PART 1
Kade was in trouble again. She rolled angular emerald eyes as her mother yelled.
“Why did you do that, Kade? Now I’ll have to do even more work.” Kade flinched as her mother swung the wooden spoon at her head. “I just don’t understand how you can keep getting into so much trouble.”
“Can I go now, Mom?” Her tiny legs swung impatiently from the chair Kade was sitting on.
Her mother’s jaw dropped in astonishment. “Elementals save us! You just don’t get it. If you keep acting up, the Shydoseiradyrn will come for you. Do you really want that?”
Kade’s eyes rolled again as she let out a sigh. “Come on Mom, those are just stories. The cave demons don’t really exist.”
“How can you say that? Your best friend, Lilly, disappeared a month ago and she got into just as much trouble as you. You’ll be lucky to see your tenth birthday if you don’t learn your place. Now go feed the animals before noon meal.” Her mother swung the spoon again for good measure and turned to stoke the stove’s fire.
Kade quickly jumped down, not wanting to give her mother a chance for more scolding. A puff of dust flew up as she hit the dirt floor. She turned and left out the front door not making a sound. She hated feeding all the animals. The chickens chased her and horses tried to bite her. And not to mention, it was just too hot. She would rather be swimming in the river nearby to cool off.
She turned the corner and stopped in front of her family’s wooden fences. Kade could hear the horses neighing in the far back lot. It sounded almost as if they were making fun of her. Weighing the odds, she stood there for a moment. She was already in trouble so what could it hurt? If her older brothers weren’t busy in town, she wouldn’t have to feed them at all.
With a skip in her step, Kade walked away from her chores and towards the river, completely oblivious to any danger that might lie ahead.
The sky was a brilliant blue with not a single cloud in the sky. Kade floated on top of the water enjoying its gentle sway. It was turning out to be a wonderful day. Her mother would be mad, but Kade was ok with that. Feeding the animals wasn’t her chore anyway. She closed her eyes relishing the freedom. This was as close to flying as she would get.
Hours passed. Or maybe it was minutes. Kade didn’t care. This was probably the last bit of freedom she would get after going home. Her mother was sure to ground her for years.
Loud noises interrupted her peaceful drifting. A high-pitched scream jarred her, stiffening her body and causing her to sink. When she came above water, more screams followed. The final one sent Kade into a full out run.
“Mom!”
She turned a corner, and her cottage came into view. The door hung loosely by its hinges. Blood stained the earth. A limp hand lay on the ground barely visible from the doorway.
“Mom, no!” Kade threw caution to the wind running to her mother. She didn’t know if the one responsible for this was still here, but she had to find out if her mother was alive.
She grabbed the door and swung it out of the way throwing herself down. Kade slide to her mother’s side smearing dirt and blood all over her.
Her mother’s chest rose and fell in staggered breaths. “Oh, mom. You’re still alive. Thank the goddess. What happened? Tell me what to do to help you?”
A weak hand grasped Kade’s where it lay on her knees. “Kade… I love you. Remember that.”
“No, no, no! Don’t die mommy. Don’t leave me.” But she was already gone.
In the dirt, in her own blood, her mother had written one word… Tylestaes.
Her mother’s body grew cold as Kade sat crying. Once in a while she would call out to her hoping for an answer. It started to grow dark, and the child looked up. Now she noticed how badly her mother had been hurt. There would have been no helping her. She no longer had legs and blood drenched her flowery apron.
“What did this mommy?” Kade knew she couldn’t answer but asked anyway. She finally stood up and wiped her eyes with the end of a long brown sleeve. The burlap tunic she wore was filthy with blood and mud. Her bare feet bled from sliding across the floor. Kade stood dazed not knowing what to do. She had never taken care of herself before. One thing was certain, she had to go into town and see if anyone survived.
The thought terrified her. What if whoever did this was still there? Well then, I’ll be with mommy again. She took a deep breath and headed out her door. Before turning the corner, she looked back. “I’m sorry mommy.”
The sun had completely set by the time she reached the town square. It was pitch black without the aid of the village torches. Why has no one lit them? On closer inspection she got her answer. Bodies and pieces of bodies lay scattered everywhere. Blood-streaked walls and dirt. Kade gagged at the smell of rotting flesh.
Movement from an ally caught her attention. She started to run hoping to find someone alive. A pair of red glowing eyes stopped her in her tracks. A second set rose up from the ground abnormally close to the first.
Kade’s breath came in shallow spurts as the thing came out of the shadows. It crawled on the ground with eight arms and four legs all black as the night around it. Long talons dug in the ground. Blood dripped from two heads filled with dagger teeth.
It came at her, and she stood planted to the spot in fear. More monstrosities peeled away from every corner of the city. They were almost upon her, mere inches from their next meal. Kade’s heart tried to beat out of her chest and escape. Not a single thought could enter her mind. She was frozen.
But then, something happened…
PART 2
It started with a tight pressure in her chest. Kade clutched at the front of her tunic as it built. A heartbeat later brought on the feeling of a damn breaking and warmth spread to all her limbs. She doubled over in pain as that warmth intensified to a radiating heat. Everything went black as her vision faded.
All around Kade, the monsters closed in. Their shuffling and breathing grew closer and closer. One beast snarled right next to her ear and something wet dripped on her arm. She tried to crouch lower to the ground, but her legs wouldn’t respond. Pain seared through her side as a beast drug a claw through her skin.
And that’s all it took. Kade screamed and the heat exploded off her. Shrill piercing wails filled the air as the twisted constructs burst into wildfire. Those flames seared through her darkness allowing her to see again. Everywhere was chaos. Infernos rolled on the ground or ran through the night. Multiple legs and arms vibrated where they burned. The ones closest to her were just piles of ash.
That was the last thing Kade remembered as her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.
She awoke embraced in strong arms. Her head lay against a chest covered in soft brown cloth. The gentle sway told Kade she was being carried but she didn’t dare open her eyes. There might still be danger. What if it was one of those things that held her? She started to panic but tried to keep her breathing slow. Her heart began to race and gave her away.
“Shhhh, it’s ok child. You’re safe.”
A strong hand lightly touched her head and she fell asleep again.
When Kade woke up again she was in a soft warm bed. Her eyes slowly opened to blank grey walls.
“Oh good! You’re awake.” A female voice startled Kade causing her to hide under the covers. “It’s ok sweetie. I won’t hurt you. Poor dear.” She felt the woman sit down on the edge of her bed and try to pull the covers back. Kade held tight to the top. It could be a trick, a disguise. Who knew what those things were capable of?
“Go away you monster!” Kade’s sore throat caused her voice to crack. “Don’t touch me!”
“Honey, it’s ok. You’re in Tandroloria now. Those horrible Tylestaes can’t get to you. Come on out of there sugar.”
Kade didn’t know what to do. Moments passed but she slowly poked her head out of the blankets. A dark-skinned older woman in green robes sat looking at her. She had silver hair in a thick braid running down her back. Soft caring brown eyes regarded Kade with compassion.
“That’s it. Come sit next to Kas.” The old woman patted the bed beside her.
Looking at this human gave her an overpowering sense of safety. Before she knew what she was doing, Kade was embraced in the woman’s arms. Tears poured out of her eyes. Her breathing was racked with sobs.
“There, there.” Kas held her tighter slowly rocking her back and forth. “Other than your poor momma, do you have any other family we might find?”
Kade pushed away from the comforting arms and wiped away her tears. I’m done crying. I won’t let this break me! She sat up straight and looked at Kas. “Yes, ma’am. I have two older brothers. They’re in Tadorar. One’s a blacksmith and the other’s a scribe.”
Kas smiled down at her. “Ok. We’ll get word to them. You can give me their names later. For now, if you’re feeling up to it, we need to get you a bath and some food. Then it’s off to meet with the elders.” The woman rose from the bed and extended her hand to Kade. “It’s time you started on your future.”
PART 3
Kade did go before the elders that day. Each one took an instant liking to her despite her rebellious nature. They set a strict schedule of weapons training, magic development and then the basics in learning, which she made a point of missing before realizing how interesting each topic was.
Kade seemed to excel in them all. Coming from a small village where no one learned to read or write, this was an exciting treat and she absorbed it all like a sponge. Every night, a pile of books lay scattered in her room where she fell asleep atop the huge mounds of knowledge.
During magic lessons, Kade was taught how to control the blasts and direct them where she wanted. With deep channeling and control, she was able to create protective shields no one could penetrate, not even the elders. This was an extraordinary gift for someone so young and they made every point to remind her of that.
Weapons were slower going than the rest. She didn’t have much body strength but with the weapons master’s constant pushing, she eventually became proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Swords and such were just too heavy and required way too much concentration for her taste. Kade’s deceptively small size, however, made it easy to send away most of her opponents with bloody noses or long-lasting limps.
Any extra time Kade had was spent either with her growing number of friends, with Kas in the healers’ quarters, or getting into trouble. It was the one thing from her past she just couldn’t quite change. Her curiosity caused most of it. If something piqued her interest, she would investigate it. If there was someplace she wanted to see, it was as if her feet wouldn’t stop until she got there, even if it meant sneaking out of the city. Of course, the punishment for these occurrences didn’t do much good. The elders would give her more homework or exercises to do and that was perfectly fine with her. Kade loved learning and building her body strength. They had quickly learned there was no point in confining Kade to her room because she would be out of it as soon as they shut the door.
So, months passed like this before the day finally came when Kas told Kade they found her two brothers.
“What do you think will happen? Do you think they’ll want me to go home with them?” Kade sat on a wooden chair as Kas brushed out her hair.
“I don’t know child. I feel you would be better off here. You can learn more about controlling that power of yours. Here, hold this.” She handed her the brush and started to weave Kade’s long hair into two side braids. “I got me a glimpse of that oldest brother of yours. I don’t like the feel of ‘im.”
“But they are my brothers. I have to go with them. How can I not? They’re family.”
“You have family here. We may not be blood but that doesn’t mean you’re not as me own child. There, we’re done.” Her dark brown hands patted Kade’s head affectionately. “Stand up child. Let Kas see you.”
Kade jumped up and twirled in a circle. Her green healer’s robes billowed out. Kas insisted she wear them to show her natural ability to care for others. It was a reluctant ability but a strong one. The older woman held out her hand towards Kade. “Let’s be off and see what’s to come.”
Kade placed her tiny hand in her nursemaid’s and looked up. Her large green eyes shimmered with tears. “You can go with me, Kas.”
“Kas has to stay here. This is Kas’ home.” She tugged Kade along down the hall. A flight of stairs later and they were entering the elder’s chamber. The room was filled. Three elders stood in their long flowing robes along a table piled with books, silent as gargoyles.
To her left clustered a collective of guards surrounding one man, her oldest brother. His long black hair trailed down his back in a perfect ponytail. Sharp black eyes peered at Kade in a hardened face. His blacksmith leathers still smelled of fire and oil. She went to run and hug him, but he held out his hand.
“No, Kade. That is not proper.” Even his voice was hard with a cutting edge. “Let me make this quick. If it wasn’t for the head elder, I wouldn’t even be here.”
Kade’s eyes went wide, and a sharp pain stabbed at her chest. “What do you mean, Ter? Where is Mordi?”
“He has business elsewhere and couldn’t be bothered to come. You will stay here. We don’t want to care for you. We cannot. It’s your fault mother is dead! You never listen. Maybe if you would’ve been better, those monsters wouldn’t have come and killed her.”
Gasps rose around the room. The elders made a move forward, but it was Kas who beat them to it. She stormed over to the cruel man and slapped him across the face. “How dare you speak to her that way! She is just a child! Her mother’s death wasn’t her fault. If it was anyone’s it was yours for not being there. It’s the eldest’s responsibility to take care of the family, not the youngest!” She marched back over to Kade who was crying freely with stuttering breaths.
Ter dropped his jaw but quickly regained composure. “It doesn’t matter. This discussion is over. I need to get back to the city and my own family.” He looked back at the elders, “Good luck with that one.” He turned and left the room.
Kade broke free from Kas and ran after her older brother. “Ter! Wait! Don’t leave me! I love you. I’m sorry!” But he was already down the stairs and gone.
PART 4
“Kade? Kade honey? You come out and talk to Kas.”
Her nannies voice moved through the halls getting dangerously close to Kade’s hiding place. The small heating vent under the main stairway was where Kade went when wanting to be alone. The warm air rushing up from a small opening in the back always seemed to make her feel better as it ran through her hair.
It wasn’t working as fast this time though. Kade tried desperately to control the tears. How could they turn me away like that? And Mordi didn’t even care to show up? It was true they never really got along but she was their sister. It didn’t make any sense.
The thoughts brought on even more sobs, and it seemed like forever before Kade finally cried herself out. She allowed the sounds of hot air racing through the vent to lull her into a numb calm.
Kade thought about everything that happened in a new mind set this time, detailing each event and its resulting effect leading her to where she was now. Sorrow started to be replaced with determination as she sorted it all out. I’m through crying over things I can’t change!
She wiped away the tears and took a deep breath. Things wouldn’t change unless she made them. No one is going to make me feel this way ever again! Slowly stretching her legs out of the tiny cubby hole, Kade prepared herself to enter the world anew.
That’s when she realized Kas wasn’t calling for her anymore.
Kade poked her head out from under the stairs and was surprised to see Kas sitting patiently on the bottom step. Her big brown eyes looked deeply into Kade’s green. “All better, honey?”
Crawling out from her hiding spot, Kade stood and brushed the dust off her knees. “How long have you been sitting there?”
“Long enough. Figured you’d come out when you were ready.” She stood as well and extended her hand. “Let’s go get some food. I hear they have pudding.”
“Have you always known where I hide?” She had thought her secret place was unknown to everyone but should have guessed Kas would figure it out.
“I have always known. I also know when you go there, you want to be alone. I just got tired of walking around is all.” Her smile warmed Kade’s heart. There was nothing she could hide from that woman and nothing that woman would hide from her. She took Kas’ hand and walked with her to the meal room just around the corner.
Before entering, Kas stopped and looked down. “Now child, you know Kas will always be here for you, right? Don’t you think on those worthless brothers any longer. Kas is your family now.”
Kade smiled back up at her. “I know. They never liked me anyway. Not sure why I expected them to want me with Mom gone.” Her smile wavered but she put it firmly back in place remembering the vow she made to herself. “Come on before the pudding gets warm!” She let go of Kas’ hand and ran to get in line. Pudding made everything better.
Kas came up behind her and leaned down for a hug. “So, what does Kade plan to do now?”
She hugged her back then let go. She stood up straight and said with as much confidence as she could muster, “I’m going to become a healer and stay here. That way I can help others.” Her confidence ebbed a bit so she added, “Do you think I can do that?”
Kas patted her head playfully, “You can do anything you want. I know you would make a great healer.”
That lifted Kade’s spirits greatly causing her to jump around. Tomorrow would be a very good day. Tomorrow she would start her new life.
