Part 3
Scars of the Past
The next morning Sworder was bounding around light footed as ever.
“How can you be so well after what happened?” the girl asked confused at his sudden recovery.
“I told you a good night’s rest and I am as good as new.” Then, seeing her continued confusion he elaborated, “Kazans heal faster then you people. Our bodies, after all, are not… absolute.”
Sworder started walking through the forest cutting a path for the girl. “Which way is home?” he asked.
“I don’t think we should go back,” the girl said tentatively.
Sworder sighed, “From here do you know if you can find any other city?”
The girl shook her head in the negative.
“And do you have provisions to last the week?” he pressed. Again, she signaled in the negative.
“There is no other place to go,” he stated the obvious.
“But still…” the girl tried.
Sworder stood waiting for her to finish, but she faltered.
“See here,” he said reassuringly. “I will be there. Nothing can go wrong.”
“Of great significance indeed,” Namic warned.
“Cheer up,” Ranin said. “It can’t be that bad.”
Namic’s demeanor was still as harsh as ever. “We will see. It will take them sometime to reach their destination.” Namic continued, “It is probably meaningless to watch them for a while.”
“Namic!” Ranin later shouted, tearing Namic from what he was looking at and making him turn to see what Ranin was shouting about.
“What is happening?” Namic asked.
Sworder and the girl had cleared the tree line and were heading down a road.
“I think they are close to their destination,” Ranin said, his statement backed up by a line of houses appearing farther down the road.
“Light shall now pass over shadows,” Namic forewarned.
“Drearily as ever,” Ranin complained.
As they entered the small village, the girl realized she was alone but she continued on.
“She knows he will stay near,” Namic said.
“But does she realize how near?” Ranin countered.
The girl made her way through the village to a solitary house at the end of the lane. As she approached the door, she took a deep breath and then knocked hesitantly on the oaken doorframe. There was yelling on the other side, followed by the sound of running feet, ending finally with the door swinging open. A heavy set man stood at the entrance and his eyes looked sternly at the girl.
“I thought you’d run off for good this time,” the man said.
“I-I,” she almost broke into tears. “I had nothing and nowhere to go.”
“Why do you keep running away if you do nothing but return?” he asked angrily.
“Because you’re mean,” the girl said.
The man’s face reddened and his arm flew back. The girl flinched back but a figure was behind her, seemingly out of nowhere; he moved forward. Though he resembled Sworder, he was clad in red garb and had a large claymore in his hands. The figure laid his claymore on the shoulder of the man and everything stopped. Though the man was much taller, the figure easily stood against him.
“He has changed forms once again,” Namic said.
“He’s different this time,” Ranin noted.
“Who’s this?” the man demanded.
“In this form you can call me the Vassal of Fire,” the figure said.
“Vassal of Fire, eh,” the bulky man said. “Got yourself a Kazan did ya, darling?”
“Indeed,” The Kazan said.
“Let her speak,” the man spat.
“She has no need to spare words to the likes of you,” the figure retorted.
Despite the claymore on his shoulder, the man brought his hand down to slap the Vassal but the figure released one of his hands from the claymore and grabbed the wrist of the man. The sound of searing echoed from the touch. The Man howled and tugged back with the Vassal holding for only a second longer.
“Get out,” the man spat, holding his wounded hand, releasing it only long enough to slam the door.
The Vassal of Fire stood there for a moment. Turning, he politely gestured for the girl to follow him and then started off.
“I’m sorry,” the Vassal said. He paused before continuing, “I dragged you back here. I should have listened.”
“It’s cute to see them talking honestly,” Ranin said, but Namic did not respond.
“But you were right,” the girl said, wiping the tears from her face. “I had nowhere to go.”
“Do you still have nowhere to go?” the Vassal asked.
“Well, there’s Uncle Ben.”
“Wait,” the Vassal said. “You have an uncle?”
“No,” the girl said. “I just call him that because he is so friendly.”
“Why did you not go to him first?” the Vassal said.
“I didn’t want to get him in trouble,” the girl said. “But now I don’t know if I have a choice.”
The two of them started off for the northern outskirts of the town.
“Well that saga is over,” Ranin said.
“Do not be so certain,” Namic replied, forebodingly.
“Must you always,” Ranin said.
“Hold,” a voice said behind the two travelers.
“What now,” the Vassal said angrily.
“It’s the constable,” the girl gasped.
“What’s your business here,” the Vassal asked the officer.
“In the name of the King, I have come to take you under arrest.”
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