Young Writers Society

Note: This entire chapter was originally part of the previous one, but that seemed too long. So the opening is a straight continuation of the last part...

Chapter 5: Regret

“I…I never saw them again,” Lucian muttered.

Oh Goddess! No…

Juliana lowered her head and held her hand over her mouth as she imagined Arngrim and Darius’ fate. She tried to shake her horror by looking at Lucian, who sat in silence with a blank expression. “Lucian… you mean--”

“Yes, they’re dead. My father, Darius, Rey-su, and Vaha-ni. They’re all gone… murdered by Marceris.”

“Lucian, I’m so sorry. Who… Who told you?”

Lucian sighed and looked at the ground. “We continued through the Aritolla pass when Mother suddenly dismounted and became very ill. Baldren tried to help her, but she collapsed and began shaking all over.”

“Oh no.”

Lucian’s hand shook as he pointed to the back of his neck. “Her brand began to burn away. Baldren and I couldn’t do anything. We just gave her water and held her still as she screamed and cried. We cried too, not only for her, but also because we knew Vaha-ni was gone.”

Juliana wondered if it was even appropriate for her to speak anymore.

“Mother eventually regained enough strength to walk by leaning against the horse. But then Shen-mir found us as we stopped to rest in the late afternoon. She…she spoke only to Mother and Baldren, and they started crying again. Shen-mir would not speak to me no matter how much I begged her, but I could see the brand on her chest was missing too.”

How can I comfort him? Juliana thought. My fears and worries are nothing compared to this…

“Baldren released the horses later that evening to throw the soldiers off our trail, and Shen-mir flew us one at a time to the outskirts of Gelerad. She returned to Ragamsol when we passed through the gates.”

“Shen-mir left?” The words barely escaped her lips.

“Yes. It’s forbidden for a dragon to live with humans if none of them have made a pact.”

Juliana was relieved by his calm response. Perhaps it would be best not to talk about his family anymore, she thought. But he said he’s looking for Baldren now…

“So, you lived in Gelerad then?”

Lucian nodded. “Baldren led us through town until we found Kelles. He was... well, he was an older man. He said he knew my parents when they were younger, and he allowed us to stay at his inn at no charge for the first few nights.” Lucian reached behind his head and removed his headband. “Mother gave this to me in the mountains and told me to never take it off, and Baldren wore gloves to hide his brand from Kelles and everyone else.” He wrapped the cloth around his left hand before allowing it to fall on the ground.

“How long did you stay there?”

Lucian let out another deep sigh. “Seven years…” He scooped up the crimson bandana and retied it over his brow. “Baldren and I had to work at the inn to support Mother. She was lost without Father, and she…she started to drink almost every day. She locked herself in our room upstairs and rarely came out.”

She must have been trying to cope with her loss. Juliana thought. This is awful.

“Baldren and I went out into the woods whenever business was slow. We made a couple wooden spears and trained with them just like we did Orika…”

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Lucian lost his footing and held out his right hand to brace his fall. He dropped his spear as he stumbled forward and landed chest first onto the ground. A flight of swallows flew out from the tree next to him and retreated into the sky.

“Too slow again,” Baldren said.

Lucian rolled onto his back and looked up at the dozens of treetops towering over them. He gingerly sat up and saw Baldren standing to his left, holding the tip of his wooden spear over his chest. “What did I do now?” He pushed his brother’s weapon aside and wiped the dirt from his lips with the back of his hand as he checked for blood.

Baldren extended his hand and pulled Lucian to his feet. He dusted him off before taking a defensive stance to demonstrate Lucian’s mistake. “You don’t step back quick enough when I advance on your right. You keep taking a single step back with your left and leave your right unguarded. Always react to what your opponent is doing first.”

“But if I back-step you always strike over my head and knock me down!”

Baldren laughed. “Then get taller!”

Lucian lowered his head and sighed.

“Hey, I’m only joking Lucian.”

“I know,” he said. “But… that’s what Father used to say.”

“Oh, you’re right…I remember that.” Baldren picked up Lucian’s spear and walked past him to a small ditch in the ground. He tossed both weapons in and began to push dirt and leaves over the hole with his foot. “It’s getting dark Lucian, help me cover these.”

Lucian turned around and maintained his downcast gaze on the ground. “I want to go with you.”

Baldren stopped and looked at Lucian. “What are you talking about?”

“Kelles let me go early this morning when I finished in the kitchen. I overheard you arguing upstairs with Mother. I want to go back with you tonight.”

“No Lucian, I’m going by myself. You need to stay here and take care of her.”

“No! We’ve been stuck here for almost two months!” Lucian looked up at Baldren. “I hate this place! I want to go back to Orika with you!”

“I’ll only be gone a few days Lucian! I just… I just need to see what happened…with my own eyes.”

“Then we should all go!”

“You know that Mother can’t make it as she is now.” He approached Lucian and lowered himself to one knee as he extended his arms.

Lucian fought back his tears and breathed rapidly as he embraced his brother. “Why? Why did this happen?”

“Calm down Lucian, you need to be strong while I’m away.”

“P-Promise you won’t climb the mountain. Promise me you’ll come back!”

“Is that what this is about? I’m not old enough to scale Ragamsol Lucian. I’m not going anywhere near there. And yes, I promise.”

Lucian’s fears were pacified by his brother’s words.

“Let’s head back now Lucian. I’m not leaving until later tonight.”

They hid their weapons and ran out of the forest and across the open plain to reach to Gelerad before sundown.

There were several customers staying at the inn that evening, and Baldren worked downstairs in the tavern to serve Kelles’ patrons late into the night. Lucian and Nanami ate dinner in their room and waited for him, but they both fell asleep before he entered.

Lucian awoke in the morning to see his brother’s pillow and blankets missing from their usual place on the hardwood floor.

He… He’s gone.

A loud knock at the door startled him as he rose from his bed.

“Baldren!” Kelles shouted as he pounded his fist against the door. “Come down and serve breakfast. And tell your brother I need him in the kitchen… Hey! You hear me in there?”

Lucian dressed himself and opened the door a crack to peek outside at the old man.

Kelles exhaled a puff of smoke from his hickory pipe as he looked down at Lucian. “Hey kid, get your brother up.”

Lucian revealed his entire body in the doorway. “Um, he’s not here. He left.”

“He left?” Kelles scratched his beard as he forced his way past Lucian and into the bedroom. He looked side to side, scanning the room before turning back to the door. “Where did he go?”

“He, He’s coming back in a few days. He promised.”

“Alright, you’re taking over for him until he does then.” Kelles grabbed Lucian by the wrist and led him down the stairs. The dust-covered wooden steps creaked under his bare feet as they entered the dining area.

“I’m expecting several mining parties in the next few days. So it will be very busy tonight.”

“Oh, uh, Mother said I can’t work late at night.”

Kelles let go of Lucian and glared at him before releasing another breath of smoke. “Your mother isn’t paying for your room boy. I am.”

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“I had to work from morning to night every day. The pub was always full with large men who ordered drink after drink. It was a new group every night… I, I had never been so humiliated in my life.”

“Humiliated?” Juliana asked.

“They laughed at me and mocked my height when I tried to serve them. They swore and spat at me if their food wasn’t perfect or if it took too long to prepare. And some of them purposely spilled their drinks on me and blamed my poor service. Mother couldn’t do anything to help me, and she had to beg those men for money so she could pay Kelles for her drinks.”

“That’s awful,” she said. “How could Kelles allow them to treat you like that?

“He laughed just as much as the rest of them.” His statement was followed by a long, awkward silence.

“But…Baldren did come back didn’t he?” Juliana asked.

“He did, just like he promised.”

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Lucian awoke once again to the sound of Kelles’ knuckles striking the door; just as he had done each morning since Baldren left.

“Get up boy! I got customers down here for breakfast and no clean dishes for them.”

Lucian dragged himself out of bed and over to his mother. He retrieved her blanket from the floor and covered her before gathering the empty glasses and bottles surrounding her bed.

Nanami mumbled in her sleep. “Arngrim… Darius…”

“Hey! Lucian! Don’t make me tell you again!” Kelles shouted. “Get downstairs!”

“I-I’m coming!” Lucian stared at Nanami as she continued to talk to herself and repeat his father’s name. He gently lifted her head and turned the tear-soaked side of her pillow facedown.

Lucian made for the door, but he tripped over something resting on the ground near the end of the bed. Several of the glasses he carried shattered or chipped on the floor as he fell. He turned back and grimaced from his discomfort as he reached for his knee, but his pain was replaced by joy when he saw Baldren lying on his stomach on the hardwood floor behind him.

Baldren!

He rushed over to his brother and tried to wake him, but Baldren was sound asleep and unresponsive.

“Baldren! Baldren, wake up!”

“Hey!” Kelles shouted again as he knocked on the door. “What was that noise? What’re you doing in there?”

Lucian left his brother’s side and hopped over the glass fragments on his way to the door. He smiled and jumped in place as he swung the door open. “Mister Kelles! My brother came back! Baldren is here!”

Kelles peeked inside and smirked as he grabbed Lucian by the shoulder and pulled him from the room. He held Lucian back and slammed the door behind him.

“Wait!” Lucian shouted as he reached for the door.

Kelles positioned himself between Lucian and the room and pushed him away. “You should have been in the kitchen an hour ago boy. Go!”

“But I want to talk to him!”

Kelles reached back and slapped Lucian across his face, knocking him to the ground. “Damn it all boy! I have customers down there! You can talk later! Now get your ass downstairs!” He crouched over Lucian and lifted his hand again.

Lucian quickly crawled to the steps as he rubbed the red mark on his face. He ran down the stairs and entered the kitchen without saying a word.

The morning went on as Lucian performed his daily tasks while begging Kelles to allow him to return to his family. For hours he pleaded with his landlord, only to receive continued verbal and physical abuse for his trouble. Kelles only allowed Lucian to go upstairs when all of the previous night’s customers had been fed and left.

Lucian entered the room around midday to see Baldren sitting up from the floor and rubbing his eyes. Nanami was no longer there, but Lucian barely noticed as he dashed over to his brother.

“Baldren!” he yelled.

“Lucian, I’m back.” He smiled as Lucian sat down next to him.

The two spoke to each other about the last several days, but Lucian did not mention the abuse he had suffered at the hands of Kelles and the miners. He did not wish to anger Baldren, nor embarrass himself any more than he already was. Baldren began to tell Lucian of the journey through the Aritolla pass and into the valley.

“There isn’t really anything left,” he said. “It was all burned.” Baldren continued on, describing how he found the bodies of Arngrim, Darius, and Rey-su out in the fields and buried them together under what remained of their home.

Lucian lowered his head. “What about Vaha-ni? Did you find her?”

“Yes. She was… she was in the mountains.” Baldren closed his eyes. “She sacrificed herself by placing her body in the narrow ravine we passed through. I don’t know how long she held them there, but we may not have escaped otherwise. There were… dozens of bodies…”

“B-Bodies?”

“They didn’t even bury their own dead Lucian… What kind of country is this?”

Lucian whimpered as he visualized the scenes his brother described to him.

Baldren hugged him. “Listen Lucian, I thought about what we need to do on my way back. Father was right. He sent us away with Mother to protect us. He did it so we would endure and keep the Dragoons alive.”

“But what can we do now?”

“It won’t be easy Lucian, but I need you to keep working late for me. I’m going to find work on the other side of town. If I save enough we can buy a horse for Mother and leave this place.”

Lucian looked up at Baldren. “Alright…I’ll do it.”

“No, we’ll do it together,” he said. “And for Mother’s sake as well.” Baldren stood and walked over to Lucian’s bed. He leaned down and reached underneath the wooden frame. “Look what I found.”

Lucian smiled and wiped his face as Baldren revealed Arngrim’s spear from underneath the bed. The two of them held the eight foot pike together as Lucian examined it from end to end.

“Lucian… I promise I’ll never leave you like that again.”