Young Writers Society

“... if only you could see them!” Jae whispered, staring blindly into the flames of the campfire. A dull green woolen blanket was clutched tightly about his shoulders as he knelt, seemingly in a state between thoughtful and meditative.

“He's delusional.” Wren said softly to her brother, tears stinging at her eyes as she watched the young man stare into the flickering fire.

“We were too late.” Koth sighed deeply, his heart clenching. “Two years in a dungeon, buried alive. It's a wonder he survived at all. If only... if only I had come sooner.”

“It's not your fault.” The girl whispered. “If anything, you saved him. The Imperial Army would have executed him had he been caught above ground.”

“And we would have done so ourselves had they not invaded the capital.” The man clenched his jaw tightly, gritting his teeth. One could have easily said that the Throne of Ice and Fire had saved him.

Suddenly the young man's eyes snapped up, locking with Wren's for a split second. “... the Arclight.” He whispered to himself, seemingly in a daze. “The Arclight, lighting up all darkness... so beautiful... pristine. Like... like a sunset.” His fingers reached out, brushing against the flames. “So many truths... so clear to me now. So many lies. So true. So clear.”

“What happened to him?” Wren said gently. “How did he survive two years buried alive? Chained to a wall? Nearly dead to begin with.”

“I don't know.” Koth shook his head.

“... The Arclight.”

The flames from the campfire cast a halo of dancing shadows into the woods surrounding the exhausted trio. In a sense it was beautiful, the dull glow of the Ember Mold on the trees catching the light and sparkling like diamonds. But in reality, none of the three had the heart to appreciate their surroundings.

For this was no longer Sycorax.

And Koth and Wren were no longer prince and princess. They were fugitives in enemy territory, with nowhere to go.

Their survival had been a matter of pure luck.

Their decision to save Jaecron had been a matter of simple morals.

And the situation they now found themselves in was, quite simply put, hopeless.

With a massive bounty on each of their heads, they would never be able to show their faces in either Sycorax or the Thronelands again. It would be an eighty mile walk to the nearest friendly face. Eighty miles of the most treacherous land in all of the Bletholas.

With no food.

And no tools.

And no supplies.

The situation was not lost on either of the siblings.

“Uncle Bruune will probably take us in if we can reach him....” Wren suggested softly.

“It's eighty miles across the mountains to Veimoor, then another hundred and fifty to the nearest port.” Koth sighed. “And then, if, by some miracle we are able to scrape together enough money for a ship, it's a six hundred mile sail to the far side of the Dreadlands. If we reach Sidion, then what type of position will we be putting Uncle Bruune -whom I haven't seen in fifteen years- in?”

“Like it or not, the Throne of Ice and Fire is now the most powerful nation on the Bletholas. If we turn their attention to Sidion, there will be no hope. Just more war. I will not lose two wars in one lifetime.”

“You're overthinking things....” Wren shifted uncomfortably on the rocky ground. “Right now all we need is a plan.”

Koth shrugged. “We can hide in the mountains, build a home up here, and live our days out peacefully, not disturbing this world ever again!”

There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the crackling flames.

“You know I can't accept that kind of life.” Wren said finally.

“I can.”

“Maybe....” She broke eye contact with her brother.

“Maybe it's time we went our separate ways?” Koth asked sharply, finishing her sentence. It was hardly a question.

But she nodded still. “Do what you must brother.” She whispered. “But I will head to Sidion. I will build myself a new home in the north. Somehow.”

Koth clenched his jaw sharply. “I see. And you will do so at the risk of destroying all of Sidion with you?”

She hesitated, nodding slightly. “I can only pray that by the time Nar Kann finds me, his anger will have cooled, and he will leave our pasts behind us. If not... then he may have my life. But I refuse to live in fear of him.”

He nodded slightly. “Very well. Do what you must!”

“And... Jae? He will come with me!” The statement was half request, half demand.

Koth glanced over at the huddled figure by the fire. “You truly think you can care for him? Like that?”

“I owe him to try.” She replied.

“Very well.” Koth nodded again. “You had best begin tomorrow morning. You can take the supplies. I will fend for myself.”

“Are you-”

“Yes! I'm sure.” Koth grimaced. “Try to get some rest. You will need all your energy.”

Wren nodded, standing. Unfolding a blanket from her pack, she spread it out on the ground and rolled herself up in it, facing the fire, staring quietly up at Jae.

Koth watched as her eyes slowly closed.

Defeat was so bitter. This level of defeat destroyed all emotion that he somehow felt should have come along with the pain. Their family had been annihilated, their people decimated, their home burned to the ground, and their hopes and dreams crushed.

He couldn't even bring himself to hate Veln and Nar Kaan for what they had done. All he felt was... emptiness.

Taking a roll of paper from his pack he gently unrolled it and began drawing. Wren would need a map.

Dawn broke seemingly only moments later. Kaan's face and fingers had gone dead numb from the cold. He gently cracked his eyes open, looking around. He must have fallen asleep as soon as he finished the map.

A light dusting of snow had fallen during the night, effectively dousing the fire and covering their little forest meadow in white powder. A white mound showed where Wren was.

It took him a moment to realize what wasn't there. A second white mound.

He slowly stood, looking around their campsite.

He was gone.

He gently stepped over, giving Wren a gentle shake.

She shifted slightly, looking up at him through sleepy eyes. “Oh... good morning Koth.”

“Jae's gone.”

“... What?”

“Jae's gone.”

She jolted upright, suddenly wide awake, looking about frantically.

Quickly she stood, raising her hands to her mouth. “Jae!” She cried. The sound echoed into the woods, quickly fading to nothingness. “Jae!” She cried again.

Koth shook his head. “If he'd left recently there'd be footprints.” He clenched his jaw. “He's long gone, Wren. And we can't track him.”

Instead of stating the obvious as to Jae's condition, Wren glanced down at the snow by her feet. “What's this?” Reaching down she picked up a piece of paper.

“It's a map I drew for you.” Koth replied.

“No...” She held it up for him to see. On one side was, indeed, his map... but on the other side was a hastily scribbled message.

I'm sorry.

I can't explain to you why I'm still alive. Or what I saw.

What kept me alive these past two years.

I can only ask for your understanding when I say that a great number of truths have become clear to me. Truths about myself, my past, and about this world we live in.

Koth. Do not blame yourself for what happened. Your loyalty is your strongest trait, and while I am sure it will one day lead you to your downfall, I am confident you will stay true to yourself until that day. It was my honor to serve under you as the Lord Annihilator, and also as your friend. Nothing has changed in my mind in that respect.

Wren. I am sorry I wasn't able to save Sycorax. That apology is true to both of you, but most importantly to you. I pray that you find peace some day. I wish I could have helped you find it myself, but there are things I must attend to. Things I have forgotten for too long.

We will meet again one day.

Your friend; Jaecron Nar Flamezone.

Tears trickled down Wren's cheeks. “He's ok!” She choked. “He's going to be fine!”

Koth gulped, holding back his own emotion. How strange it was that he could still feel such things.

There was a long moment of silence.

“Thank you.” Wren finally whispered, clutching the letter and map in her hands. She glanced up. “Thank you to both of you. I think... I think it's better this way. I feel I can move on now.”

Her flooding tears spoke of more pain than she let on, but Koth kept his peace, nodding instead. “Go, Wren. Find Sidion. Find Bruune. Find happiness.” He reached over and tossed her pack to her, which she caught awkwardly. “Everything you should need is in there.”

“Koth... I...”

“Just go.” He nodded sharply. “Jae was right. One day we will meet again. All of us.”

Turning away, he swept up his own pack and paced into the woods. She would be fine. And it was better this way. It would make it easier for her to walk away.

He didn't look back.

He refused to look back.

Wren gulped down an icy breath, turning to face the woods the opposite direction from which Koth had gone.

One day.

She would find them.

She would find Jae and tell him. Tell him how she felt. How much she regretted everything that had happened. How sorry she was.

One day.