Kal-Stone I

Kal’s arms were numb, holding three heavy logs and forcing his feet through the thick snow that went up to his knees. Looking ahead, he could just about see the silhouette of a few people through the heavy blizzard. Even though he wore thick fur, he was still starting to get cold.

“Are we nearly done yet?!” He shouted out into the blizzard.

“Stop your whining!”

Turning to his side, his older brother Kris was walking past him laughing whilst holding a few logs of wood himself.

“It’s your fault we have to help in the first place!” Kal’s twin brother Kit shouted, barging his shoulder into Kal and forcing him to drop the logs onto the floor.

Idiot! He thought.

“It was just a prank. I didn’t think mother would make us help collect wood!” Kal moaned back as he bent down to pick up the logs.

“Me and Karl have to do this nearly every day, count yourself lucky this is your first time.” Kris shouted back whilst he stormed ahead to catch up with Karl.

That morning, Kal thought it would be funny to wake his twin brother with throwing water over his head. Although he had a great laugh from it, their mother was not pleased and forced them both to assist the twins, Kris and Karl, with chores. Something that Kal hated.

“How much longer?” Kal shouted out to no reply.

He kept forcing his feet further through the mud, not being able to see anyone through the blizzard he was now alone and afraid. Hearing many stories of monsters that hide in the blizzards.

Taking a few steps forward, Kal’s foot disappeared into the snow and his body quickly followed. Gripping onto the floor as he fell, he looked down and saw he had somehow walked off to the edge of the cliff.

“Help!!” He shouted out.

Kris, Karl and Kit all appeared above him. Kris, jumping into action dropped to the ground and grabbed a hold of Kal’s hand and helped with pulling him back up.

“You need to be careful brother!” He shouted pulling him back to his feet.

“I could’ve just died!” Kal shouted hitting Kris’s arm!

Laughing, Kris replied.

“Oh don’t be such a baby. It’s only a little drop down and it’s an easy climb. You would’ve been fine.”

You jump off it then! Kal thought to himself.

Karl looked around and shouted.

“I think we should get back inside, this blizzard is getting stronger.”

The boys agreed and Kal stayed next to Kris on their trip back.

It was only a ten minute walk until they saw the big grey walls of Erwin, a single black door led into the wall and the boys were finally out of the blizzard and warming up from the torches that were inside.

Kris and Karl pulled down their fur hoods, both had thick, long black hair that they brushed back. They may not be identical twins, but they had the hair of a Falkner.

Kal kept his hood up, still cold from the blizzard as they walked through the castle wall and towards the Erwin castle to deliver the logs to their mother.

Finally inside the corridors of Erwin castle, the brothers walked along the dark blue rug holding the heavy logs into the dining hall where their mother is sat reading.

“Boy’s, how did you get on?” She said.

Her hair was also black, long and thick. Most of the women in the Southlands were thick and muscly, however Kal always thought that his mother was smaller than most, almost weak looking and a skinny face.

“Not bad,” Kris told her, “Except for Kal almost falling off the cliff.” He said with a laugh.

As much as Kris would tease and annoy Kal, he looked up to his older brother. Their eldest brother, Rickard II, has been away training with the army for the last few months and Kris has taken the role of the leader of the brothers ever since.

“Oh Kal, you need to start being more careful.” His mother told him.

“Sorry mother.” Kal moaned back, dropping the logs onto the ground and went to take a seat along the dinner table.

“Right boys,” Their mother said, “You have two hours until we are eating. You can do as you wish until then.”

Without giving anyone a chance to change their mothers mind, Kal ran out of the dining room and down the hall.

It didn’t take long for Kit to catch him up. They were originally identical twins; however Kit has recently gained more weight than Kal. They both ate the same, it just seemed that Kal didn’t store food the same way as his brother.

“You stay here, I’ll hide!” Kal shouted, watching as his brother closed his eyes and started to count.

I know exactly where to go! Kal thought.

Running down the halls, he came across a small table up against the stone wall with a blue sheet covering it. Lifting the sheet, there was a small wooden door underneath that Kal had found days earlier but had not explored yet.

Crawling through the little door, when it shut it left Kal in near complete darkness, except for a few beams of light bursting through cracks in the wall.

He’ll never find me here!

Kal held his left hand onto the wall in an attempt to not get lost as he started to walk down the forgotten path. This gap between walls wasn’t big, just enough for Kal to not be hitting his shoulders on either side.

As he kept walking down, he wondered where it could lead. Knowing that there was no chance of his brother finding him, he carried on to explore. Until he could hear a few voices coming from afar.

Following the voices, as they grew louder and louder Kal looked through a small crack in the wall. It would seem that there was an incline in his walk because he was looking down into a room with a few men inside.

He could now hear their voices and instantly recognised the deep tone of his fathers.

“Seahiem has been under siege for months now, the people in there are going to be starving soon. I need a plan and I need one now!” His father says in a tone that scares Kal and he is grateful to not be one of the men in the room.

“My lord, while their troops are busy in Seahiem, we could take our men through the dark forest and attack straight on Altzhiem. They can’t have many men left there to defend it.” One of the other men suggested, until the other interrupted.

“My lord, the dark forest is filled with bandits and who knows what else, we could lose half of our men before even getting the Altzhiem.” The men are arguing and sounding very serious, being an adult always looks so hard. Kal thinks to himself.

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“If we do that then we give up on Seahiem.” Kal’s father shouted, “How am I suppose to keep the faith of those loyal to me if I leave them to starve! Have we heard anything back yet from King Leo about reinforcements? If we can get them then we can make a two headed attack, right now I don’t know if we have the forces to out-weigh the enemy?”

“Nothing yet my lord.” One of the men said.

Kal quickly grew bored of this conversation, having no interest in the war against the rebels.

He carried on down the dark path until he reached one appeared to be steps. Placing his right foot on one, Kal grew slightly afraid, knowing that he has gone far and the light was almost completely gone.

Instead of venturing forwards, the young boy turned around and headed back to the small door he once crawled through.

When he remerged into the corridors of the castle he quickly ran to his bedroom and waiting for his brother to arrive.

Sitting on his bed, he eventually heard his mother calling them all for dinner.

Bursting out of his room and into the dinning hall, Kit was stood there with eyes wide open staring at Kal.

“Where did you go?!” He shouted.

“None of your business, I guess I won!” Kal said walking past his brother and taking a seat at the table.

The rest of the family slowly joined the table, Kal looked down at the roasted chicken on his plate and the handful of vegetables, steam pouring off from the meal and filling his senses. He ignored the veg and dove straight into the chicken, picking it up with his bare hands and ripping the meat apart with his teeth.

“Rickard?!” Kal’s mother suddenly shouted and stood up from her seat.

Kal stopped eating for just a moment to turn his head and saw his eldest brother, Rickard II, had entered the room. His mother, Kris and Karl all rose to hug their brother while Kal and Kit remained on their seats eating.

“What are you doing home?” Their mother asked.

“I have been given a few days leave so I thought I would surprise you.” Rickard II said as he approached the table.

“This is wonderful.” Their mother said as the family returned to their seats and Rickard II took a seat and one of the servants brought him a plate filled with food.

“Kit, Kal. Nice to see you both!” Rickard II laughed. Kal rose his head from the plate and grunted.

“Hello.” With a mouth filled with food.

“I heard there was a deserter joining us for dinner tonight!” Suddenly their father shouted as he burst through the door.

Rickard II jumped up and hugged their father.

“It’s good to see you son. You have grown in your training.” Their father said.

Standing side by side, Rickard II looked very similar to their father, except slightly smaller. Where Kal’s father was large and muscly, Rickard II was slightly slenderer that came with his younger age. Both with long, thick black hair, although Rickard II went below his shoulders and their fathers stopped by his neck.

“Take a seat son, tell me all about your training!” Their father said and then joined them for dinner.

“It is going well Father. It won’t be long until I am fighting against these rebels!” Rickard II said with confidence.

“All in good time son.” Their father said with a laugh, gripping onto his son’s shoulder, “I’m surprised they didn’t make you cut this, you look like your mother!”

“Be nice Rik, I remember you calling my hair the most beautiful in the world when you first attempted to court me.” Their mother said whilst slowly cutting into her meal.

“That is as true now as it was then.” Their father said.

Finishing the last of the chicken, Kal pushed his plate away and looked to grab another piece of meat from the serving tray in the middle of the table.

“Kal, you act as though you aren’t fed!” Their father said with a laugh.

Kal was undeterred by his father and ripped off a leg from the roasted chicken and instantly started shredding it to pieces with his mouth.

“What is happening with the rebels father?” Kris asked, sitting across from Rickard II, “I hear they are still attacking cities? Will this civil war last much longer?”

“These things are complicated son.” Their father said, “The rebels have a larger army than we anticipated, if our King of Kings would send reinforcements then the civil war could be finished tomorrow.”

“Why doesn’t he send the reinforcements?” Kris asked.

“That is a long story son, one you do not need to worry yourself with. However, it is proving hard to keep the people of the Southlands loyal to the King when he isn’t showing any urgency to defend them.” Their father said.

“I’m sure he will send people soon darling.” Their mother said, “He is having to juggle with sending soldiers to the Holy War and sending people to you. It can be no easy task.”

“That damn Holy War.” Their father grunted as he cut up the chicken that was cooling on his plate.

“What is wrong with the Holy War father?” Karl asked joining into the conversation, “I thought we were fighting them to help the savages of the desert land?”

“That is all well and good son, but when we are having troubles in our land, right now, we need all the men here. Not fighting on another continent, we must look after our own first.” Their father explained.

“We don’t need to discuss politics any longer.” Their mother quietly said with a straight face, however their father seemed to ignore her request.

“Listen son’s, we must stop any heathens on the world, however there are enough here on Oswen to deal with first. Lest the continent winds up like the Southlands.”

“What do you mean?” Kal scoffed out with a mouth full of food, confused by his father’s last statement.

“The Southlands once was a bountiful country, until a King rose to power that worshipped Edia, the Goddess of magic. Because of the new magic abilities they found, the Southlands soon became the frozen territory it is now. The gods cursed us for being heathens.” Their father told the boys.

“So there are still theses heathens on Oswen? Even after that happened?” Kal asked.

“Yes son, these rebels are fighting to restore the faith of Edia even though they know the damage that she has caused. Do you know what you should do if you ever come across a heathen?” Their father asked, one by one all of the sons shook their head.

“You chop off their head!” He shouted with a roaring laugh bursting from him.

“Rik! Can we please not have these discussions at the dinner table.” Their mother complained to her husband.

“My apologies Henrieta.” Their father apologised, “Is Kody not well enough to join us tonight?”

Kal watched as his mother’s face turned from annoyance to sadness, her eyes darted to the ground and he watched as her hands played in her lap.

Kal has been told stories of his mother when she was younger, she was renowned as being one of the most beautiful women in the Southlands and having smile that could melt a man’s heart. However, after giving birth to Kris and Karl, their mother gave birth to Kody a year later. Kal doesn’t know what exactly is wrong with him, other than he is ill all of the time and can rarely leave his room. Many nights Kal has heard his mother crying in her room whilst alone.

“I’m sorry my darling, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Their father said with a sombre tone.

The next day.

Luckily for Kal, his mother didn’t give him any more chores and he was set to explore the hidden corridor between the walls. Leaving his room with a small, wooden sword inside of his belt he found the little doorway and entered the dark path.

I wonder what monsters will be hidden. Kal thought.

Holding one hand onto the wall he went the same route as the previous day. It didn’t take him long to reach the small stairs that led to being able to see into his father’s meeting room. Except this time it was empty.

Although he was afraid of the next part of the corridor, it was filled with darkness, but that wasn’t going to stop him this time. With his right how he pulled out his mighty wooden sword, hell bent on defending himself if he must.

Walking down the corridor, Kal didn’t find anything of excitement. That was until he heard banging coming from afar. Gripping tightly onto the wooden sword, the young lad carried on his march towards the loud noise.

As he walked further, the banging grew louder and louder. He could hear muffled voices, although it was too far and blocked by the wall to make out clearly what was being said. Once again he found himself tripping on a hidden step.

Come on Kal! You can do this!

Taking the few stairs up, once he reached a flat ground he could hear the banging clearer, it was coming from the other side of the wall. A few further steps up and he found a small crack in the wall.

Looking inside he realised that he was near the ceiling of this room, looking down he couldn’t see anything, except the banging was much louder and he could now hear the voices.

“Don’t stop!” He heard a woman’s voice saying, she sounded as though she were in pain.

Kal attempted to look around the crack but he couldn’t see anything, so he chose to carry on down the corridor and hope to find another crack.

A few further steps down, he saw a slight beam of light coming through the wall. With his wooden sword he was able to scrape down a few stones which left the crack large enough for him to look through.

“Yes, just like that!” He heard the woman’s voice again, followed by some manly grunts.

Looking through the crack, Kal was shocked to see the top half of a woman, completely naked. She had blonde hair, something that Kal hasn’t seen before. He knows that he should not be spying on this woman but curiosity took over. The woman had a snake tattoo that circled her right eye, Kal followed the black tattoo that went down her neck and ended on her right nipple that was moving around with her.

What is she doing? Kal thought to himself.

“Turn over.” Kal heard the man’s voice.

I know that voice! He thought.

His body froze solid and his eyes widened to the point he felt they could fall out of his skull, he saw the woman with the tattoo move lower and out of sight, in replacement, Kal’s father appeared behind her. His black hair looked sweaty and his shirt off, showing his thick chest hair.

“That’s it, stay right there.” His father said with a grunt.

Kal knew he would be in trouble for spying and for going here on his own, and not wanting to see his father undressed he quickly turned around and as quiet as possible headed back down the dark corridor.

When he returned to his bedroom, Kal closed his eyes but the sound of the banging and the grunted was still echoing in his mind.

What was father doing?! He thought, Why was he with that woman?!

Kal wracked his brain and cursed himself for going down the corridor in the first place.