Chapter 10: First Visitor

        Caden laid in bed. He spent most of his time resting. When he was awake, it was when Sam came in to redress his wounds or help him wash. When he was asleep, he would dream of forging a chain in Tony's smithy. Sam brought him food three times a day. He wasn't always able to eat, but ate what he could.

        While Sam was cleaning his wounds and changing his bandages, she would hum. It was an old nursery rhyme. Caden tried to remember the words to it. But he couldn't. Still, thinking about the nursery rhyme kept him from thinking about Keilee. He was safe in bed, being cared for by family. She was trapped somewhere, cold and alone. He didn't want to think about it.

        His father never came in to check on him. Caden thought it was strange. He wanted to see him again. He wanted to hear his father lecture him about running away from home. But he stayed away. When Sam was there, he could see something in her eyes. She was right there, warm, smiling, and humming. But her violet eyes were distant, sad. Caden could tell that she wanted to tell him something, but didn't.

        Caden lost all sense of time, drifting in and out of sleep. Sometimes he was up and eating in the middle of the day. Other times it was the middle of the night and he just found some cold food set out next to his bed.

        Su walked into the room. Caden was asleep. She closed the door, careful to not make any sound. She kneeled down next to Caden. She held his hand. He stirred and smiled. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Sam..." Caden mumbled.

        "Who's Sam?" Su said.

        Caden woke up. "What?"

        "You just said Sam in your sleep," she said. "Do you dream of men named Sam."

        Caden rolled over, "What? No, she's my sister," he said. He looked up and saw Su. "Su, hey!" Caden sat up. "When did you get here?"

        "I've been around."

        "Do you believe in fate?"

        Su thought about the question. "No," she said. "I think we make our own choices."

        "Of course we do," Caden said. "But if we didn't stay at the Blue Fox, we wouldn't have heard the mob. And if I didn't decide to help you in judgement, you never could have saved my life."

        Su smiled. A tear rolled down her cheek. "You saved my life, Caden. I saved yours. That's not fate. We're connected by something much greater."

        "Fate is a chain that we create with our choices," Caden said. "There's nothing more binding then that."

        Su grabbed a stool and sat down by Caden's side. She held his hand and felt his head. His forehead was burning. She blew on her finger tips and touched Caden's brow. His skin glowed blue. Caden felt a cool sensation run down his body and he fell asleep. Su stayed by his side and continued to hold his hand.

Chapter 9: Dreams

        Caden stood in blacksmith Tony's shop. The air was hazy and warped from the heat. The red glow and sparks from the flames surrounded him. Beyond the red light, it was all black and darkness. Sparks floated out of the coals and around the anvil like little insects.

        He remembered the Dread Knight's swords. Caden felt around his stomach and back, under his shirt and the heavy leather apron. They were gone.

        Caden put on the heavy wool glove and grabbed the tongs from the fire. He removed a piece of metal that glowed red. He set it on the anvil and grabbed the largest hammer and started hitting it. Caden never worked in a forge, and didn't know what he was doing. But it felt right to be hitting the metal. Watching the sparks fly to the floor.

        After hitting the metal for a time, he used the tongs, picked it up and looked at it. He made a square bar, about one hand long. He carried the bar over to the cooling trenches. There were two, one filled with water, the other was filled with oil. Caden looked at his reflection in both. He could see through the water, making his reflection look indistinct, uncertain. But the oil was black, and reflected a steady reflection.

         Caden dipped the hot metal into the water. Steam swirled around him. He stepped away and set his square bar down on the anvil. He took the smallest hammer and started hitting it. Before long, the bar had bent into thick chain link. Caden looked at it, small cracks covered the bend.

         The tongs were back in the fire and the hammers were put away. Caden had the link he made, but everything else was just like when he started. So he pulled out the tongs again, and started over. He did everything the same, except when he went to cool the metal. The second time he used the oil. And the finished link didn't have any cracks.

        Caden continued the repetition of making the chain. And it grew longer. Caden kept pounding at the steel and anvil. Blacksmith Tony emerged from the shadows. Caden looked up. "Tony? What am I doing here?" "You're making a chain." "But why? How did I get here?" "You died." "What?" Tony held up the chain Caden forged. "This is the chain you forged with your actions and your choices. This is your fate." "I can't die!" "Every man dies once, then faces the final Judgment before the goddess."

         The chain flew around Caden and bound him to the floor. Caden struggled against their grasp. "Fate is like a chain. It is forged by your choices, and you cannot escape the consequences of those actions."

         Tony faded away, the forge faded away, the anvil and tools faded away. Only Caden remained, bound to the floor by the chain he created. His head hung low, and he kneeled in the center of the red glow from a fire that was no longer there. He was cold.

Chapter 5: Tinate

        Caden and Rilyn walked along the highway. The weapons were put away, and Caden massaged his shoulder. Rilyn moved behind Caden. When he got next to Starlight, she nipped at him. Rilyn jumped away. Caden pulled the reigns.
        "I don't think she likes me," Rilyn said.

        "She senses that you're afraid of her," said Caden. "That makes her in charge. With animals, it's all about who's the master."

        "Yeah," said Rilyn. "But people aren't that way."

        "You're not going to start up on the bandits again?"

        "It was a mistake to leave them alive."

        "Enough already," Caden said. "One is never going to be able to walk right again, and if infection sets in, the other is going to lose his sword arm. Even if he avoids infection, wounds like that never heal straight. We won't see them again."

        "You know what they say, a wounded Kryptop is the most dangerous."

        Where does he get these sayings? "Besides, you stole their bush axes," Caden said. "So I guess they're wounded and toothless Kryptops."

        Caden and Rilyn walked through the southern gate of Tinate. The gate had two massive stone pillars, each almost 5 fathom's tall and 15 hands wide. They were 1 and a half fathom's apart. The pillars were connected by two cross beams, one above the other. In the center of the cross beams, a vertical sign displayed, "南 Tinate." Four guards, two on each side, stood at the gate.

        Caden stopped under the gate. Rilyn continued to walk. The guards looked at him. The traffic moved around him. "Um? Excuse me?" asked Caden.

        "What do you want, kid?"

        "Have the Dragon Knights passed through here?"

        "Who're they?" asked the first Guard.

        "Don't know know that Dragon's don't exist, kid?" said the second guard. "Now get lost."

        Caden looked at them. They started making jokes about dragons. Caden pulled on Starlight's reigns and caught up to Rilyn.

        They searched the city for cheap lodging. They settled on the Blue Fox. Caden tied Starlight up in the central courtyard next to a trough. They walked into the common room. Caden looked at the barkeep. He knodded at them, so they sat at a table near the fire place. 

        Caden leaned next to Rilyn. "I hope it's okay for me to be here."

        "Why wouldn't it?" asked Rilyn.

        "In Erdon, they said I was too young."

        The serving girl walked over to the table. Caden guessed that she was about 20 harvests. Caden stared, she wore only a black skirt, yellow camisole, and red bodice. She set two mugs down. "If you're hungry, we have lamb, roasted with onions, potatoes, and carrots. I can fix you up with some bread and cheese if you prefer that. We have rooms available. If you want separate chambers, it'll cost 30 swans, but only 20 if you share a room." She looked at Caden staring. "If you want company tonight, that costs more."

        "What?"

        Rilyn kicked Caden under the table. Caden looked away from the serving girl's chest and looked at Rilyn. "We'll share a room, thanks," said Rilyn. "And bring us two plates of lamb, and some bread and cheese to share, and make the next round a pitcher of dark stout."

        "Sure thing, sweetie." The serving girl walked off. 

        Caden stared at her leaving. "Maybe we should look for some place cheaper," he said. He turned to Rilyn. "I only have about 12 swans."

        "Relax," Rilyn said. "The mayor knew you wouldn't have any money. He's covering all of this." Rilyn removed the coins from under his cloak. "Just promise not to do anything stupid and lose what money you do have."

        "What's that mean?" Caden took a drink from his mug. The clear liquid felt like fire. Caden coughed.

        "And go easy on the shine."

        The serving girl set down the plates, a loaf of bread, a wheel of cheese with a small knife, and a pitcher. She winked at Caden. "My name's Cassy, by the way." She took Rilyn's coin and left. Caden watched her leave again.

        Caden left the table shortly after eating. The shine and stout made his face feel hot, and the rest of his body feel very tired. He remembered that he'd been awake since the night before. He went out into the court yard, and brushed and fed Starlight. He took the saddle, stone sword, and his knapsack into their room. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

        Caden woke up in the middle of the night. Someone was taking his boots off. He looked up and saw a figure moving in the dim light. He squinted, and in the shadows saw a woman moving around the room. He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

        The next morning, Caden woke up after Rilyn was already up and out of the room. He walked over to the dresser where there was a pitcher and bowl. He poured the cold water into the bowl and washed his face. Then he opened the window and dumped it outside. He put his boots on and walked out of the room into the courtyard.

        Caden found Rilyn eating in the common room. "Have fun last night?" Caden sat down.

        "What do you mean?" Rilyn ate a bowl of pumpkin porridge.

        "I woke up last night. I saw that you brought Cassy back to our room."

        "I think you are confused," Rilyn said. He took a sip from a steaming mug. "It was only us in the room last night."

        "What ever, I know what I saw."

        Cassy walked up and gave Caden a bowl of porridge and a steaming mug. She was dressed more conservatively that morning.

        "The guards said they didn't know who the Dragon Knights were." Caden took a bite of porridge. "What's up with that," he said with his mouth full."

        "Cover your mouth, you barbarian."

        Caden swallowed. "Sorry."

        "After you went to bed last night, I asked around. It seems they're called the King's Knights around here." Rilyn looked around the room and leaned across the table. "And I wouldn't say anything about the Dragon Queen here, either," he said in a soft whisper.

        Rilyn and Caden looked out the front window. A loud commotion of people were walking past. They both heard the crowd shouting, "Witches!"

Chapter 3: A splitting headache

        Sam beat the dough with her spoon. "How could you do that?"

        "I know," Caden said. "I'll apologize to her in the morning."

        "Apologize to who?"

        "Keilee, I shouldn't have just left her like that."

        Sam cracked the spoon against the table. Splinters flew at Caden. He turned away, the splinters stuck into his hair. "That's not what I'm talking about."

        "What are you talking about?"

        "You are so clueless."

        "Caden!" cried Keilee. "Caden! Come back."

        "Keilee!" Caden ran out the kitchen door, and was standing in the middle of the town social. Some of the splinters in his hair caught fire. He brushed them away. "Keilee!"

        "Caden."

        Caden saw Keilee, sitting on the bench where he left her. She was crying. The fire remained in his hair. The heat was getting hotter, but it wasn't spreading, it was shrinking, growing more intense. Caden walked to Keilee. He pushed past the people in his way. "Keilee!"

        Keilee was picked up and drawn away. "Caden!"

        The fire got hotter, and thinner. Like a knife pressing into his skull. "Keilee!" The crowd disappeared, the town fell away. Leaving only Caden and Keilee. Yet Keilee was being pulled farther and farther away. Caden ran, but couldn't keep up. A bright light blinded him.

        When he opened his eyes, he was looking straight up the circular stair case. His vision was blurry and doubled. The fire from his dream was still in his hair. He touched his head. The blood was matted into his hair. It was sticky and clotted.

        He pushed against the stairs with his feet until he was lying flat on the floor. He heard his shirt rip. He looked straight up at a lit torch above his head. He grabbed at the wall and pulled himself up. He stood as the tunnel spun until the floor came up to meet his face.

        He laid on the floor, just breathing. He waited for his vision to clear, everything return to one image, and his heart slow back down. Then he pushed himself up with his arms. He was sweating. He waited for the wave of nausea to pass. Then he slid his knees under himself and lifted his head. He leaned against the stone wall. The cool stone felt good against his burning face.

        He didn't know how long he was unconscious. He didn't know how long he sat there, waiting to be able to walk again. But he was able to walk, and he followed the corridor. The corridor was long, and every twenty feet, there was a burning torch in a bracket. There were turn offs, multiple passages, but only the main one was lit. So he followed the light.

        Caden looked at his tunic. It was ripped, stained with blood and dirt. He looked at where it shredded against the stone, and the bruises and scrapes underneath. Every part of his body ached and cried with each step.

        Next to every torch bracket were two statues of Dragon Knights. They were huge, each was carved and fitted stone, and held a stone sword taller then Caden.

        He stopped. He couldn't see where the next torch was. The path split into three tunnels, but none of them showed any light. He looked back the way he came. It'd be a long walk, and he didn't want to climb the stairs, but what choice did he have? He turned around and walked back. The tunnel ahead looked darker then before. 

        Then he saw it. The torch 200 feet ahead went out. Then the next one, and the next. Caden stood there and watched the darkness approach. He backed up till he got to the last lit torch.

        One by one, the torches went out, bringing the darkness closer. They weren't burning out, they weren't dimming. The flames turned blue, then stopped. 

        Caden could hear his own heart beating. The torch only sixty feet away flashed blue and went out. With every beat of his heart, Caden heard another footstep. The torch forty feet away went out. Something was coming, and Caden didn't know what to do. The torch twenty feet away went out. He stood between two giant statues of Dragon Knights and spoke a prayer for protection.

        The torch next to Caden flashed blue and went out. Shnick... Caden heard the slow sound. It sounded like when the barber drew his razors across his leather strip to keep them sharp. "Max?" Caden called. "Is that you?" Caden heard two more people following the first one.

        Shnick... Shnick...