October, Year 483
Town of Lacau
State of Nicia
North

The soldier, Issac, watched them both with careful eyes. His gaze didn't leave them once, even as the growls from beasts nearby promoted his hand to fall to his side, expecting his weapon, the rifle, but grasping nothing but fog.

Esau almost laughed at the troubled look that crossed the man's face the moment he realized how defenseless he truly was.

"Where is my gun?" The captain asked with a scowl. Esau could see much of it now that the fog was thinning. It was morning. The thought nipped at his heart, soon all this would be over.

The nine year old considered lying to the man, his eyes briefly meeting Alun's before flickering back to the soldier. "Back over there," Esau gestured to the path they had just walked.

For a moment there was silence. Esau imagined that Issac was debating whether to go back and get his gun or keep pressing forward.

"Here," Esau made the choice for him, holding out a sheathed blade to the older man, "have it."

Issac took the knife by the hilt, pleased to have something that he could use if under attack. He tugged on the sheath, letting out a sharp sound of approval as the blade gleamed in the sparse lighting.

"A good blade!" He couldn't help but praise, surprised. He ran his finger over the edge, not able to suppress a shiver from going through his heart. When was the last time he held a knife this sharp?

"You like them?" Alun asked. "Blades, I mean."

Issac sheathed the knife and pressed his lips into a thin line, not answering the sly boy. "How did you get it this sharp. . . E?"

"A family secret." Esau answered after a pause. Placing a hand on Alun's shoulder as he considered how to explain to him that they could not go to the capital together. His master had tried to kill his sister and Edythe in turn had. . . It would be better this way, for everyone.

"And where are they now?" Issac asked, curious. Their party of three had stopped by a row of bushes, obscured by the fog, but from here Issac could make out the outline of buildings.

His heart was thrown into chaos as he narrowed his eyes at the scene as though it would help him determine whether his men were still lalive. After all, they must have thought he was dead.

"Dead." Esau answered automatically, not even able to process the words before they left his mouth.

Alun stared at him, a look of confusion flashing across his features. The captain paused, his expression relaying sympathy. . . Sympathy Esua didn't need or want.

The boy stumbled back, rustling the bushes behind him. He looked for a way to explain, but there was nothing to clear up. It was the truth. "We are the last survivors," he breathed, wiping his sweaty hands against the material covering his legs, "you won't find anyone else."

Issac frowned then looked down at the blade in his hand. "How long? How long did they last?"

"Not through the first night."

"Where are the bodies?"

"We buried them."

Astonishment hit the soldier hard, Esau could see it. "You. . . buried them?"

The boy nodded stiffly. "Under the hill by the town's gate."

"You did this alone?" The man questioned, his suspicious gaze landing on Alun.

"No, with my sis-" Esau slapped his hands over his mouth, cursing his stupidity. What had he been saying?

Issac's eyes twinkled. "How old are you, E?"

"Nine." he answered slowly, not at all reluctant.

Again, Issac found himself taken over by shock. So young! He looked the boy over carefully, suddenly feeling guilty. He could see the boy's desperation, being trapped in this accursed place, struggling to survive as hope grew dimmer with each second that passed. It was not an easy task to stay alive, not when the world had come to this.

"And where is your sister?" He asked.

Esau stiffened and clenched his fingers. "With your friend, she will look over him while we get your soldiers." And she might have that man with her too.

Issac looked at Alun. "I see." he hummed. "And this mind reader is your friend?"

"Yes." Alun answered before Esau could. "Now, shall we get going before all of us end up dying?"

Esau frowned at the serpentine boy, about to caution him when a thought ran through his mind. They will not stop until every one of us is dead. . .

It hit him like a dream and suddenly, he remembered. As the boy made his way back to the town, trudging through the dense layers of fog with the soldier and the mind reader in tow, he finally heard her voice again.

The words took him to a time in the past, almost forgotten and erased from his mind by the constant ebb and flow of the fog.

The killing.

The soldiers.

The fire.

His mother had told him that people were after them, he remembered still. She had told him to protect Edythe as she always did, but this time it was different. Wasn't it? Since when did she have honey-gold eyes?

Images of his mother flashed through his mind. Her always smiling lips, her scolding laugh, her daggers and herbs, ever golden eyes.

Why did he only remember now? He could have sworn they were blue once. The ghost of her appearance danced around his mind, just beyond anywhere he could reach.

The nine year old put a hand to his head, forcing his gaze inwards, focused on clinging to the memory. Why did people want them dead? Why did they want Edythe?

His eyes fell to the person walking next to him. Alun's master had been after his sister, that much he was sure of. But why?

Is it because of her eyes? He gnawed on his lip at the thought. It made sense. He remembered stories of how the war for gold had torn kingdoms apart in the ancient times. His father had talked about them too often for him to forget. . .

"What's on your mind?" Alun whispered by him.

Startled, Esau froze. His breaths quickened as the memories left him, not forgotten but lacking clarity. He could no longer remember his mother's voice.

For some reason the boy felt like crying, he hadn't thought about his parents since they had. . . disappeared. He had always been focused on surviving, on protecting his sister. Why then was he thinking about this now, of all times? When they were just about to free of it all.

He didn't answer Alun, instead he turned away, not wanting his friend to see his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Why now? His fingers clutched at the seams of his shirt as though the action would alleviate the pain in his chest.

Blinking rapidly, Esau shifted his gaze to the soldier now in front of him, his fingers grazing the knife strapped to his belt with each step he determined took. Even though he was half-sure that no beasts would come onto this path, if the man tried anything he'd be ready. He hoped the soldier would stick to the deal, he seemed like a good enough man. And even though Issac liked to ask questions, it didn't matter. Esau didn't mind answering them. When it was all said and done nothing he said really mattered, because if someone died with answers then no one would ever know of them.

Esau was tired of the forest and fed up with the fog. Most of all he didn't like what was going on between him and his sister. He was ready to leave this all behind him, ready for the future. A future where he didn't need to sharpen knives every morning.

Somehow he had to get out of this place. He would go to the capital, safe behind it's many shields. He would tell the minister the story and then the fog will disappear. Yes. Edythe will see the stars, the sun will still be there. . . she would be happy.

And Esau would be happy because of that happiness.

And yet you both will still be orphans. A nasty voice interjected, poisoning the boy's thoughts.

Esau instinctively looked in Alun's direction and despite not behind able to see him clearly he knew it wasn't him. That wasn't his friend's voice, not by a long shot.

Who are you? He asked through his thoughts.

He got no reply.

It left Esau with a chill because what the voice had said was true. He would still be an orphan, and so would Edythe.

He had never thought about it like that, but why would he? His parents were still alive. . . But if he really thought that, why did he tell Issac they were dead?

"Look there!" A voice shouted from in from of him and Esau raised his head in time to see it, the bloody entrails of fallen men hanging off the broken buildings like vines, organs scattered about the stone grounds like rose petals strewn in the wind. The bodies were nowhere to be found but Esau still knew. There was no way a person could survive evisceration.

The captain's men were dead, useless to them and nothing but carcasses. Issac blanched.

What would they do now? Esau turned to his side, distraught. A cool numbness spreading thorough his fingers as he realized that Alun was gone.

Did he do this? Bile rose up in the boy's throat as he stumbled back, tripping in shock and falling on his back. His mind flashed back to the murderous gaze of the serpentine when he had worn his sister's face. Alun had truly intended to kill him then and now he had stranded them in this dying town.

Sorry Esau. The nine year old could almost hear the boy's voice in his mind. It only served as incentive for Esau as he got on his knees and heaved into the bush by him, causing spasms to go through his empty stomach as he threw up his nonexistent dinner.

It was too brutal, inhumane in fact. It was even worse than the aftermath of the first attack. At least then, most of the people were not in pieces.

"Hey, E!" Rough hands grabbed him from behind, forcing him up.

Esau stared at the soldier and saw the disgust he felt reflected in his eyes.

"Do you know a way to get out of here, anyway at all?" Issac asked, his voice steeled and resolute.

Esau nodded, his throat sore and bitter.

"We'll need weapons, many."

"Yes." The boy slacked against Issac's grip.

"E, I made a promise to you on Philip's life." He put Esau down. "Now you have to do something for me, promise me that we will make it out alive. I and Philip; you and your sister."

Esau wrapped his arms under his legs and pulled them to his chest. "How. . . How can I promise something like that?"

The sting of Alun's betrayal hit him hard, not that he didn't expect it. There had to be a reason the boy had come back after him master died, another mission. To keep them here? To let them die now when they were so close?

Why now? Esau shut his eyes and laid his head on his knees.

"You can promise this to me because I will do the same. Starting from now, we are the only people in Lacau. I swear by the Code that governs this universe that we will make it to the capital, may my life forfeit if it is not achieved."

Esau looked up at the shoulder, the image of the man he had left behind in the workshop coming to mind. "You love him."

The soldier said nothing, he only turned away, his sad gaze fixed on the entrails littering the outskirts of the town. "I am sure that you have someone who needs you to live, so swear on it, swear on them. Let the reaffirmation of your oath give you the strength to see it through, become their strength."

Esau did not swear. He didn't know what code the soldier talked about nor did he really understand much of what was just said. But he got the point.

The boy staggered to his feet, pulling his empty body up into the thin fog. "I know what we need to do."

Once, just this once, he would put his trust in a soldier.

†