Kid raced down the frozen streets in the wake of the Sons hauling Billy down the road at a jog. They’d roughly bandaged the wound across his gut, but he was still losing blood, ruby drops leaving a trail in the snow. The man’s head lolled, clearly on the verge of losing consciousness.
Kid panted, his breath fogging in the cold air. He could barely feel his arms, and his legs only gave off a dull ache from the exertion. The Sons were moving at little more than a jog, but he was slowly falling behind as his body reached its limits. If there was anything in his stomach to throw up, he would have already.
The Son’s leader noticed him falling further behind and slowed his pace to Kid’s. Kid wanted to thank him but couldn’t find the energy between breaths. A moment later, the man’s arms snaked about his waist and levered him into the air. Kid released an indignant yelp as the man slung him over his shoulder and increased his pace, catching up with his comrades. If Kid were less tired, he might have been embarrassed but, at the moment, he was simply relieved.
Time passed in a blur until the sounds of boots on cobblestone turned to boots on wood. A thumping sounded as if knocking at a door. Whoever knocked clearly didn’t wait for an answer as Kid felt a gush of warm air wash over him and the sky disappeared.
The world spun and he found himself sitting against a wall. His eyes locked on Lissa and James. He saw recognition blossom in their eyes as they rose to their feet in alarm. An old woman was with them, her eyes cloudy yet piercing as they gazed across him. The Sons hauled Billy into the room.
The Son’s leader pulled off his mask and spoke, looking to the older woman, “Melna, he needs immediate medical attention. This was the closest place.”
The old woman cursed, grabbing the white tablecloth and pulling it from the table, sending cups and steaming water scattering across the floor. The wood beneath was stained the color of dried blood and was soon hidden as the Sons laid Billy across its surface.
Billy groaned loudly as he thudded against the wood. Melna immediately began barking commands. “Lissa, see to the boy in the corner. He looks like he’s made of ice. James pull the man’s armor off.” Melna’s eyes met Billy’s and she frowned, hesitating a moment. She soon recovered, continuing her orders, “Marc, fetch the shears from the third drawer on the left and cut his shirt from him. Everyone else, back the hell away.”
The room exploded into motion as everyone obeyed her commands. Kid shivered, huddling himself into a ball. His thoughts and every movement felt sluggish. Lissa fell to her knees beside him. She placed her hand on his, but he couldn’t feel it. Her eyes went wide as if surprised by the chill.
Kid forced a smile to his lips, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. Lissa pulled off her oversized jacket and draped it over them both like a blanket as she curled up beside him. He could feel her body heat leeching into him, and it hurt. The pins and needles that followed felt more like spears and arrows as his extremities slowly came back to life.
“Wha- What are you doing here?” he asked her, teeth chattering.
“Hush,” she said, wrapping her arms over his shoulder as she rubbed life back into him. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Kid winced and said no more. The effort required was too great.
By the table, Melna had a deep frown set into her lips as Marc peeled away the sticky, red fabric from Billy’s torso.
“There’s no patching that,” Melna said.
Marc scowled, but didn’t disagree with her assessment.
Kid’s heart sank. He didn’t really know the man, but he’d wanted to.
Melna bit her lip as she raised her hands over Billy.
Marc blinked as he looked to her. “What- don’t-” the man stuttered, cut off by a flash of light. Tendrils of pink light flowed from the woman’s hand into Billy, lazily weaving through the air between them. A warm glow filled the room, and everything felt lighter. The flesh along Billy’s torso seemed to knit itself back into place as the man’s eyes fluttered.
Kid watched the old woman in wonder. Where her eyes had once been cloudy, they were now a piercing blue that seemed to glow with their own light. The wrinkles and lines in her face seemed to deepen and sag with each passing moment as if she aged before his eyes.
As quickly as it began, the light faded from the room and Melna sagged, leaning her arms against the table. James caught her as her legs gave out. He lifted her into the air and gently rested her in one of the chairs by the table. She shot him a grateful smile as she leaned back, seeming drained.
Marc frowned down at Billy. The old man’s chest rose and fell gently, seemingly fast asleep. “Why did you do that? We could have lost you.”
“He served with my husband. I owed him this much,” she answered.
Marc took a deep breath but didn’t say anything in response.
“He needs rest, and so do I,” Melna said.
Marc looked as if he had more questions he wanted to ask, but eventually took the hint, nodding. “Of course. We’ll return tomorrow,” he paused, “Thank you.”
The Sons who had carried Billy began to exit the building. Marc paused by the door, looking down at Lissa and Kid. “You good, boy?”
Kid nodded, extracting a hand and forcing his numb fingers into a thumbs-up to demonstrate.
Marc grinned. “I’ll be back here tomorrow morning. If you’re here as well, I’ll have work for you.” He fished a hand in his jacket pocket and pulled a coin from it.
The coin shined as he flipped it to Kid. Kid nearly fumbled it in his cold fingers. His eyes widened as he got a good look at it. It was a golden Heart, named after the Venaran Heartlands where it was minted. It was enough money to feed him for months.
He stared up at- Marc. “Thank you.”
Marc only smiled in response, turning his gaze to Lissa. “And I’ll check in on you regularly. If you ever need me or your parents, one of the men outside can bring a message.
Lissa gave him a soft smile. “Thank you.”
Marc nodded to her and left without another word.
***
Kid shivered; James’ coat swaddled around his shoulders. The scarred man and his daughter were on their knees, washing away the droplets of blood that had been spilled on the floor while Kid and Melna rested in the chairs by the table. He’d wanted to help, but James had told him in no uncertain terms to stay put.
Billy was still out cold on the table, but he looked peaceful. Kid wanted to thank him for whatever madness had overcome the man. He couldn’t remember anyone ever sticking up for him like that. The thought brought tears to the corners of his eyes, and he blinked them away.
This place was strange. He’d never seen anything quite like the altar and tapestry in the corner of the room.
A creaking sounded from the stairwell. Kid’s eyes widened as he took in the massive creature standing on the landing. It leaned forward and stretched, as if waking from a nap. Beady black eyes regarded him curiously as it thunked down the stairwell.
Kid wondered if he should run, but nobody else seemed to be concerned by the creature. Melna reached out a hand and the creature placed its snout into her palm, letting her caress its head. It trilled softly in pleasure.
Kid edged his chair away from the beast. The screech of wood on wood seemed to draw its attention and its gaze fixated on him. Kid held up his hands in a calming gesture, realizing his mistake as the creature lumbered toward him, snout extended.
An unnaturally long tongue flicked out and ran along one of his hands. Kid winced, looking down at the spittle now lining his palm. The thing fell to its haunches beside him. Sitting on the ground, it still came up to his shoulder, thick scales almost as large as his hands. He tentatively reached out a hand and ran his fingers along its carapace. It was warm to the touch, but not uncomfortably so. It trilled and leaned into his hand. Kid started to smile, his fear fading away.
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“I’ve always known Kryll to have excellent taste in character,” Melna said. “Probably why he stays upstairs while Marc is here.”
Kid barely heard her, his attention subsumed. “What is it?”
“He is a Keeper. A guardian of souls for our Lady dearest,” she said, gesturing to the tapestry on the wall.
“Can I touch him?” Lissa asked, rising to her feet and draping her used rag over the back of one of the chairs. Her eyes twinkled with a look of wonder as she regarded Kryll.
“Best not, darling,” Melna answered, “Not until you learn to control your intent. I for one, have no desire to sweat through my blouse.”
Lissa frowned, nodding her assent. James rose to his feet a moment later. “Thank you for taking her in,” he said.
Melna waved at him. “Phaw. The sooner I teach her everything I know, the sooner I can retire from all this.”
“If there’s anything I can do-”
She cut him off. “What you can do is talk some sense into your brother. He’s going to bring a hammer down on us all, and there’s going to be more than just him coming to me for aid,” she said, gesturing to Billy.
James bit his lip. “I can’t-”
“Is that what you told the people of Varna?” she interjected.
James froze, going white as a sheet. Kid looked between the two of them, wondering what the hell was going on. Lissa was deathly quiet.
“I know you’re a man who understands that doing what feels right isn’t the same as doing what is right,” Melna said, a hint of iron entering her voice.
“I do what is right for my family,” James answered, his voice raising.
Melna shook her head. “I’m sure that’s what Earl Rodger Thorne told himself when he let the city burn,” she said, “The fire is coming again. Where will you stand when it does, Gatekeeper?”
“Don’t call me that,” James said.
Melna sighed. “As you wish, but my request stands, and I make it in earnest. I see you, James.”
James met her gaze but said nothing. He turned to Lissa. “Be good, and if you need me, I’m not far. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Lissa whispered as her father walked from the house, leaving Kid swaddled in his coat and wondering if he should run after the man to return it. Kid slowly rose to his feet to do just that.
Melna’s gaze snapped to him. “Don’t even think about it.”
Kid fell back in the chair. “Sorry- er, Ma’am.”
Melna snorted in amusement as, then her eyes drifted to Billy and softened. “What happened to him?” she asked.
Lissa took a seat by the table, also watching him with interest. Kid shuffled the jacket over his shoulders and told them of how Billy had saved him during his round of the execution.
Melna was quiet for a long moment after he finished. She shook her head. “Killing children. Every time we push back, they press the boot to our throat harder.”
“What’s the alternative?” Kid asked.
Melna took a deep breath, rubbing one wrinkled hand over the other as if to will warmth into them. She met Kid’s gaze. “The alternative is to acknowledge that we lost and live in peace so that no more mothers have to raise their son without a father.”
Kid felt as if she’d punched him. He’d never even known his father. Didn’t even know how or if he’d died. His mother refused to even speak on the subject.
His Mother-
Divines, he needed to get home to her.
Kid leapt to his feet, the earlier lethargy of his limbs was nearly gone, though he still felt exhausted. It didn’t matter.
Melna narrowed her eyes at him. “I thought I said-”
“I need to get home,” Kid said, cutting her off and turning toward the door.
“Wait,” Melna called.
Kid hesitated by the door.
“Lissa, be a dear and go upstairs. In the second bedroom down the hall there is a wardrobe that may hold a jacket that actually fits our hurried young man. Would you please grab one?”
The girl nodded, rising to her feet and walking up the stairs. Kid frowned. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Melna waved at him as she rose from the chair on shaky legs. “You came in half-frozen, and I’d be a poor host to send you back into the cold without protection.” She turned and walked to the kitchen. “And even with eyes as worn as mine, I can tell you haven’t eaten in some time.”
At the mere mention of food, Kid’s mouth began to salivate. He swallowed as Melna appeared a moment later carrying a wicker basket holding a loaf of bread and a pair of apples. He swallowed again as he accepted the basket.
“Thank you,” he whispered the second time.
Melna smiled softly. “People call our Lady the Reaper because she manages the unpleasant duties of death, but that is not all she is. She smiles on sacrifice, much as the Goddess smiles on giving. Life and death- giving and sacrifice. They’re two sides of the same coin, and we sit here fighting over which is shinier.” She shook her head.
Kid was quiet as she turned away from him and returned to her seat by the table. Lissa appeared a moment later, scampering down the stairs with a thick wool jacket in her arms. Kid shrugged off his jacket and traded with her.
“Thank you,” he said for the third time, feeling like an absolute lump.
The corners of Lissa’s almond-colored eyes crinkled into a smile. “If you happen to pass by the Dancing Bear, do me a favor and tell my mother that I think I’ll like it here.”
Kid nodded his assent, then turned to walk through the door into the twilight of dusk.
***
Night had just fallen by the time Kid made it in sight of his home. Evenings this time of year were deathly quiet with few venturing from their homes to the frigid streets unless absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, he’d kept an eye out for the small-time gangs of thugs who would strip passersby of their belongings. The last thing he wanted to do was to lose the bounty Melna and Marc had given him.
He found himself unconsciously patting his pocket to make sure the golden Heart was still there. As a thief, he knew that was a terrible habit as it just highlighted where his valuables were, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d never in his life held so much money at once, and Marc had given it to him without a thought.
He knew he’d be back tomorrow.
Kid looked up at the small shack he and his mother occupied. The timbers had long since started rotting and the roof leaned heavily against the neighboring homes it was wedged between. In all fairness, the neighboring buildings looked to be in little better condition.
He could smell the stench of sex and excrement through the door and as he opened it, it washed over him in full force. He fought the urge to gag as he walked in. Glass bottles and other assorted trash was scattered across the dirt floor, some of it dangerously close to the smoldering embers of what had once been a fire. The air inside was nearly as cold as it was outside.
He could see his mother’s bare leg flopped out of the alcove she worked in. She wasn’t moving or even acknowledging his presence. A familiar tingle of fear ran down his spine as he quickly walked to her side.
The patchwork blanket only partially covered her nakedness, and he did his best to avert his eyes as he pulled it higher across her chest. “Mom?” he asked.
She didn’t respond and he knelt, touching her shoulder and shaking her. Her skin was icy cold. “Mom,” he said, more forcefully.
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing unfocused eyes. They lazily drifted to him. She reached out an arm to him, trying to caress his face. Her movement made the blanket fall down her chest and Kid looked away.
“My darling sweet little prince,” she purred, a smile creeping across her face.
Her fingers were colder to the touch than her shoulder was, and Kid winced. She didn’t seem to notice. He grabbed her hand and tucked her arm under the blanket. “You stay here and get comfortable. I’ll get the fire going.”
Her smile grew as her eyelids drooped. “I love you,” she said, rolling away from him and cozying into the matted straw and blankets.
Kid frowned. She only ever said that to him when on the spice. Somehow that just made it worse. He turned from her, setting the remaining food in the corner of the room. She could barely function right now, let alone eat without choking.
He grabbed some dried leaves and wicker scraps from a small pile in the corner of the room and set them atop the glowing embers of the fire pit. He stoked them with an empty bottle until they caught flame, then added scraps of wood to the fire until he was satisfied it would burn through most of the night.
Kid looked to his mother. She still lay facing the wall away from him. He gingerly plucked the golden Heart from his jacket and knelt by the far corner of the room. He stuck his fingers into the dirt at the base of the wall, just barely able to get his fingertips beneath the wood of the wall. He pulled upward until the wood shifted. There was a tiny alcove there that held a few copper coins. It was the one hiding spot that his mother hadn’t found yet, and it had the added benefit of being accessible from the rear of the house as well. He exchanged the gold coin for three coppers, staring as the gold shined in the firelight.
He sighed and pulled the board back into place, turning to face the empty, garbage strewn hovel. Kid cleared a small area on the cold dirt floor by the fire and lay down, doing his best to get comfortable. Thoughts of gold running through his mind as he drifted to sleep.
***
Kid awoke to the feeling of hands rummaging through his pockets. He opened his eyes to see his mother crouching over him. Her hair was matted and face gaunt. She had the hungry look in her eyes she got when she was looking for her next fix. As she noticed his eyes were open, her searching hands transitioned to a gentle stroking along his side.
She presented him with a motherly smile as she looked down at him. “Good morning my little prince,” she said, “I hadn’t seen you in almost a day, and I was starting to get worried. I’m glad to see you home safe.”
Kid had been gone nearly three days, but he didn’t bother to correct her. “Me too,” he whispered, rising to a sitting position.
The fire had died, but the hovel still held its residual heat. The basket of food he’d left in the corner was now empty. He’d expected that, but it was disappointing nonetheless as his stomach grumbled.
“What mischief did you get up to?” she asked.
“Just managed to cut a purse,” he answered. He didn’t want to go into the details and watch her pantomime of concern. He knew she was just trying to get an idea of how much money he’d brought back.
“And buy some food,” she added.
Kid nodded, reaching into his coat pocket and retrieving the three copper Bears he’d pulled from the wall last night. He held the coins out to her. “I brought you what was left,” he said.
A smile spread across her lips as she snatched the money away, tucking it into the pocket of her tattered dress. “Good boy.” She paused, narrowing her eyes. “Where did you get that coat?”
Kid froze. Idiot.
The smile slipped from her face. He tried to back away from her, but she grabbed him by the sleeve and held him in place. Kid swallowed. “A friend gave it to me.”
“You don’t have friends. Where’d you steal it from?” she retorted.
Kid grimaced. “If I wanted to tell you, I would have.”
She slapped him. Kid winced at the sting in his cheek.
“Try again,” she said.
He met her gaze, firm in his silence.
She scowled then released him. “I’ll need to start working soon to support us. Get out and come back once you’ve earned something like a man. As the man of the house You’re supposed to be taking care of me. And yet, here we are.”
Kid didn’t acknowledge her words. He’d heard worse, but it still stung. He nodded his head in assent and turned for the door. She didn’t so much as look at him as he left into the cold morning light beyond.