| War and History Fiction posted June 19, 2022 | Chapters: |
...18 19 -20- 21... 
|
  |
Colton and Enid visit their old home.
A chapter in the book Rise from the Fall
Dark Memories
by Rinshikai
The author has placed a warning on this post for violence.
The author has placed a warning on this post for language.
| Background Colton Arverni is an auxiliary soldier in service to the Empire. When an aspiring new commander jeopardizes the northern frontier, Colton's life is changed forever. |
Colton
I'm drowning, ash filling my lungs. The screams are everywhere, echoing all around me. I can't get away; I can't get away; it's burning me. Where is Aunt Iona? She'll keep us safe. Someone's calling my name. Who is that?
"Colton," Enid calls my name, shaking me, "Are you ok? Did you go to the bad place again?"
I catch my breath, tears blinding me. Whipping them away, I remember now; we're here, where everything changed. Through blurry eyes, I try to focus, trembling from my memories. "I'm ok, Little Light," I lie.
She strokes my hand, calming my nerves. "If it's too much for you, we can leave."
"No," I stand, taking her hand; I guide her down the ruined street. "You wanted me to describe this place. So, I'm going to do it." The charred remains of buildings and people decorate the area, forever trapped where they were struck down.
"What does it look like?" Enid says, clinging to my arm.
"Like death, Little Light. A burnt-out husk ready to crumble to dust."
She clings tighter, unwilling to let go. "And if you and Aunt Iona don't stop the Northerners, this will happen everywhere, won't it?"
I stop, pulling her into a hug, "Yeah." Tears threaten to fall, and I hold her tight, fearing this will be the last time we hug. "I need you to protect Aunt Luna. Can you do that for me?" She nods into my shoulder, on the verge of tears herself. "Good girl."
A voice starts singing in the distance. There shouldn't be anyone here. Where are they? Pushing Enid behind me, I try to find the source, grabbing the first thing I can for a makeshift weapon.
"The Wraith shall haunt you through the night, only banished by the light. The Wolf shall hunt you as you flee until you fall onto your knees. The Watcher finds you with true sight no matter where you choose to hide." It's like a dirge or a warning.
Curiosity overwhelming her, she points out. "It's coming from over there." She tries to follow the voice, but I pull her back. "What if someone else is here, Colton?" Those grey eyes look at me through her veil. "It could be another survivor." Optimism pours from her like a torch in the night.
The idea of another survivor ignites a little hope inside me. But reality battles it at every turn. "Will go, but we have to be quick and quiet, ok." I let her crawl onto my back, allowing those ears to lead the way.
In these burnt-out streets, every step sends me back to that day. But I must endure for her sake. Burying my weakness with anger, I whisper to myself never again. I won't let this happen ever again.
Following Enid's ears, we reach the edge of the district. Water pours from an old aqueduct, filling a fountain with its clean embrace. I stop dead. At its base sits an old woman washing ash-covered clothes. What's she doing here? Was Enid, right? Could she be another survivor?
She stops singing, wringing out the last of her clothes. "Have they come to gawk at her?" She says, looking directly at us. To my horror, she has no eyes, only empty sockets with blackened skin. "Does her appearance bother them?" She takes a piece of cloth and covers her eye sockets.
"I'm sorry, I didn't...."
"Manners, such a rarity in this world." She searches for her walking stick. "Thieves licked these bones clean many years ago. There's nothing for you here." By touch alone, she gathers her belongings and stands, shrouding herself. "Go home."
Leaping from my back, Enid says, "This was our home before the purge."
The old woman cackles, "They butchered every child that day. She remembers it well." Touching her blindfold, her withered hands tremble. "Before they put her eyes out, they made her watch them burn." She walks away, effortlessly avoiding obstacles. "You are too young to have survived."
Before she can disappear into the alley, I take her hand. I need answers. "We did survive, our Aunt Iona and us." The tension fades, and she turns, disbelief on her face.
"Little Iona," she reaches for me, tracing the lines of my face. "You called her Aunt, then your...."
"Colton," I answer. "And she's Enid, my sister."
A genuine smile creeps across her lips as she continues tracing our features. "Come with her, quickly." She orders, nearly falling over herself. Did she know us from before? Maybe she knew our parents? I can't let this chance slip away.
She leads us deeper into the darkness. The remains of buildings prod out like broken ribs. A tarp dances over an old guard post. I open the door, and I'm surprised at what's inside?" Fire lights the room, a bubbling cauldron offering its odd aroma. A straw bed rests in the corner, with totems of bone dangling above. Across from that is a low table decorated with pots and vases containing everything from herbs to water.
"Who are you?" I ask.
"Once, she was a midwife." She lays her stick and linens near the fire. "Now, she's a blind old woman, waiting to join those children she couldn't save." She works effortlessly at the table, mixing various items. "She remembers you both. The boy was a fighter, kicking her nose as she cleaned him." She laughs. "And the girl wailed. But she calmed in her mother's embrace."
Enid's fingers intertwine with mine. "What were they like?" She asks.
"Like all fleeing the warring clans. They wanted a home." She adds her mixture to the cauldron. "The Empire promises much. But a promise is only worth something if kept." The wind rustles her totems as they dance with the fire.
"Our father, was he planning to rebel?" I ask.
"Perhaps, tempers were high, and bellies empty." She stirs her brew. "But she doesn't know for sure."
I want a better answer, but she raises her hand. Footsteps echo outside, and a sudden thump hits the door. "We know you're in there, Arverni! Come out, and we'll make it quick."
"Enid, stay here." Standing, I walk to the door. Once outside, several men armed to the teeth trap me. The click of a crossbow is all the warning I have. The next thing I know, my shoulder is in agony from a bolt. I use the door for support as my eyes get hazy. Fuck, it's poison-tipped.
"Colton?"
"Lock the door!" I say, my one arm going numb.
An older man with a bolter pushes his way through the group. Even with my blurry vision, his features are undeniable. Fewer wrinkles and grey hair, and it's that noble shit I killed.
Handing his weapon to one of these men, he knocks me to the ground. As I gasp for breath, he forces me to look at him. "I will give you one chance," he shows me a vial. "I'll spare your life, but in exchange, your flowering sister is mine as payment for my son. Understood?"
I spit in his face, forcing a smile, "Fuck you."
He drops the vial, its contents seeping into the cobblestone. "Pity," he stands, gesturing to the door. "Open it."
Panicking, I snap the bolt in my shoulder, stabbing one of them in the leg. Then, the others kick me," each blow ripping the air from my lungs. I collapse on my side, blood everywhere. My vision blurs, and their words grow distant. All I can do is pray. Don't open that door, Enid, don't open that door.
The world goes black, and the sounds of battle echo. A beast drags one of them away, and another falls to an arrow. He lands next to me; his expression is one of horror. Someone helps me sit up straight; it's a woman with blonde hair. I think she's calling my name, but I can't hear her. I'm tired, and the world fades around me.
"Colton," Enid calls my name, shaking me, "Are you ok? Did you go to the bad place again?"
I catch my breath, tears blinding me. Whipping them away, I remember now; we're here, where everything changed. Through blurry eyes, I try to focus, trembling from my memories. "I'm ok, Little Light," I lie.
She strokes my hand, calming my nerves. "If it's too much for you, we can leave."
"No," I stand, taking her hand; I guide her down the ruined street. "You wanted me to describe this place. So, I'm going to do it." The charred remains of buildings and people decorate the area, forever trapped where they were struck down.
"What does it look like?" Enid says, clinging to my arm.
"Like death, Little Light. A burnt-out husk ready to crumble to dust."
She clings tighter, unwilling to let go. "And if you and Aunt Iona don't stop the Northerners, this will happen everywhere, won't it?"
I stop, pulling her into a hug, "Yeah." Tears threaten to fall, and I hold her tight, fearing this will be the last time we hug. "I need you to protect Aunt Luna. Can you do that for me?" She nods into my shoulder, on the verge of tears herself. "Good girl."
A voice starts singing in the distance. There shouldn't be anyone here. Where are they? Pushing Enid behind me, I try to find the source, grabbing the first thing I can for a makeshift weapon.
"The Wraith shall haunt you through the night, only banished by the light. The Wolf shall hunt you as you flee until you fall onto your knees. The Watcher finds you with true sight no matter where you choose to hide." It's like a dirge or a warning.
Curiosity overwhelming her, she points out. "It's coming from over there." She tries to follow the voice, but I pull her back. "What if someone else is here, Colton?" Those grey eyes look at me through her veil. "It could be another survivor." Optimism pours from her like a torch in the night.
The idea of another survivor ignites a little hope inside me. But reality battles it at every turn. "Will go, but we have to be quick and quiet, ok." I let her crawl onto my back, allowing those ears to lead the way.
In these burnt-out streets, every step sends me back to that day. But I must endure for her sake. Burying my weakness with anger, I whisper to myself never again. I won't let this happen ever again.
Following Enid's ears, we reach the edge of the district. Water pours from an old aqueduct, filling a fountain with its clean embrace. I stop dead. At its base sits an old woman washing ash-covered clothes. What's she doing here? Was Enid, right? Could she be another survivor?
She stops singing, wringing out the last of her clothes. "Have they come to gawk at her?" She says, looking directly at us. To my horror, she has no eyes, only empty sockets with blackened skin. "Does her appearance bother them?" She takes a piece of cloth and covers her eye sockets.
"I'm sorry, I didn't...."
"Manners, such a rarity in this world." She searches for her walking stick. "Thieves licked these bones clean many years ago. There's nothing for you here." By touch alone, she gathers her belongings and stands, shrouding herself. "Go home."
Leaping from my back, Enid says, "This was our home before the purge."
The old woman cackles, "They butchered every child that day. She remembers it well." Touching her blindfold, her withered hands tremble. "Before they put her eyes out, they made her watch them burn." She walks away, effortlessly avoiding obstacles. "You are too young to have survived."
Before she can disappear into the alley, I take her hand. I need answers. "We did survive, our Aunt Iona and us." The tension fades, and she turns, disbelief on her face.
"Little Iona," she reaches for me, tracing the lines of my face. "You called her Aunt, then your...."
"Colton," I answer. "And she's Enid, my sister."
A genuine smile creeps across her lips as she continues tracing our features. "Come with her, quickly." She orders, nearly falling over herself. Did she know us from before? Maybe she knew our parents? I can't let this chance slip away.
She leads us deeper into the darkness. The remains of buildings prod out like broken ribs. A tarp dances over an old guard post. I open the door, and I'm surprised at what's inside?" Fire lights the room, a bubbling cauldron offering its odd aroma. A straw bed rests in the corner, with totems of bone dangling above. Across from that is a low table decorated with pots and vases containing everything from herbs to water.
"Who are you?" I ask.
"Once, she was a midwife." She lays her stick and linens near the fire. "Now, she's a blind old woman, waiting to join those children she couldn't save." She works effortlessly at the table, mixing various items. "She remembers you both. The boy was a fighter, kicking her nose as she cleaned him." She laughs. "And the girl wailed. But she calmed in her mother's embrace."
Enid's fingers intertwine with mine. "What were they like?" She asks.
"Like all fleeing the warring clans. They wanted a home." She adds her mixture to the cauldron. "The Empire promises much. But a promise is only worth something if kept." The wind rustles her totems as they dance with the fire.
"Our father, was he planning to rebel?" I ask.
"Perhaps, tempers were high, and bellies empty." She stirs her brew. "But she doesn't know for sure."
I want a better answer, but she raises her hand. Footsteps echo outside, and a sudden thump hits the door. "We know you're in there, Arverni! Come out, and we'll make it quick."
"Enid, stay here." Standing, I walk to the door. Once outside, several men armed to the teeth trap me. The click of a crossbow is all the warning I have. The next thing I know, my shoulder is in agony from a bolt. I use the door for support as my eyes get hazy. Fuck, it's poison-tipped.
"Colton?"
"Lock the door!" I say, my one arm going numb.
An older man with a bolter pushes his way through the group. Even with my blurry vision, his features are undeniable. Fewer wrinkles and grey hair, and it's that noble shit I killed.
Handing his weapon to one of these men, he knocks me to the ground. As I gasp for breath, he forces me to look at him. "I will give you one chance," he shows me a vial. "I'll spare your life, but in exchange, your flowering sister is mine as payment for my son. Understood?"
I spit in his face, forcing a smile, "Fuck you."
He drops the vial, its contents seeping into the cobblestone. "Pity," he stands, gesturing to the door. "Open it."
Panicking, I snap the bolt in my shoulder, stabbing one of them in the leg. Then, the others kick me," each blow ripping the air from my lungs. I collapse on my side, blood everywhere. My vision blurs, and their words grow distant. All I can do is pray. Don't open that door, Enid, don't open that door.
The world goes black, and the sounds of battle echo. A beast drags one of them away, and another falls to an arrow. He lands next to me; his expression is one of horror. Someone helps me sit up straight; it's a woman with blonde hair. I think she's calling my name, but I can't hear her. I'm tired, and the world fades around me.
Character List
Colton: Main POV character
Enid: Colton's younger sister
Blind old woman: Another survivor of the purge
This is a rewrite of chapter twenty, divided into two parts. I ask reviewers to provide a minimum of one thing they liked and disliked. If you see errors or something that should be fixed, please don't hesitate to point them out. I can't improve otherwise.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Colton: Main POV character
Enid: Colton's younger sister
Blind old woman: Another survivor of the purge
This is a rewrite of chapter twenty, divided into two parts. I ask reviewers to provide a minimum of one thing they liked and disliked. If you see errors or something that should be fixed, please don't hesitate to point them out. I can't improve otherwise.
Artwork by avmurray at FanArtReview.com
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. Rinshikai All rights reserved.
Rinshikai has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
