For four years, this became the daily routine that got me notoriety from the villagers. In the morning I would hunt and collect wild game with Caldon. Honing my instincts and perfecting my ability with a bow. By mid-afternoon, we would gut and clean the meat where we would then sell it among the locals at the village market.
For the rest of the day, I would spend my time at the blacksmith's shop. Learning how to make swords, armor, and a variety of other items that could be crafted by local metals. Some days the customers who were waiting on repair for their swords would teach me more on how to use them. Helping me to achieve perfection by using a longsword and dagger.
Though I was still a child, I learned quickly and was expected to grow up quicker than the other children due to my circumstances. Many adults would look down upon me and try to brush me aside as a mere orphaned child. Some of the other villagers would beat me, thinking of me as if I was no more than dirt on the bottom of their shoes. It took my brains and quick wit to free me from these situations.
Every night when I got home, Caldon's mother would patch my wounds while quietly clicking her tongue. She had warmed up to me during those years and was distasted by those who would go out on a limb just to harm me. Caldon, who would always sit at the table beside me, would always laugh and tell me that they were just jealous of my skills and how I was much manlier and vastly talented than they could ever hope to be. Every time he said that I would brush my hand through my hair, chuckling back before giving a deep and heavy sigh.
News began to spread of armies invading the peaceful villages nearby. Hordes of hybrid beings attacking and slaughtering innocent people as fire swept in; burning everything to the ground. Refugees ran to wherever they could. Often getting locked out and shooed away by those who did not want any part in this; in case the enemy did arrive looking for those who fled. My village grew as more and more refugees filled the inns and streets. Soon laws were placed in order to drive them out or get them to become productive in society again.
It was times like this where Caldon and I would spend more time hunting to feed those in need. Often we would stay overnight in my old abandoned home, preparing meal packs for when we returned. It was painful at first to return to such a place after such traumatic events. But eventually, I grew comfortable with the once familiar and homelike surroundings that nature was slowly taking over. And it was there, where fate and the stars above guided me to her.
It was on one late midsummer night when I and Caldon went to take shelter after a long, yet successful hunt. With a cart loaded with rabbits, foxes, deer, and other animals we could find during the hunt, we made our way back to the abandoned shop. Though it was growing very dark out, we could distinctly see the door waving in the breeze.
Caldon slowed the cart with caution as I crouched down to move more quietly. I took out my dagger in case bandits tried to make camp within. Inching closer to the door, I could hear the sounds of a crackling fire, but no voices. I assumed that they could be asleep and steadied myself for a surprise attack.
I jumped into the doorway only to pass out immediately after. A metal pang rang in my ears as something cold and heavy slammed into my forehead.
I awoke in a bright meadow. Birds were chirping in and out of the trees. I looked up to the sky only to see a smiling face of a girl my age looking down at me. She held my head in her lap as her hands were busy shaping a crown from the flowers that laid around us. She calmly hummed an unfamiliar tune. Once she was finished, she placed it upon my resting head. After, her hand started gliding down to my chest then up to my forehead. Her hand was cold as ice.
I woke up again to cold water splashing my face. Quickly, I got up in shock and swung my arms wildly. I felt someone grab my arms from behind, stopping me in my tracks. A pair of delicate hands touched my face, drawing my eyes to the girl that sat before me. Light, wavy, brown hair framed a gentle oval face. Bright hazel eyes studied my face down her thin straight nose. Her thin lips pursed as concern and worry filled her face.
"Hey, are you alright? Sorry for hitting you with a pan. I thought bandits or robbers were coming in." Her voice was soft and low as she grabbed for the rag in the bucket beside her.
"Um, my name's Rea Ashemond, and this guy who's holding your hands back is Luca." She continued, trying to dry my face off.
I felt the rough hands release their grip on me as Rea placed the damp cloth to my temple. Luca moved around to sit beside Rea as she tried relieving me of my wounds. He seemed similar in age to me though he was lean and scraggly from the lack of food from the months of running with Rea. His black hair was short but long enough to frame his dark brown eyes that glared intensely at me.
Running a free hand through my hair, I smirked and replied, "I'm Tristan Svodain,and this is my friend Caldon. We're local hunters in these parts."
Rea's cheeks flushed red as she nodded in understanding. "Again my apologies. Luca and I have been on the run for months now and we've finally found a place that's safe."
"Are you two perhaps refugees from the other villages?" Caldon asked with curiosity filling his voice.
Luca pursed his lips and nodded. Rea looked away trying hard to keep the tears from flooding over, remembering what should not have been. The silence answered Caldon's question as the four of us grew somber in the flickering light of the fire.
"I see," I said looking over at Rea, who seemed to grow grimmer as the silence carried on. She looked back at me and I could see the conflicting emotions swimming within her gentle eyes. Something within encouraged me to hold her but Caldon and the heavy, unnerving presence of Luca forced them down.
"You cannot live here forever, unfortunately. We can give you shelter and food, but you must understand it's not free." I offered the two refugees. Luca pursed his lips for a moment, thinking about the proposal. Eventually, after making up his mind, he nodded but his intense gaze still left me with shivers. Rea just stared at me in thought, her eyes never wavering from my gaze.
We sat there for a long moment before Rea spoke up.
"I may not have much to offer but I can cook and do chores. I can keep the home tidy. Luca here has a vast knowledge of potions and alchemy. Would any of these be of use to you?" She said at last.
I looked over to Caldon who shrugged in response. "I see no harm in having both of you with us, however, I will have to speak with my father about lodgings. We four may have to live together on our own if need be."
I heard Rea gasp in delight as I felt her soft, warm body hug me from the side. I put one arm around her rubbing her back in comfort. She felt so delicate under my hand for a girl who could hit me so hard with a frying pan. My heart fluttered and pounded in my chest. What was this that I was feeling? How could this one person in a single moment make me feel so whole? The questions flooded in my head and continued on as Rea pulled away. She looked up at me, red spreading across her cheeks. Smiling she asked,
"So, Tristan, what do we do now?" The sound of my name from her voice echoed in my ears, causing me to turn a bright red. Thankfully it was dark where I sat, for she was unable to see a thing.
"Uh-Uh...Um...Well...For now, we need to gut and clean the carcasses. So we'll need to spend the night here and then we can head back down to the village in the morning." I stammered out of panic.
Rea nodded and turned to Luca. "Come on now, we should get this done quick so that we can all get some rest."
Luca nodded and got up. Rea bounced over beside him, giggling.
"What's so funny?" I asked her on the way out.
"Just how quickly this all happened for us." She replied, smiling brightly.
"You know you still haven't apologized for hitting me in the head with a frying pan," I said, completely forgetting about the apology she gave after I woke up.
"Technically, I already did. You just forgot." She stated as she laughed.
"You have? When?" I asked confused
"When you first woke up. What do you have amnesia now?" She jested.
"I-I, what no." I stuttered and stumbled on my words.
"And besides, you already have forgiven me." Rea teased.
"What? When?" I said still in confusion.
"When I hugged you, I could feel it," Rea said, her voice softening towards the end as she finished in thought.
I stared at her blankly as I watched her grab the cart and wheel it inside. She could feel it? And if she could feel that, then could she feel anything else?
That night I got to learn a lot of things about Rea and Luca. It turns out that both had been from separate villages, only to meet up with another band of refugees from elsewhere. They immediately stuck together as they were the only two similar in age. However, they left the group due to their differences on where to go. The older members wanted to head south for Mesmoewana with reasons entirely unknown. Rea and Luca felt it would be safer in the mountains and journeyed here.
"We don't know what has become of our former group but we know there would be armies near Than Spax that could come after us. We didn't want to risk it." Rea said, sighing heavily.
From there I learned more about Rea. She was once the eldest daughter of a family of four. Her father was once a farmer, who enjoyed cooking and baking when he wasn't out in the fields. Her mother, a nurse, would always joke around and pull tricks; making the house lively from time to time. Even though her family was close, there were times when she had to take care of her younger siblings for long periods of time. A year younger than me and she already had the understanding and compassion of a mother.
I never realized what was happening with me until there was a moment of silence within our conversation. Though I do not remember what was said prior, I do remember the silence being broken by Rea's voice. Singing a low, but beautiful melody. The song was sad and nostalgic and all I could do was listen on. Partway through the song Luca put a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to stop.
"No, don't stop her. She has a really nice voice." I blurted.
Her eyes grew wide and she smiled. "Thank you, someone, who actually likes my singing."
"There's been people who have hated it?" I asked, confused.
She looked down. "People have told me to be quiet because it was bothersome or they have told me they've heard better."
I looked over at Luca, who glared right back at me in response. I turned back to Rea. "He's wrong, you know. You're not bothering anyone and you have a nice voice. I would love to hear you sing more."
Her smile widened as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you, Tristan. No one has ever said that to me before." She came over and hugged me again. This time I felt Luca's burning glare from behind, piercing into me. I knew I wouldn't be able to get along with him and with that, I made my first true enemy.
Once the animals had been cleaned we all rested by the fireplace, getting ready to sleep. I wanted to ask Rea to sleep beside me so that we could talk more. She was a really interesting and knowledgeable person and I wanted to hear more. But she had settled herself up beside Luca and was already falling asleep. I caught Luca sneering at me as he brought Rea close to him, kissing her gently on the forehead. Not one to fall for such trivial things, I turned my back facing the two, trying to find solace in that never-ending night.
As soon as the first light hit the next morning, we packed up our belongings and headed out. Luca and Rea were in the front, me in the middle carrying the cart and Caldon beside me.
"So what do you think of them?" Caldon whispered to me.
"I like Rea, she seems very sweet and fun to be around. Luca, not so much. He seems off and really overprotective of Rea." I whispered back.
Caldon cocked an eyebrow and then shrugged. "Yeah, I find Luca to be a bit...Strange. But who knows. Maybe he's like that because you've been hitting on Rea since you woke up from your mini coma."
I stopped my thought process momentarily and slowed down my pacing. "I've been what?"
"Eh, Leave it. I guess it's not quite that obvious to you yet." Caldon chuckled.
"Uh...Okay." I replied slowly while still feeling lost as to where the conversation was going.
We continued down the trail in silence; pausing every now and again to switch out whoever was pushing the cart. When Luca had it, I took my chance to talk to Rea for as long as I could. Each time I could feel the hatred pouring from Luca, his glare trying to send daggers into my back. But there was nothing he could do without dropping the cart and having everything fall out.
Rea seemed pleased to have me beside her. We would poke fun at each other often and have small playful arguments that would end in both of us laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt. I learned from those moments that she loved to tease and was very young at heart. She was always up for one of my jokes and it always made me happier to hear her quirky laugh.
Time seemed to fly by much faster and by high noon, we arrived in the village. Everyone was happy to see the food that we brought and more so for Rea and Luca. It had been a while since we had someone who could make medicine. The last one died of old age so Luca's presence was one that made most of the village happy.
After we had unloaded the cart we carried it to Caldon's house so that we could speak with his father about living situations. I sat outside with Rea, enjoying the warm summer breeze.
"Say, Tristan, it seems that for the last day or so, I've been talking about myself quite a bit. Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?" Rea asked.
Her question startled me a bit. "Oh, well, where do you want me to start?"
"How about when you were younger, or what did your parents do?" She started off.
For the time that we spent waiting for word from Caldon, I told Rea about my past. My father; his work, his death. To my mother and how she abandoned me four years ago. In the end, Rea gave me a hug as she teared up quietly into my chest.
"I-I'm so sorry you had to go through all that." She whispered. " But this time...I'm not going to leave you."
I chuckled and gently pushed her shoulders back to see her tear-streaked face. "Then you better bet not only your life but your soul on it too."
She chuckled through the tears. "I can promise you that I will."
As soon as she said that, Caldon ran out of the house, smiling from ear to ear as he held a piece of paper.
"So, it turns out that my father is able to get another place for us," Caldon said happily.
"Really? And how was he able to afford that?" I asked.
"Well Tristan, it's because of your hard work and dedication during these tough times that a buddy of mine is able to give a good deal on a storefront for the four of you. And since one of you is the new apothecary, he's willing to let it go for next to nothing." Caldon's father chuckled, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Of course the place will need to be organized and cleaned up, but I think you three and the lady here will do just fine." said the man who was giving us the property.
Rea and I laughed in unison. Together we followed Caldon and his father to our new home.
For several days, Rea and I cleaned the living quarters. Afterward, Caldon and Luca moved in furniture and other necessities as we fixed up the storefront. Once Luca had all the equipment he needed to work, we were open for business. Life seemed to have more meaning and purpose once Rea entered my life. She was always so bright and cheerful that I never wanted to leave her side. While living with her, I was able to hear her singing whenever I was not up hunting in the mountains. At times I was able to sing with her around the fireplace.
These were the happiest times my life had ever been.
However, that all changed six years later when I was approached by Luca on one agonizing, yet fateful night.
º º º
I had finished polishing some armor out back for a customer as I watched the rain pour off the rooftops. I put down the cloth I was using and grabbed the hot mug beside me. The warm fragrance of mint and wild berry, filled my nose as I sipped Rea's specially made tea. The cool air adding a romantic feel to it all.
Rea's sweet voice called from the other side of the house. "Tristan, I'm heading out to go shopping. Is there anything you want me to get you?"
I placed my mug down to turn back and replied, "Just the usual and maybe some more scrap metal for arrows."
I heard a muffled 'okay' as Rea left through the front of the shop. Getting up quickly, I ran over to the little shed in the backyard. Inside I admired the work that took me months of many mistakes to create. Before me, hanging on a makeshift hanger, was a fur coat. Although it is not as fancy as one would find in a clothing shop, out of all my failures this was the one Caldon and I believed to pull through the best. Rea's birthday was the next day and I wanted to give her something special, yet practical for her. I kept it a secret from her and Luca, in fear Luca would spoil this work-intensive surprise. I had learned a little bit of sewing from my mother when I was younger, which didn't quite aid me as I thought it would when I began.
I picked up a brush that sat on the wooden workbench. Calmly, I started brushing the fur, making sure there were no knots or matting in it. I planned to give it that night after our evening meal. Imagining her reaction to this gift, made my face heat up.
"Still a pain in the ass even on the day it's gonna be given, huh?" Caldon stated as he chuckled beside the door. "Aye, though it is the best way to show her how you feel." He let out a light-hearted laugh.
I gave him a confused look.
"Oh don't tell me that you don't know you love her," Caldon said as he waved his arm. "You can't tell me that you have no idea what that is when you have done all this work into giving her this gift."
His eyebrows furrowed as I gave him a blank stare. I could feel the tension coming from him.
"Hey, you two, mind coming inside? I need help with some of the stock." Luca called from the back door.
"Yeah, in a moment," I called. I put down the brush and exited the shed with Caldon. As we entered the house, Caldon turned around and stopped me in my tracks.
"Listen, Tristan, you better figure out your feelings for her by the time you see her again. Or I swear to the Gods, I'm gonna beat you." His tone was serious but the corners of his mouth twitched, attempting to hide a smile.
I raise my hands up in protest. "Alright, alright Caldon. I don't know how I'm going to go about doing it, but I'll try and figure it out by the time I give her the gift."
Caldon sighed and headed towards the storefront.
For six years, Luca had run a fairly successful business in our ever-growing village. Every day, he would experiment with various potions and ingredients to find better cures for all ailments. In the back, Caldon and I would craft and smith armor and weapons. Rea took care of the house, along with us as she cleaned and prepared the meals. On occasion, Caldon, Rea, and I would run-up to the mountains to hunt. Several months ago, Rea's coat was torn beyond repair during one of our trips, hence the reason for the gift I made in the shed.
As we entered the store, a sickly feeling washed over me. Something did not feel right and Luca's twisted smile brought me no ease. He gestured for us to stand in front of the counter in which he leaned onto before speaking.
"Now gentlemen, you must be curious why I called you here." His smile broadened, filling the air with tension.
"No shit Luca. You usually don't talk to us until dinner." Caldon stated.
"Indeed I do. I'm so busy that I have no time for imbeciles like you." Luca sneered menacingly.
Caldon cracked his knuckles, "What did you just call me?"
"Enough you two." I put a hand on Caldon's shoulder. "Why did you call us here Luca?"
"I believe I have discovered something no other alchemist or apothecary has ever done before." Luca chuckled to himself.
"And that is?" Caldon interjected sarcastically.
Luca glared at him before continuing. "And that, Caldon, is the ability to harness the full potential of the human soul."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, fear hinting in my voice.
"What I mean," Luca sneered, slipping his hand under the counter, "Is that I have found a way to harness one's 'Sola' in order for one to become stronger. Greater than any warrior in history."
He brought up a bottle with a strange metallic liquid inside and placed it delicately on the counter. He placed his fingertip on the cork and tilted the bottle from side to side.
"Imagine, being able to utilize the full potential of someone's whole soul. We can't access our own fully within our lifetime but when a soul is placed in us from another person, we gain everything they never could get without immense training." He explained, lost in a sick thought.
"Now, in order to obtain one's Sola, one must absorb it from another. In order to do that, one must make an incantation circle; one of which will combine the body of a stronger Sola with the Sola of the weaker..." He paused before adding, "Variety."
"So magic?" I interjected, my hands shaking.
"Indeed so Tristan. And since I have only done it with animals thus far, I have decided to do human trials." He said smiling as he grabbed the bottle and broke it within his fist.
Blood ran down his wrist and onto the counter, the metallic liquid mixing in and vaporizing in the air. My mind started to grow foggy as the world around me faded into black. The last thing I remember was seeing Caldon's body slumping to the floor and Luca snickering.
"So, as of today, I've decided to use the two of you as my…" The corner of his lips curled upwards into a smirk. "Test subjects."
A few hours later, I awoke in a strange dark room; lit by a few old candles. The scent of freshly dug earth filled my nostrils as the sound of ominous chanting echoed around me. I raised a hand to rub my pounding head, only to stop as I noticed my entire palm caked in white powder. The texture was familiar but I couldn't place my finger on it. Then it clicked.
"Chalk," I whispered, with realization hitting me harder than ever. I heard a groggy groan.
"What's going on?" Caldon asked, sluggishly as he slowly sat up.
"Evening gentlemen. I see you've come too." Luca's voice echoed from the other side of the room as the chanting stopped momentarily.
"You bastard, what the hell did you do to us?!" Caldon shouted angrily as he tried to get up, only to fall back down.
"I told you before Caldon. You and Tristan here will be my very first test subjects. I'm going to take your Solas to make me much, much more powerful." Luca let out a maniacal laugh.
"You fuck, how could you?! We trusted you! Rea trusted you!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, getting to my knees.
Luca rolled his eyes waving a hand, nonchalantly. "I have no intentions to harm Rea in any way. I only need to get rid of the cannon fodder."
I gritted my teeth, trying my best to hold my tongue. Caldon looked over at me, then turned to Luca as realization flooded over his face.
"You're going to kill us..." Caldon spoke, his voice barely rising above a whisper.
"Yes, Caldon. That's the only way that I will be able to obtain your Solas. But, no worries. I will keep you in good memory." Luca cackled, sending cold shivers down my spine.
Luca walked over to what seemed to be a makeshift altar. He picked up a book bound in leather and opened the pages that had yellowed with age. His eyes beaming with delight as he found what he had been looking for within.
"Now gentlemen," He said, his tone making me sick to my stomach. "Let the incantation begin!"
As he began the chant, the chalk circle glowed with a pale green light. I crawled over to the edge to try and escape but my body stiffened in defiance.
"Fuck, oh fuck, fuck! No, no, no, I don't want to die." Caldon panicked as I was able to sit down, my eyes staring blankly at the darkness ahead. Agonizing pain, shot throughout my entire body, crippling me to the ground, the same was happening to Caldon as he let out a cry. All I could hear was the screams in blood-curdling unison.
"Tristan!" A voice called from somewhere in the distance.
Bright light filled the room, blinding me temporarily. A dark figure rushed in towards me through the circle and the next thing I knew I could feel Rea's warm body against mine.
"R-Rea, n-no…" I uttered as the world around me became even brighter. The pain tore through both of us, causing me to blackout completely.
The last thing I remember hearing is Rea's pleas to Luca before it broke into a long and painful scream. Luca's maniacal laughter echoed on.
º º º
I woke up in that same familiar meadow. The trees seemed to have withered as the scent of autumn hung in the air. A cool gentle breeze drifted through the meadow as if nothing had changed, as though everything that had happened to me was just a mere dream. The girl from all those years ago seemed to have grown much older. Her brown hair and hazel eyes seemed to have not aged a day. She hummed another unfamiliar tune. The tone this time seemed to be unnervingly somber as if she were mourning the dead in her own and unique way.
I knew who she was. I've known her for years now and her presence brought me such peace.
"Rea?" I asked in a daze.
Her eyes filled with tears as sadness and remorse washed over her face. She nodded calmly, saying nothing at all. I got up from her lap to get a better look at her. She was wearing a white off-the-shoulder dress and a purple and white flower crown, tears rolled down her cheek as she stared back into my eyes. She said nothing, allowing the silence to be a catalyst for her unspoken words.
I reached out my hand to wipe away her tears with my fingers, but at the moment that the skin of my fingertips came in contact with her cheek, her image shattered into fragments of light that reflected the colors around us. The pieces of her light fluttered away in the breeze. Leaving me alone in the darkening meadow.
º º º
It seemed like an eternity before I came to. To this day, I wish I never did. How I've longed for that dream to be my reality and for this to be a nightmare that I forgot as soon as the morning light came through. For the chaos around me, that never-ending nightmare took what was left of my childlike naivety.
Upon opening my eyes, I saw the room enshrouded in blood. Luca's body seemed to have disappeared. It gave me the assumption that he was dead. I turned to my right, Caldon laid motionless a few feet from me. He seemed to be the source of a portion of the blood as his eyes left two blood trails down his face. Whatever Luca had done seemed to completely drain him of his blood.
"C-Caldon..?" I called out. As I attempted to crawl over to him, I felt Something warm pinning my legs but I was afraid to look. "H-Hey...Caldon wake up…" I said, shaking the now cold body.
His clear blue eyes were wide open, staring into nothing. I pulled my hand back in defeat. Nothing I could do at this moment could save him. I put my hand to my forehead, trying to comprehend everything. My headache as I tried to piece together what happened. After a moment I attempted to get up. Every bone in my body ached but I gritted my teeth and pushed on. Finally, after a few attempts, I was able to position myself sitting up. There, I was able to see what was pinning me.
My eyes grew wide in horror. There, lying across my legs was Rea, appearing to be in a peaceful sleep. I picked her up and brought her close to my chest.
"R-Rea…" I shook her gently. "Rea, please wake up…" I called out again, rocking the two of us gently while doing my best to hold back my tears.
"Rea, no...please…" Tears threatened to flood my eyes. "Please don't leave me."
"Please Rea… Caldon... this isn't funny anymore. Wake up…" My breathing got heavy as I hunched over Rea's still body, letting the tears fall where they may.
"Rea, I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen." I began to sob, "Rea!" I sobbed loudly into her hair. I continued, until I lifted my head up towards the ceiling, crying her name to the heavens above.