Bridgeworlds: Deep Flux (6 page)

She flew south for some time until she reached the small home where
they would be waiting for her.

As she landed she saw the six she had come to call her sister and
brothers sparring in the horse training ring. They were all adept fighters, having
been Kalat at one time. They dropped their weapons and ran to greet her,
hoping for news of the battle, she was sure.

“What word?" Allaso asked excitedly, "We were hoping for tidings of
victory!” He towered over her at about six and a half feet tall with blonde hair
and blue eyes. The one thing that Kasey loved about her brothers and sisters of
the Phoenix was that though they were Miyka, they were not stuffy and
pompous like many Miyka were. Even Ischus and Protos showed some of the
signs of the haughtiness of nobility, but these were not raised in the upper class.
They were simple soldiers in the Kalat army working for their King and General
Sothsenies. The reports she had heard of Sothsenies scared her. He was said to
be inhabited by the Kalat god Mors. She knew that she would one day face this
demon possessed King of the Cursed. She had experienced a similar run-in
before and, while she had escaped unharmed, Myles had almost died.

“Well, what news?” asked Aletheia impatiently. She was the only female
of the group and quite strikingly beautiful. At times Kasey could tell that more
than one of the Order had an eye for her. She had crimson red hair and light
blue eyes. Her ears were longer than most Miyka which was said to be desirable
amongst all Malakadam, even the Kalat.

Kasey smiled at Allaso and bowed her head to Aletheia. “I bring bitter
sweet news. The battle and war have been won… but at the cost of hundreds of
thousands. The dead could not be counted, but it was the entirety of the armies
of Soterion.”
Aletheia gasped, “Everyone?!”

Kasey nodded, “Save the Kings and Queens who defeated the foul Great
Red Dragon when our Shepherd gave them the Sword.”

 

Allaso blinked, “You mean the sword that you used to break my curse.”

 

Kasey sighed, “Yes, that very sword.”

Dinami, a scholar and a swordsman with dark blue hair and green eyes,
spoke with hope. “So the Monarchs of Soterion now know. They know of the
Dragon and the Shepherd. They know the Shepherd’s power.”

Kasey smiled, “Leave it to you to see a bright side to the matter, Dinami.
Yes, they know.”

Laberos, a tall but skinny bowman with extraordinary aim had silver
hair, long silver beard, and blue eyes hugged Kasey. “It is good that you are
back.” He surveyed her for the signs of battle. “You did not fight. I'm sure,
sister,that it was hard to watch and to obey the Shepherd’s words to you, but it
is for the best.”

Kasey slapped Laberos firmly on the back. “Yes, my friend. It was very
hard. But…,” she paused, considering her words. "I have found purpose in this
tragedy.”

Kasey then told them all about the conversation the Monarchs had and
her plan to be the head General.

Aletheia was very supportive. “If anyone can do it, Kasey, it’s you.” The
woman cleared her throat. “We… we caught a new one since you were gone last
week. She is um… well, she is difficult.”

Kasey raised an eyebrow, “A female? So far from the Skotos Plains?”

Aletheia shrugged, “Yes, we found her while fishing around the lake.
She was alone. It seems that she was left by her group on some kind of scouting
mission.”

Kasey sighed, “It was so much easier when I had the sword.”
Aletheia smiled, “Ah yes, it took almost a year to break me, but the
proud must be broken. This one reminds me of the way you described yourself
before the breaking.”

Kasey only shook her head, “A lot of work. It took the Master Himself to
break me.”

 

Laberos laughed, “You are so stubborn now. I can only imagine what
you were like before your transformation.”

Thinking of those times caused her to think of her brother, Protos.
Where has he been? I haven’t seen him since almost a decade ago when we last
met to discuss the fact that Alicia is nowhere to be found.

“I just wish the Shepherd had given me wings like you,” Dinami said with
a note of jealousy “To fly would be wonderful.”

 

“Bah,” Kasey said gesturing toward her Kuon, "You can ride on Davaag
any time you want.”

 

Dinami looked at Davaag who let out a low growl as if to say, “Don’t
even try it.”

 

Dinami cleared his throat. “That dog won't let anyone but you ride him
and you know it. Besides it's not the same, now is it?”

Kasey shook her head and began walking toward the small farm house,
“No, I suppose not. Maybe we can talk the Magi into gifting you with a Kuon of
your own or some tool that would allow you to fly just the same. But enough of
flight. I must see this new captive of yours. What does she call herself and what
house is she of?”

“She is Misia of Skotos; Sothseneas' own house. He is her greatgrandfather,” Dinami filled her in as he followed her.

 

“Impressive! It is time she met one of the two surviving heirs of House
Zophos alive in Soterion,” Kasey replied with a bit of sarcasm.

Kasey removed a rug in the middle of the floor of the farmhouse and
opened a latched door leading to a stairway. Kalat were great diggers and these
prior soldiers had not lost their skill. Kasey had asked the Magi to build a prison
for any Kalat they captured over the years, and her brothers had dug a
basement under it. The prison was built from a special metal made by the Magi
infused with some of the moss from Musterion. This moss had proven to heal all
Malakadam except for the Kalat to whom it was poison, even to the touch.
Those who touched it fell ill but did not die. It made the prisons glow in the dark
and it made them impenetrable by the Kalat super-human strength.

As Kasey approached the cell where Misia stood, she noticed her hands
were holding the bars so tight that her white knuckles had a pink hue to them.
She snarled and spit right in Kasey’s eye, then laughed.

Kasey wiped at her face trying to hide a look of disgust. “Was that really
necessary, child? I hardly see what that is going to accomplish.”

Misia began shaking at the bars. “That is because you see no true
purpose in life, none like the purpose my people have. We will crush you and all
like you, and if you do not let me go now, I will be sure to feast on your blood
some day!”

Kasey rolled her eyes, “You do not scare me, Misia of House Skotos. I
wonder, what would Sothseneas think of his granddaughter being so weak that
she managed to be captured by a hand full of Miyka? Would he welcome such
incompetence?”

The sneer left Misia’s face. None but the oldest of Miyka even knew
Sothseneas’ name and none save the Kalat knew about the existence of houses
within the Kalat.

Misia blinked, “How do you know these things?!” she demanded.

Kasey shrugged and pressed her face ever so close to the bars of the
cell. You wear the Skotos house sigil upon your armor; the symbol of a dead tree
growing from an acorn.”

Misia screamed in rage. “These things did not come from me and he will
never believe it. How do you know these things!?”

Kasey spoke barely above a whisper, “I was once Ragal of House…” She
paused for a moment knowing that the next word would strike fear into Misia’s
heart, “…Zophos.”

Misia’s eyes widened in shock and Kasey could see hints of alarm even
though Misia hid them well. “You… I mean, they are all dead. Hundreds of years
ago they disappeared.”

Kasey gave a knowing smile, “Yes, but we did not die. We became
trapped in a maze and resided there for ages. I and my brother are the only
ones to make it out of the maze.”

While Misia was still dazed in thought, Kasey unlocked the cell, passing
the key to Dinami, and slipped in. Misa challenged her, “You are no Kalat, you
are Miyka.”

Kasey cocked her head, “And what is the history of the Kalat? Where do
they come from?”

 

“We are the cursed,” she said with pride in her tone.

 

Kasey nodded as she moved closer, “You are the cursed what?”

She blinked, “Miyka…,” she finally said as if it was a word that tasted
foul on her mouth.
Suddenly she seemed to realize that Kasey had entered the
cell and was approaching her. The girl leapt for her and though Kasey was
trained to fight better than most creatures on Soterion, she let the girl wrap her
arms around her. Misia squeezed hard and yelled, “You are a liar!”

Kasey could feel some of her rib bones popping so she decided to shed
the girl from her back. She only needed to will it, and her fire wings appeared,
scorching Misia’s hand and arms. Misia let go and stepped back, screaming in
pain.

“It burns, I know," said Kasey with concern in her voice, “but you will be
okay. You did a good job of cracking one of my ribs though.”

Misia spit on Kasey again. Kasey sighed.
I really don’t want to have to
hurt this girl too much, but she needs a wakeup call
. She grabbed Misia by the
hair leading her up the stairway as Misia bit and clawed at her like a rabid
animal. Kasey paid no attention as she dragged her out into the daylight. Misia
screamed and fought Kasey even harder. The wisps of shadow and mist that
emanate around all Kalat seemed to wrap around her trying to protect her
exposed flesh from the light but it began to burn anyway.

The others rushed to Kasey’s aid but she shook her head and they
backed away. “What’s wrong Misia?” There was a touch of sarcasm to her voice.

 

Misia growled, “You know what is wrong! I cannot tolerate the
sunlight.”

 

Kasey smiled as she maintained a firm grip on her, “What do the Kalat
think of the Miyka, Misia?”

 

She spat on the ground still trying to wrench herself free, “You are weak
and feeble-minded fools!” she laughed even as her skin simmered.

 

“The Kalat despise the weak?”

 

Misia only glared, “I don’t have to answer your stupid questions.”

Kasey nodded, “They do, Misia. They hate the weak. What is this, but
weakness? All natural plants and animals grow and thrive in the light. …but you,
Misia, must scuttle around in the darkness because the sun burns your flesh. Is
that not weakness?”

“
We find our strength in the darkness
!” she yelled as if it was a battle
cry.

 

“And your weakness in the light?”

 

“The light is our enemy!” she yelled.

 

“It makes you weak, look you aren’t even strong enough to fight me off.
You are weak,” Kasey said pleadingly.

Misia growled and howled as she tried to rip free, but she still could not
shake Kasey. With a mighty shove Kasey threw Misia to the ground and
straddled her so that she could not get up. She held her there until Misia
stopped fighting. Finally she said in a sympathetic voice, “We are all weak,
Misia, but with the Shepherd we can be strong.”

Kasey got up and walked away letting those words linger. She knew her
battle with Misia was not over. In fact, the battle for her soul had just begun.
She hated how violent the Kalat culture was. She always had to start the battle
for the souls of lost Kalat with violence even though she detested it these days.
In the past she had spoken to the Shepherd and confirmed her methods. “They
are rough but necessary. Sometimes when a sheep keeps leaving the flock a
shepherd must break the leg of the sheep. He does this with love. He breaks
that lamb’s leg and then the lamb has to rely on the shepherd. He sets the bone
to heal and from that day on the Shepherd does everything with that lamb over
his shoulders. The lamb learns to take comfort in the shepherd’s voice. To some,
this would seem horrible; but is it, compared to the fate the lamb would face if
wondered off alone and eaten by wolves?” Kasey sighed, thinking of this lesson.
It was something she knew in her gut, but the Shepherds words were always
wise beyond anything she could express
. I have broken her pride, now I will
spend my days with her and show her who I really am. Who He is.
As she walked
away the others guided Misia back to her prison and tended to her burns.

3
In Trouble… Again
No light. How long has it been? I’ve lost count. Weeks, months.

Myles sat in complete darkness. He found himself in some kind
of stone holding cell. He had tried to teleport out which did not work.
He had tried to make light with his mind but it didn’t work either. Myles
had lost control.
What is this place?

The stench of his urine and fecal matter was almost unbearable,
but the darkness was what would likely drive him mad. Everything was
black. What he would not give for a ray of sunlight. It might be blinding
at this moment but he did not care. He missed the feel of sun on his skin
and the smell of fresh air.

Myles tried to exercise in his small cell but there was little room
for that and the rock of the cell was jagged. It was barely comfortable
enough to sit or sleep on. Most nights he found himself sleeping against
a wall because it was more comfortable than lying down.

His jailors came only when he slept.
How can they know when I
sleep and when I am awake?
Too many questions nagged at him.
Where
did Haylale send me? What hell is this place? How can I get out?

“Hello, can anyone hear me?” he yelled again. No answer but an
echo with the faint sound of dripping water. If it had not been for the
water trickling into the side of his cell which was only a five foot cubic
cell, Myles would be very thirsty by now. But he had not eaten on
purpose in at least five days. He was hoping to starve himself to a point
where his captors would show while he was awake. Besides, the food
made a man
want
to starve himself to death. It was slimy and
sometimes in the dark as he ate… it moved. Myles swallowed in disgust
as he thought that he had eaten some mysterious living thing in
desperation. He had killed it first, in the dark. It shrieked horribly and
splattered everywhere when smashed it violently against the wall. After
that it was three days before he would actually eat it. Pockets burst in
his mouth and strange tasting juices came from them.
Organs
. Myles
dry heaved thinking of it again.