're all about the same age though, me being one of the youngest. But none older than twenty five, except for the...”

“Except for the..?”

“The Lost ones. That's what we call them. They're like shells of humans, more beasts than anything. Mas- I... I mean, Kaethurios, told us to stay away form them. They eat their own kind most of the time, but if one of us wanders too close, alone, well, that's the last we see of them and their body.”

“What are you all doing? Where is he keeping you?”

“Up in the mountains.” She pointed to a peak in the distance. “At the top of the highest one, that's where are camp is. We're learning. He's teaching us.”

“Teaching you what?”

“Magic.”

For the second time Hadrian jumped back, but more startled now. “He's teaching you what? That's ridiculous. Magic is outlawed, why, if anyone heard me even say the word I'd be killed on the spot for treason. It has been so for years, even before my birth. You're making all this up. Why would that monster be teaching a young group of humans magic when he can do whatever he wants to do himself?”

“Because he can't do it himself.” Alyss whispered, leaning closer to Hadrian. “He couldn't do it himself in the last War. He needs us. We fuel his power. He fuels ours. We make him stronger, and he makes us stronger.”

“You're planning another attack.”

“No. He's planning one. Why do you think I left?”

“I don't know. In fact, why don't you explain why, after years of learning from that thing you finally leave, come down, and tell this all to a passing stranger.”

“I left because I was scared. Yes, he raised me. In fact, he liked me. I know, you probably don't think Kaethurios is capable of anything but hate but he never once hurt me. Oh, he threatened. He threatened everyone. And he hit, he hurt, he killed those who disobeyed. I tell you, I'm not very good at listening. I broke command more than once. But he never touched me. And everyone knew it, to. They all said I could get away with anything. He'd tell us all that he loved us, but it only ever sounded honest when he said it to me... Maybe I was just his favorite. It's true, I was the best at magic, the fastest learned, and that's not me bragging. But... maybe it was something else.”

Hadrian studied her for a long moment. “You haven't answered my question- Then why did you leave?”

“I told you, I was scared. He said we were attacking soon. Very soon. Then he took me aside and described to me exactly how I was going to kill the King. It was my task. I realized- I'd been realizing for a long time- how evil he was, and I didn't want to be evil. So I left. I got past the guards, they're Lost ones, and traveled down the mountain as fast as I could. It's a different world here than up there. I tried to live in a town, but before I even learned its name I was forced to leave before I ended up killing some one. People are so terrible, Hadrian. And I'm one of them. That's why I'm telling you this. I need to find someone, just one person, who will listen to me and believe me and not try to hurt me. I need someone to help me.”

Hadrian just looked at her, his face showing nothing. He finally stood up and shook his head. “I don't understand, then, why you didn't use magic to find food, or to fight me when I pinned you to a tree, or to do so many other things. The only explanation is that you are lying, just making some far-fetched child's tale to make me pity you, forget that you stole months' worth of food from villagers. I don't pity criminal's.” He took a step towards her. “I kill them.” He pulled out his knife.

Alyss slowly began to scoot back, staying low to the ground. “I'm not lying, I swear. You don't understand, I'm trying not to use magic because he does; Master taught us it. I want to be accepted, and you said yourself just saying it would get you killed, imagine what they'd do to someone who could actually use it. If there is anything worse to death then that's be it. Please, don't. I swear, Master-”

She was cut off by Hadrian ramming a foot into her side, knocking her down. “Don't call him Master, you filthy liar.”

Alyss held her side, her breath coming in rough bursts, and tried to sit up and lean against a tree. “If... if you're going to kill me... don't use a...a knife, please... I've heard an arrow to the... the heart is much quicker.” She pointed and he turned, to see his crossbow and quiver leaning neatly against the fire pit.

He slowly turned back to Alyss. “Those weren't there a moment ago.”

“Simple transportation spell.” She laughed but then grimaced. “I think you cracked my rib. Oh...”

“I thought you said you didn't like to use it.”

“I'd rather use magic than die.”

“I still don't believe it. Do it again,” Hadrian said, his eyes narrowed and voice critical.

Alyss looked up at him. “Really? Well, I'm sorry, I'm suffering from a few cracked ribs at the moment.”

“Then heal yourself.”

“I'm terrible at healing spells. That wasn't exactly our focus.”

Hadrian knelt down. “Would you rather die or have me believe you?”

“Oh, I really hate you.” Alyss chuckled, or at least attempted to. “Fine. What do you want me to do? What will convince you?”

Hadrian thought for a moment, before drawing the dagger quickly over his palm. Hardly a scratch, but deep enough to bleed. “Heal that and I'll believe you.”

“I thought I just said I can't- fine. I'll try.”

Alyss didn't start mumbling some nonsense words or wave her hands or do anything Hadrian expected. Instead, she sat up a bit and took his cut hand in her own, studied it for a few moments, then closed her own eyes. Everything was perfectly still and he was sure nothing was going to happen when his skin began to move. It glided together as the blood pulled back in, leaving a flawless patch of skin. After that was done, Alyss looked up at him. “Cuts are much easier to heal that ribs, I think.”

“How... how...”

“Easy, really. All I have to do is imagine what I want it to look like and then-”

“It's real.”

“Obviously.”

“You're not lying.”

“Why would I?”

“He's returning.”

“Yep.”

Hadrian stood up, still staring at his palm. “He can't be.”

“He is.” Alyss shifted and placed her hand back over her ribs. “Soon. But I'm not going to be the one to kill the King, not me.”

“The King...” Hadrian suddenly broke the amazed stare from his hand to look at her. “We need to warn him. Warn everyone. War is coming, and if we're caught unprepared it will be worse, much, much worse, than last time.”

“Wait, we? I mean, sure, you go ahead, but you said yourself magic was against the law and if I go there they'll kill me.”

“You said yourself you want to do the right thing. You think they'll want to believe me? Me, bringing the worst news possible? No, they need proof. They need to hear the story from someone who's seen it for themselves and can make them believe.”

Alyss dropped to a whisper. “They'll kill me...”

“They might. But they might pardon you, even praise you for getting away and warning them. I don't know why they outlawed magic. Probably because it's power, and power is very dangerous in the wrong hands, Nauthos, even in the right hands. But you, hah, you're just a girl, scared and alone. You can't do any damage to them, not as much as that monster can. Now, let's go.”

“I'm not scared,” Alyss muttered indignantly. “But fine. I'll come with you.” She began to stand up. “I think it's just bruised.”

“What?”

“My rib. It hurts but I think I can walk.” She looked up. “It's almost dawn. Shall we get going?”

Hadrian nodded. “Let's.” He studied her for a moment. “I only have one horse, a horse that the people in Thet can use much more than me. If we walk we can stay hidden and it will only take about three days.”

“Okay. Um.. why are we staying hidden?”

Hadrian laughed, a rough sound. “You really haven't been out much. The roads these days are dangerous, and I don't want to have to protect you from thieves and murderers. I'm only used to taking care of one person. Myself.”

“Well, you don't have to take care of me.” Alyss stretched and rubbed her side. “But, excuse me if I'm wrong, isn't going off the path more dangerous?”

“I never said it was going to be easy. But no, path is where the thieves are waiting for helpless travelers. I'm surprised I wasn't attacked on my way here. I suppose I was traveling nonstop very quickly on a big horse. That probably improved my odds. We're staying off the path.”

“Whatever you say, captain.” She gave a mock salute and smiled. “It will be like an adventure. I've always wanted to have one of those.”

“If you can call cutting your way through thick undergrowth, keeping an eye out for people who want to slit our throats, and listening to your annoying voice for three days an adventure, then sure. It can be an adventure.”