I wanted no part in this. I didn’t believe in God, and I didn’t believe in young girls performing witch craft to create fire out of air. I hated Hope from the moment I saw her, I felt not an ounce of respect nor pity for the girl who could create fire from a mere whim. Each of us in her regiment felt no respect for the young girl whatsoever. We did as we were told, of course, but with no pleasure.
We wanted to be in the front lines of real battle, of real danger, not babysitting. Soon, most of us banded together with a common enemy: her. It’s crazy how hatred can bring people together.
Oddly enough, even though we had fresh hatred coursing through our young veins, we barely ever saw her. It was like catching smoke to find her; she was elusive and hid often from the people who were trying to help her. Her teachers, her overseer, her protectors, everyone. She was supposed to live within castle walls, as were we (we got better food, clothing, and shelter than most due to our sensitive positions), but she was rarely seen where she should’ve been.
She escaped often, we didn’t know where she went, all we knew was finding her was brutal and annoying, often times getting so out of hand even our regiment was sent out to find her. We would search for days at times and always found her strolling casually along a road as if she were normal. We knew better.
We’d drag her back, as usual; she’d stay for a few stress filled days, disobeying everyone, then leave again. Our hatred only grew with each time she’d mysteriously vanish.
I did, however, find myself wondering quite often about where she went. She hadn’t a friend in the world from what I was told about her…
Gossip about her circulated quickly, teachers couldn’t get her to listen or learn, she blatantly refused. She was stubborn as an ox, had a mind of her own, and couldn’t be bothered listening to anyone else but herself. It infuriated me to a point where I had to question my motives for anger. She lived a life I could only dream of, education, honor, things I had no opportunity for and she threw it all away.
She was a child who made her own rules, everyone scared of disciplining her just in case she tried any magic, which she was just learning how to use. Temper tantrums often left melted holes in walls; fire’s spreading quickly at the drop of a hat. Living under the same roof as her left everyone stressed, buckets of water found everywhere… just in case…
Years passed this way, I grew taller, reaching past six feet tall, my body filling out as I turned into more of a man than a boy with too long of limbs. My skin shone over my taught muscles (all grown from hauling buckets of water continuously), I was bred to protect… but it didn’t feel enough for me.
While I grew through the years, she did as well, all of us in her regiment taking notice. We were men, after all, and it would’ve taken quite a bit for us to ignore that she wasn’t fourteen anymore. She grew a head taller, still far shorter than any of us, and her body also filled out. Her stomach got flat and her arms and legs were strong but lean. We often wondered what kept her so in shape; we never saw her do much around the castle other than sit emotionlessly or throw fire tantrums, which were slowly growing less common. Her hair got longer, shinier, still in her eyes no matter how much anyone tried to brush it aside.
Her eyes were strange and slightly captivating to me. When she used fire, they glowed golden as her own internal fire pulsed through her with copious amounts of power. Meanwhile, while she scowled in her day to day life, they were green like the forest, shining as if they were made with glass. Sparks of gold mingled with the green to make them sparkle, only those who got close enough could ever see the strings of gold among the deep green.
The only way I even knew this, actually, was a chance encounter with Hope. She never addressed any of us, never spoke to anyone unless she was getting mad and throwing fire.
I had night duty; I was sitting, huddled in blankets, against a wall. It was a winter night, I was seventeen and she had just had her sixteenth birthday, a “momentous” occasion. She didn’t show up. Surprise, surprise.
I, myself, had grey eyes. They weren’t much to look at, but I had twenty twenty vision. I scoped out the nearly dead horizon, no one threatened us much. We were so far north that many didn’t oppose our “element”, not wanting to make the journey through the mountains.
I had heard, though, in Southern colonies, a religious uprising had begun. People were saying that God would save us all, and four girls wouldn’t help a thing. They believed in “God’s will”, saying that we need to leave everything be and start praying for forgiveness of our sins.
Ironically, they’re killing people over the matter.
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, something small. I gripped my sword, the only weapon I had on my person for I didn’t take night guard very seriously since nothing ever happened. I sat up straighter, pretending that I didn’t see a thing, letting the unknown thing get closer. I saw another bit of movement, my eyes focusing intently. I knew which was it was headed; it was going to pass in front of me.
I tried my best to look as if I were fast asleep, which most of the guards often were at night duty. I hunched over, relaxed, letting my breath come out in soft snores. I waited for the sound of feet to come closer; I could hear them in the near distance. I smirked, it was almost too easy.
The feet came close and I jut my foot out quickly, tripping the unsuspecting victim. I stood up when I heard their chin hit the ground loudly, their teeth must have been rattling inside their dumb skull. “Let’s see who we’ve got here…” I muttered loudly, grabbing the dark figure by the back of their head.
I shone my lamp down at the face beneath me, my rough and callused hands gripping harshly on their neck. I recoiled inside when I saw a familiar flash of green eyes, blood dribbling from a scowl. Hope lay beneath me as I fought the urge to just drop her back onto the ground. I wanted to recoil, scared of feeling fire on my skin, but she just glared at me. I glared back.
“What the hell are you doing?” My voice sounded unnaturally rough as I didn’t let go of her.
She stood up, proudly, still only reaching barely my chest. She glared up, wiping her mouth. “Leaving, what the hell does it look like, dumb ass?” I had to think for a second, I had never been sworn at by a girl…
“It looks like you’re going back to bed. Where you belong.” I turned her around roughly and gave her a light shove. She stumbled forward, looking back to glare at me briefly before walking towards her bedchamber… I didn’t really think she’d go so easily. I felt accomplished. But, at the same time, I had to ask… “So, each time you leave… You leave through the front door?”
She stopped and turned around to look at me, amused. “Yup.” I, once again, burned with anger. She had the audacity to just leave through the door we were guarding each night!? We had all cooked up such extreme anecdotes about how she escaped, each story growing grander and grander as we made her out to be an evil mastermind.
She used the god damn front door.
She turned back around, her mouth stuck in a smirk that irked me to the bone. At times, it scared me how much I hated her. Just the sick twitch of the corner of her mouth, anything that resembled happiness, I would want to beat out of her. I felt violent, I felt hate, and I felt fury like I had never felt before. This girl, this girl who was so petty as to ignore the attempts of civilization everyone around her so desperately tried to have her accept, was throwing everything away. Everything that I, someone who had been bred to fight, someone who was expected to act as a machine, wanted. I wanted what she had. I wanted people to care, I wanted an education, and god damn it, I wanted the freedom to leave whenever the hell I chose.

I had no freedom where she was concerned. I protected her, that was my only purpose. And, if that was all I was good for, I was never to see the outside of the walls that held me as a captive. That’s what I felt like, a captive in a place I did not wish to be.
Breed me for war, that’s fine, but if you are to breed me for war then at least use me in war. The fact that my brothers were fighting for a cause far more just than my own killed me at night when I let myself think about it.
But, as we grew up, the other men in my regiment became fonder of Hope. I took notice to it, feeling a new emotion that felt a lot like fire, hearing each of them become far fonder of her than I preferred. I didn’t know if it was merely frustration that they were abandoning the one thing that had strung us all together or if it was something else. All I knew was that whenever I heard one of my fellow soldiers speak of her, my blood ran like fire and warmed my entire body until I had no other choice than to excuse myself from the situation.
I volunteered myself once more for night duty a few months later, this time waiting for her. I had a feeling she’d come, it was a foggy night and the moon was bright in the sky. It lit up the valleys that stretched for miles, making transportation by foot easier than usual. I slumped against the wall, “sleeping”, my hand gripped on my sword. This time I’d show her, this time I’d scare her so bad she wouldn’t’ dare leave again.
I wish I knew why I felt so much anger, for looking back on it now, I feel rather child like about it. She had never done anything to me personally, and for all I knew she had no hand in who was in her regiment. But, nonetheless, anything that went wrong I would immediately blame her, the conductor of voodoo magic.
I heard a small sound far away, my ears pricking. All of my senses felt heightened as adrenaline coursed through my body. I was ready to give her a good scare. She crept up; I could hear her, gauging how asleep I was from afar before daring to get closer. I didn’t stir, my entire body relaxed on the outside even though, inside, I was tense and ready to spring.
She took a few steps closer; I felt the corners of my mouth turning up slightly in anticipation. Those green eyes would be so shocked… I would probably get scorched, but it would be worth it just to see the fear in those eyes that always seemed so fearless.
She took a few more steps. In four more steps I would attack.
One step.
Two Step.
Three Step.
Four Step.
I sprung up, gripping her shoulder roughly, throwing her against the wall. I raised my sword to press against her throat, as I would do with any unidentified intruder. I could feel my heartbeat beat in my chest, my pulse loud in my ears. She wriggled for a moment, the sound of her breathing altered by the silent scuffle of our feet, her body thudding against the stone wall.
Then, without me realizing it, she dropped to the ground. She rolled through my legs as if she had been training her whole life, rolling to a standing position with no problem at all. She had a sword as well, it shone in the moonlight as she stood, breathing heavily, in front of me.
“You wanna fight?” She smiled, almost entertained by my utter shock and confusion. “Let’s fight.” She swung her sword down, I blocked, the sound of metal hitting metal breaking the suffocating silence that had once been a sign of a peaceful night. I swung beneath, trying to get her off her feet, but she was too fast. She jumped back, jabbing at my side in an attempt of getting me to drop my sword.
I gauged this fairly well, hopping out of the way. The sound of metal kept sounding as if it were thunder, each shock traveling through my body until it shook me to the very core. She made a dummy lunge at my neck, instead going for my feet. I stumbled backwards towards the wall, my grip slipping.
I had been caught off guard; I was at her mercy if I couldn’t regain my footing. I hadn’t expected her to have a weapon or even know how to use it. But, damn it, she was better than I was. I had never seen her lift anything heavier than a piece of paper and yet here she was, wielding a heavy sword and swinging it as if it were nothing more than a stick. I could see her sweating, and I could only assume I was as well, each of us breathing heavily.
She knocked my sword from my hands; it dropped to the earth with an earth shattering sound that hurt my ears as if they would bleed. She gripped its handle quickly, now armed with two swords. I was backed up completely against the wall, sweat dripping down my forehead as I glared at her. She was not supposed to be better than me. She wasn’t supposed to fight back. She was supposed to get scared, cry a bit, and never try to escape again.
Instead, I felt her jab one of the swords between two stones right between my legs. I stood on my tiptoes nervously, not wanting to lower myself onto the sword. She shoved the other sword to my neck, just as I was about to do to her, pressing softly just enough so a droplet of blood would run down my neck gracefully. She smiled again, “I win.” I just rolled my eyes, too proud to admit her success.
She backed away, admiring her “handiwork”. I struggled to find words to coherently express my anger, but they all fizzled away in an instant. Her fingers had small sparks falling to the ground; I assumed this was an expression of pride or happiness. She wiggled her fingers and a fresh rain of sparks fell onto the dirt ground. I wondered silently why she would bother learning how to wield a sword when she could just scorch someone to a crisp instantly. Actually, on that thought, why wasn’t she scorching me?
I’d seen her throw flames at maids, other soldiers, her teachers, and anyone that got in her way. She was fearless and quite good at managing fire, considering it’s the most unmanageable element I could think of. Why was I any different? She didn’t even know my name.
“Why wait? You’re just going to burn me anyways.”
She cocked an eyebrow, the grin on her lips growing wider in the moonlight. “Burn you? Oh, I didn’t realize you wanted to get to fun so quickly.” She traced her nimble fingers down my throat; I could feel the heat on the pads of her fingertips. My pulse jumped, but I just stared her down.
“Get it over with.” My voice sounded gruff and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked straight ahead, preparing to feel my skin melt beneath her fingers.
Instead, she recoiled back, laughing loudly. She bent double, giggling, trying to muffle her sounds. “You thought I was going to burn you?” More laughter. I burned bright red without any help of her fire… “What do you think I am? A monster?” She hooted some more, obviously under the impression that what was happening was funny.
I sort of did think she was a monster, but I didn’t think it would be wise to coax out those deadly flames any more than I already had. “You burn everyone else.” My voice didn’t shake and she took a deep breath, calming herself.
“Says who?” She still had a smile pasted to her mouth.
“Says anyone with a burn.” I tried to stand proudly, but the issue of a sword between my legs wasn’t going to disappear.
She tilted her head, amused. “You’re far too gullible, know that?” I kept my mouth shut, not quite sure what to say to her. She turned to leave, calling over her shoulder, “Oi, Gullible, what’s your name?”
I barely choked out, “Caleb Byrne.”
She waved, still walking out the door I was supposed to be guarding. “See you later, Caleb.”
I was stunned to see the witch from my childhood as a normal person, someone that could laugh, show mercy, someone that could use my name as if we were nothing more than acquaintances passing by on the street.
As she walked away, I silently gloated. I bet that only our element was able to use a sword just as well as any soldier could.
I pushed those thoughts of pride out of my head as I tried to get a grip on the slowly fading idea of her being made of nothing but pure evil. She could manipulate fire; there was nothing holy about that. Nothing that I could see that would be capable of saving our world. She was just as useless as she was in the beginning.

It took me weeks to live down the sword incident; it had been a popular table topic for a while after being found in such a compromising position. I took my fellow soldiers goading and teasing silently, not seeing any point in getting angry over it. I also kept private how human she appeared… It wasn’t something I necessarily wanted them knowing. They needed no more reason to want to get closer to her; they didn’t need to know what only I knew…
They all scrambled to be in her vicinity because, when kept with a group of men, the first sign of a beautiful girl was treated as if she were an angel sent from heaven.
I couldn’t deny it, she was truly beautiful. She had eyes that reminded me of a hawk, passionate and bold even though her face always appeared uninterested and bored. She was lean and made to be outside, every limb of hers made of sleek muscle, her skin smooth and firm. She looked soft to touch, her body radiating power while also appearing very female before us. Even though her eyes burned with fury and pride, the subtle tilts of her neck could soften any man without question, making her appear demure. Even though flames dripped from her fingers just as sarcasm dripped from her tongue, her mouth curved in such a perfect smile that you were almost compelled to smile back.
I recognized her beauty, but only second in line to her strength. I was not like the others who hadn’t the privilege to see what she could do; they only saw what she appeared to be. I could see her holding a sword, threatening anyone who got too close while they could only see her leaning against a wall, bored and unassuming. The two views clashed, and I made sure to keep mine quiet, not wanting to relinquish the information I had soon started to hold dearly.
Ever since that night, though, she hadn’t given me a second thought. She passed by me with the same look on her face, emotionless and blank. I pretended as if nothing had happened, as if she were still the voodoo witch girl I hated with all my heart.
Pretending her heart was made of soot was harder than it used to be, I even felt compelled to defend her when I would hear snide comments passed through the halls about her. I stayed silent though, even offering a few jeers myself.
It made me feel a little sick, as if I were the one worth hating.
We were three months away from her eighteenth birthday, a momentous occasion that meant freedom for all of us. Everyone started getting restless, excited to see their families, even more so to see the front lines of battle. I started training again, the excitement of war settling in my muscles until the only way to relax was to train. I didn’t want to appear as if four years of a cushioned life had made me go soft. I wanted to return with honor as if the regiment I was in truly was important, rather than babysitting.
General Walkins was the only connection I had with the army for the four years I was drafted to her regiment. He often was the one who checked up on us, making sure we were keeping with our responsibilities. He was the only one who took her seriously, he respected her and expected us to do the same. He treated her as if she were of the utmost important, (I guess she sort of was, since she was to save the world) and would often yell at us for treating her as anything otherwise.
I had grown to respect him through the years, never seeing him lose a moment of honor. Everything he did was based off of his appearance as a respectable army general, every move he made was cleverly planned so that he could maintain the utmost amount of respect from those around him. I never saw him deviate from the path of honor and dignity, and the day I ever would, would be the day the world died.
On the three month mark, there was an announcement to everyone in our regiment. She was to be accompanied by one of us, only one by her request, to the place in the mountains. We had to be strong, clever, and ready to lay our lives down for her.
Things in the south had gotten worse, we had heard of many plots to try and stop the four girls from appearing in the mountains on their birthday. None had been successful, but multiple people had died for this “saint like” cause. We had to be prepared to fight against religious persecution and against anyone that wanted to make an easy buck with ransom.
At first, I was uninterested. I wanted to get back to where I belonged as soon as I possibly could, nothing else.
But, my mind quickly changed.
The other men would talk at night in hushed voices about all the possibilities that could happen in the mountains with two people left all alone. I listened intently as they laughed lightheartedly, each of them considering this possibility as a bonus for the four years they wasted here.
I didn’t want her to be left alone (though I knew she could protect herself quite well) with a man that wanted nothing more than a sleazy night alone with her. That kind of man would not protect her, that kind of man would run at the first sign of danger. That was not the kind of man who should or would be escorting her to a holy place.
I was interested very soon after.

The way they were deciding was to be a series of short battles, the winners set against each other until there were only two left for the final duel. Simple enough, my main opponents hadn’t trained in months so I felt no stress there.
However, the man I was worried about slept in the bunk above me. His name was Daniel Grangly and I knew very little about him, except for what his reputation spread. He was a loud, boisterous boy when we were younger, very popular among us. He said what he thought, did what he wanted, and no one ever questioned it. He had gotten stronger, some of his muscles amounting to the size of my head. I worried about facing him, I was faster but he was stronger. If he caught hold of me, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate breaking my neck.
Everyone felt a connection with him, but he felt nothing back. Everyone considered him their best friend, but he knew better, using each connection as to receive exactly what he desired. And, right now, what he desired was to be alone in the mountains with a girl who he saw as nothing more than a pawn in his games.
I started training immediately. I kept up the façade of disinterest through the day, but at night would use the training grounds to my secret disposal. I practiced hard, everything I knew, something inside me stoking the flame that kept me going. My swordsmanship was sublime, my footwork had improved massively, and my reaction time was to die for.
I worried that he was better. If he hit me just right, I wouldn’t have to worry about her ever again. I’d be dead.
Why I was worrying about her, I don’t quite know. I figured it was something from my childhood, a value I was taught while they weren’t. I thought that defending what was right was my ultimate purpose, and if it took extra work to do so, then so be it. I was willing to work as hard as necessary and then some to defend what I believed, and I firmly believed that she deserved a capable and pure minded guard.
One evening, as I was testing my strength against a forgotten wooden dummy, I felt someone grab my shoulder from behind. I reacted immediately, twisting around, bracing myself for yet another battle. I was pumped, the idea of fighting already instilled in my brain after about an hour of training.
I was met with a pair of squinty black eyes that belonged to no other than General Walkins. “Training?” He asked, gruffly. I just nodded. “For that duel?” I nodded again. “You won’t win against Daniel if you don’t have a trainer.” I didn’t nod this time, intent on the belief that I could handle anything. “Don’t believe me?” He raised his eyebrows. “How about you let me know when his fist wraps around that scrawny little neck of yours and squeezes until there’s nothing left. How’s that sound?” I nodded slowly once more, looking away as if just the thought of losing would be enough to kill me on the spot.
“Good boy.” He patted my back. “Why you’ve taken such a liking to the lass, I’ll never know, but I knew you were destined for something great. I’ll teach ye.” *** I stayed quiet, not wanting the help, yet knowing I needed it. “The aim of all battles, son, is to win.” Obviously. He picked up a stray sword, even though Daniel’s weapon of choice was a battle axe.
“I know that.”
“Then win, lad.” He lunged at me and I dodged him easily, lunging back without a second thought. Fighting him was different than Hope, Hope was quick and on her toes. She relied on her clever mind rather than brute strength, which was what General Walkins possessed more than anything else. I swerved right, his sword crashing into the ground as I made yet another lunge for him, missing by only a fraction of a centimeter. He grunted and lifted his sword again. I laughed a bit, my father would’ve been proud.
He made a swift uppercut intended to hit my face, but I leaned back in time, my own sharp steel flicking across his bicep. I grinned wide, I was winning. Then he reeled his arm back and sent a punch right into my jaw, sending me flying backwards until I skidded to a halt. I rubbed my face as he walked towards me, my sword had fallen a few feet away.
“Confident, are ye?”
“That wasn’t fair.” I spit out some blood angrily, glaring up at him. It was unheard of to use fists in a battle of blades.
“This fight isn’t going to be fair.” He was right. “And if you expect anyone you’re going to meet on your “adventure” to be fair, then you’re just as dumb as you look.” He cuffed the back of my head. “Again.”
I stood up, breathing heavily, attacking him once more with just as much gusto as before. I got a kick to the stomach and fell back down, groaning.
“Again.”
Again I stood, and again I fell, my head reeling and throbbing. I kept getting up and he kept saying “again” as if it were a mantra I should live my life by. I grew furious, fighting like a mad man and snarling, sweat rolling off my body.
I fell once more.
“Again.” Said General Walkins, also tired, but not planning on giving up until I won.
I cradled my head in my hands. “Enough for tonight.” Even my blood felt painful.
“Again.”
“Not tonight.” I grunted, glaring up at him, my words sounded like hissing.
“That lad, he’ll kill ye. Again.”
“No!” I screamed up at him, standing up, towering above the man who was starting to get grey in his hair. “No again, no nothing. Not tonight!” My sheer volume would’ve scared off many, but he stood just as proudly as he always did.
“Again.”
This time it was my turn to punch him, fury boiled inside my body, firing up muscles I didn’t think I had. I threw my fist forward, hitting him square in the nose, sending him flying. He stood up without hesitation.
“Again.”
“I said no!” I dove with my sword, a grunt escaping my parched lips. I dodged another punch, and another, until I saw an opening to punch him once again. This time in the stomach, he made no sound, but still he swung at me.
“Again.”
I groaned inwardly, my muscles screaming in protest as I rose my sword, pointing it at the adams apple in his throat. I pressed so lightly, never intending to hurt him, just scare him. He smiled at me. “Not tonight.”
“Good lad. You’ll win. You’ll win if he gets you riled enough.” I dropped my sword, turning to leave, exhausted in every way possible. “Good job, son. Good job. I knew I was right.” I didn’t bother responding to him, my entire body was shaking and I just wanted sleep. I didn’t take his compliments to heart very often, but after being beaten to the ground again and again, his words felt like a cool rush of air filling my forlorn lungs. I breathed deeply, a bloody smile etched onto my face as I lay down underneath the man who I would be fighting in only a few days.
If only I could have had a picture of that night, one of the proudest of my young days.
A few more nights like that passed, each night rough and I took quite a beating, but each night he’d end up in the same position. After hours of work, he’d lose.
I was ready to take on the first obstacle of my adventure with Hope.

The battles were quite a fanfare, most of town showing up to watch us fight each other. It was barbaric in some ways, the way they cheered for us to bring down our opponents. We all grew up together and we all knew each other’s pasts, it felt wrong at times to fight them.
My first fight was an old friend of mine, his mother and father died early and he ended up in the army by no choice of his own. He was good, yes, but he had no desire. I used to help him out, taking on extra chores to lessen his burden. No one should have to do something they detested. As the years wore on, I found out he was a talented musician in his own right.
It was not a fair match.
I won easily, hearing the crowd cheer was like listening to a distant memory. I saw Hope seated next to our royal family at the head of the arena, looking bored as she leaned back in her chair. I tried not to look at her, I tried to focus. I still wasn’t sure why I was so passionate, she had never helped me nor had she ever shown true kindness to me. And yet, I was fighting.
My second opponent was like a faceless ghost to me, I beat him easily.
The third just as easy as the second.
The fourth posed a slight threat, he got close enough to cut my cheek with the flick of his blade. I fought back, though, I fought just as if I were fighting in warfare, that one cut enough of a threat to uncover my true skill in order to protect myself.
I glanced at Hope, who, with the passing of each battle, was looking more and more interested, even leaning forward in her chair. Her eyes were locked on me, curious as to why I was trying so hard when I was her most prominent enemy from the day we met. I was the one who wasn’t scared to glare, I was the one who openly complained, so why would I be the one fighting so hard?
I didn’t know.
I was finally pitted against the opponent I was anxious for, just Daniel and I standing in the middle of the arena. I could hear people scream for me, but I could also hear them scream for him. My palms were sweaty, my throat dry. I could see Hope out of the corner of my eye, her eyes glowing faintly as small flames licked her fingertips in anticipation. She looked weary of my effort, as if she didn’t trust my intentions either.
I looked ahead, at my opponent. He was huge. I could see General Walkins standing silently on the edges of the arena, giving me one firm nod before my focus returned once again to Daniel. He grinned, seeing me as no more than another quick victory. I looked down at my worn shoes quickly before meeting his steel grey eyes.
The bell sounded.
“To the death!” Rang out the announcer’s voice, my entire body grew rigid. Death? There was nothing that said death in the sign up sheet. I saw Hope stand up and yell something that fell deaf upon my ears at the royal family, who simply ignored her. Flames were sparking up to her elbows, glowing red hot. She glanced at me apologetically for a brief unyielding moment, furious that death was brought upon a competition meant for her.
“I don’t want to kill-“
My sentence was cut off with him saying in a snide voice, “Ready to die?” I gawked at him, how could he kill someone he grew up with? Someone of the same blood and clothe… I shook my head, trying to understand everything that was happening.
I didn’t want to kill, I didn’t want to be killed. I didn’t understand. I turned to General Walkins, but he was gone. I was alone. “I’m not going to kill you.” I muttered, glaring at Daniel. Everything I had trained for had gone to waste, I wasn’t about to bloody my sword on a man I used to share chores with.
“Too bad, cause I’m going to kill you.” He ran forward, lifting his powerful ax to make one clean sweep on my neck. I ducked, panicking. He grunted and shoved me backwards where I stumbled but managed to stay standing. “It will only hurt for a bit.” He grinned and I could see his grimy teeth, I wanted to gag.
I quickly lunged, barely jabbing him with my sword, just enough to frighten him. He stepped backwards, surprised at me fighting back. I didn’t know what I was doing, I kept swinging, I kept dodging. My goal was to get him off his feet, when he fell to the ground he had no chance at winning.
I barreled towards him, shoving him hard with my shoulder, using my sword as something to push off of as I ran into him with all my might. He fell with an earth shattering crash, his ax falling on my ankle. I pushed it off, my adrenaline increasing my strength considerably. I stood above him, my sword placed above his heart. I was breathing heavily and I kept hearing other people’s words in my head.
Again
Ready to die?
Oi, Gullible, what’s your name?
To the death!
You thought I was going to burn you?
Again.
I shook my head dizzily, too many thoughts running through my head. I stepped back from him. “I’m not killing him.” I was shaking, my entire body rejecting the idea of murdering for a contest. Murdering for entertainment. Murder. I dropped my sword, it clanked on the ground. The sound of it seemed to hush everyone around me, jaws hitting the floor as I staggered back from Daniel’s sweaty body.
Even Daniel looked bewildered as I took in a few steadying breaths, my knees feeling wobbly beneath me. I knew if the positions had been switched, he’d have killed me in a moments time and never looked back.
I turned to where Hope was sitting. “I’m not killing him.” My voice didn’t sound like my own, but I remained standing.
“My dear boy,” said the announcer in charge, “that is the entire contest. Do you not want to win?”
I cleared my throat. “I want to win. I want to win very badly. Not badly enough to murder a man who has done me no wrong.” I swallowed, everything seemed fuzzy. I wondered in the back of my mind where General Walkins was…
“But that is the means of the contest, lad. We need to know who’s willing to kill for our treasure.”
I took another deep breath. “You are wrong about two things, sir.” My voice grew stronger. “First, I will and would kill to protect. The difference is that I will kill only to protect, only when necessary. A man is not made of how many lives he takes, but how many he spares. To know someone’s true nature, look not on how he treats his equals. Look upon how he treats his inferiors.” Everyone was quiet. “And, second, her name is Hope.”
The crowd gasped softly as the king rose in objection. Everyone fidgeted around me nervously. I remained still, breathing deeply as if it were the first time I could taste clean air. I glanced at Hope, who was still screaming at the royal family who listened with deaf ears. She looked furious and kept gesturing to me. The flames surrounded her, skittering across the floor. I saw General Walkins step back to the place he was originally, I made eye contact with him almost immediately. He nodded slowly, a man of great pride and honor, he knew me well.
It was then I felt someone knock me from behind, I could hear my spine crunch softly. I fell on my stomach, groaning. “I’ll show you what a real man does.” It was Daniel’s voice, I looked up, wincing. He was grinning, holding his axe execution style above my fragile neck. I reached for my sword, but it was too far away from me now.
I tried to flip myself over, but his foot just pushed me back on my stomach. Everything was happening in slow motion, I had but only seconds to live beneath his sharp blade. I looked once again at the place Hope was, my eyes locking on the golden orbs that were dancing with fury. I took in every feature in that brief moment, fear pumping through my body.
She looked so fierce in those brief moments that she appeared almost inhuman. Her eyes were fixed upon me, golden and glowing with rage. Her muscles each tense, each delicate limb ready to act. Flames swept around her feet and up her arms, refusing to scorch her perfect skin.
I shut my eyes once more, lowering my head to the dirt. This was it.
I heard a blood curdling scream echoed through my bones and I looked up once again. Daniel was enveloped in flames, his axe lay forgotten next to my body. He dropped to the ground, screaming as the flames ate him alive. I looked up at Hope who had power pulsing from her body. I could feel it, like a steady heartbeat, each beat of her heart only making the fire grow stronger until he fell soundless. A bunch of ashes upon the floor.
I stayed silent and tried to get up, but my body refused to respond.
I heard her voice clearly now, “Death is what you wanted.” She was addressing our king. “Would you like more of it?” I didn’t hear him, but I assumed he shook his head no. “Good. Do not make honorable people commit acts of dishonor in my name.”
I heard no more, for I promptly passed out in the middle of the battle arena.
I had won.

After a few nights in hospital, I recovered just fine. Nothing more than a few bruises and cuts and a nasty case of shock. The first night, I had fleeting dreams full of flames and glowing eyes, I didn’t sleep much. My mind couldn’t make up if they were dreams or nightmares, so I just lay awake until dreamless sleep fell upon me.
When I woke for good, General Walkins sat next to the bed. Stiff as a board and staring straight ahead at the white wall, he didn’t even realize I had woken up. I coughed softly to draw his attention. He glanced down, surprised for only a moment before regaining his composure.
“Good work back there, lad. Proud of you.” He went back to looking at the wall. “Too many boys think that killing is the way to prove strength… It takes a wise mind to know that killing is but a necessary evil and is not to be taken lightly.” I stayed silent as he struggled with his words. “You, lad, you were always a good one. I knew it from the start, and now everyone else knows it as well. I was right.” He was red in the face and I was still groggy from medicine so I couldn’t quite grasp what he was trying to say.
He cleared his throat. “Leaving in a week with Hope.” I nodded, not much time for full recovery, but I knew I was tougher than the average human. He finally looked me in the eye. “You take care of her, the world is depending on you.” I nodded.
“But if it’s so important, why aren’t we sending more?”
He shook his head, “I don’t know, lad. She says she wants only one, and there’s no use in fighting fire with fire… So only one is the way it will be. You’ll have to ask her yourself.”
“She killed Daniel…” It was a statement, not a question.
He paused. “Yes. Yes she did.”
“How is she supposed to save our world when she can take a life so easily?” I could feel anger boiling within me once more.
“You misunderstand that girl. She took his life so you wouldn’t have to die nor would you have to dishonor your own name for a cause that is not your own. She protected you, you’ll understand one day when you’re older.”
“She didn’t protect me! It was her contest, she controlled it! She should’ve called it all off and gone alone if she’s that powerful!” I was seething, my volume raising considerably.
He just looked down at me, a sort of sympathy finding its way into his eyes. “She controls less than you think she does. Get some rest, it’ll be a long journey.” He patted my shoulder and left, leaving me with only my thoughts once more.
I didn’t know why I fought so hard, and now it all seemed pointless. She killed Daniel without cause, she killed him… Then again, he was about to kill me… But it was her contest, she shouldn’t have… I… I lay back down, my mind toying with itself. The murder she committed had two arguments, one positive and one negative. I was alive because she did that…
But I couldn’t force myself to forgive her for it.
I fell into a week of fitful sleeps before I was to accompany her into the mountains. I tried to push every thought of her out of my mind so I could concentrate on packing what was absolutely essential to our journey in the bag I was given. I didn't pack much, our journey would last a month at most...

I felt torn as the departure date came closer. I didn't know whether to hate her or like her, though liking her was always a stretch in my mind. My general dislike for her ran deep, so deep that I didn't always know why I hated her so much. It was as if I were programmed to hate her, and that was all I ever knew.

I didn't see her for the entire week before we were supposed to leave. I assumed she had jetted off for a bit before she had to leave, the entire castle in a frenzy to find her before twelve o'clock on Friday. She came back on her own Thursday evening, something she had yet to do. Everyone could finally breathe, knowing that she hadn't run away... A very plausible possibility. And, let's face it, she was the type to get up and run for it.

It was so petty, the way she treated the weight of the world. It was as if she were being sentenced to death, the way she acted sometimes. She'd have fits when she was younger, screaming about how she didn't ask to be born this way... We would all just roll our eyes, because the way she spoke about her life was as if she were living a nightmare. In actuality, she only had to sacrifice that single night of her life for the entire world. In return, she got an education, a life many would die for, and constant protection. What more could she want? What more could she possibly need? No one could answer that, because it was a simple fact that Hope was never happy.

I was fifteen minutes early for my own departure, I had remembered my father once telling me that being on time was considered one of the most important components in life, and you were either early or you were late. I wasn't planning on being late.

Hope was late.

Seventeen minutes late to be exact.

She didn't even acknowledge me as she walked past the many spectators that had gathered around the town's gate to see us off. She acted as if she didn't even know they were there, she looked just as casual as she usually did, the only difference about today was that we were both decked out in gear.

I was given a royal soldier costume, it was made of dark blue material and had the royal crest sewn onto the sleeves. It was hot and uncomfortable and I was already itching to rip those clothes off my back and get on the far more comfortable clothes I had packed for myself. I had packed simple training pants, they matched the dark blue of the soldier costume, and a plain white shirt that provided me with the necessary mobility I would be needing. Nothing fancy, just the essentials. Of course, my sword would be a constant companion to me no matter what the outfit.

She was stunning in the ceremonial outfit that they had forced her to wear. I say forced rather literally, at least eleven maids were used to get her dressed, holes were burnt into the walls and there were still some soldiers putting out a fire that had started all the way in the kitchen... It was worth it, though.

It was a dark red dress made of filmy gauze, draping over her body as if she were a goddess that had dropped from the heavens. The fabric draped over her arms and shoulders, the dress made to fit her body to a tee. A loose, black belt hung around her hips to keep everything together. Her hair, as usual, was in a pony tail, though this time combed until it shone. Everyone around her had to take a second look, even me, for we had never seen her in such a feminine light. Small red jewels were placed underneath her eyes, three under each, and they shone every time the light hit them just right. She looked like she was from another planet...

And then she would glare and we would be reminded of who she really was. No goddess. Just a demon.

I cleared my throat, uncomfortable. General Walkins stood beside me, a strong hand patted me on the back. "You'll do well." I licked my dry lips, everything was starting to blur again. I took in a shaky breath, steadying myself. I didn't bother greeting her, for there was no way she was planning on greeting me.

I was stood next to her in front of the royal family, each of us looking well scrubbed and posh. I bet she was just as uncomfortable as I was because she wouldn't stop fidgeting. A few words were spoken by both the king and Hope's "headmaster" (who, for all those years, managed to miss every single outburst she had) but I didn't pay much attention. Neither did she, if I knew her well enough. The sun was beating down on us, something neither of us were used to. We were used to up to nine months of snow and cold with only a few forgiving months left for farming.

We each bowed respectably, Hope's bow was more like she merely stumbled and stood back up, straight as a board. They ignored her, as usual. I had never really seen any of the royal family notice her or even address her. It was as if they went out of their way to ignore her. She didn't seem to care, for all she did towards them was either ignore them as well or get angry.
It seemed like a complacent relationship to me.

We then walked slowly past the crowds of people to the gates leading out of our town. They were opened, each heavy door pulled by two horses. I had never been out of our town, to be honest... I had a crude map in my bag on where we were going, but to experience the world at the age of 18 was daunting to me. She seemed to be distracted, obviously not bothered about any of what was happening.

It was time for goodbyes.

I had General Walkins come up to say goodbye to me once more, it was very stiff and formal. The young musician I had battled in the arena slapped my back good naturedly as well, though no one else from my regiment came up. They were all sore about Daniel and hadn't visited me in hospital either. I didn't really care, for they would come to their senses soon enough. And, in all realistic outcomes, I probably wouldn't be in the same barracks as them when I got back anyways.

For Hope, it was silent for a moment and she looked unaffected that no one was saying goodbye to her. I had often wondered about her family, but from what it seemed... She didn't have one.

And then, I saw a flicker of movement in the crowd. A family of three came forward, each of their movements slow and cautious. There was a woman who looked to be in her fifties, hunched over as if she were ashamed to be moving forward at all. A man with an equal amount of shame marked in his face walked next to her, straight and tall. They both had the same tan skin as Hop, her mother was just as petite as she was as well. A boy accompanied them, a tall lanky boy. He was about nineteen at the most, he had his hands shoved in his pockets. He didn’t look ashamed whatsoever, if anything, he looked proud.

Each of them stood before Hope, who donned a serious face. “Hey.” That was all she said.
Her mother opened her mouth but closed it again, thinking better of it. Her father cleared his throat. “Goodbye, Hope.” It was very stiff and unemotional, very polite but with no warmth behind it.
“See ya.”
The boy, who had the same pair of deep green eyes, I assumed was her brother. As her parents shuffled back into the crowd of blank faces, he stayed. He tilted his head and smiled, the way he looked at her was almost sympathetic and I couldn’t tell why. He looked down for a moment before looking back at her, almost as if he were choked for words. I felt as if I were looking upon something I wasn’t supposed to, something private.
“Gonna miss me?” She smiled happily, the same smile I had seen the night she shoved a sword between my legs. Ah, good times.
“You know it.” He ruffled her once perfect hair and grinned back, swallowing hard. He paused for a moment, debating something in his mind. He pulled her close, hugging her as if it were the last time he would see his little sister. He hugged her as if she were the only solid thing keeping him from falling and she hugged back just as desperately. I was surprised, I had never seen this boy, and yet he was treating her as if she had been sentenced to death.
He withdrew slowly, turning around without another thought, and returning to the crowd as yet another faceless spectator. She turned to me. “What the hell are you looking at?” I didn’t answer, but my eyes shot to my feet as almost an apology. Why hadn’t he come see her? Why hadn’t any of them come to see her?
We both turned to the now open gateway and I glanced once more at her. She looked concentrated, her hair blowing softly in the wind, the filmy gauze rustling silently. She took a deep breath and lifted her head bravely. There was something absolute and final hanging in the air, but I tried to ignore it as I waved one last time to my town before walking out into the world with nothing but Hope.

The moment we got out of sight, she tore off the filmy dress. “What are you doing!?” I spun around as she stripped immediately, as if the dress were a disease that was contagious.
“I hate dresses.” She muttered softly through her teeth, I could hear the tearing of cloth and I too started to debate whether to change into my regular clothes as well. I didn’t dare move, though, in fear of seeing her half dressed.
“You could’ve waited.” I sounded bitter, rolling my eyes even though she couldn’t see it.
“You could shut up.” I took that as a challenge.
“What’s wrong with you? Upset that you’re on your own for once now? Poor you, no more castle to protect you.”
A ball of fire flew past my head and I whipped around. “Say that again.”
“You told me to shut up.” I dodged another ball of fire that was aimed directly for my head this time. I ducked, dropping to the ground. I looked up at her, she had fire balancing in each of her hands, their frenzied flames whirling around menacingly. She was now in a pair of shorts and a red shirt that was billowing in the wind, the ties still loose. I glared up at her. I clamped my mouth shut, though, saying nearly everything I was thinking with my eyes.
She chucked my bag at me, I took it as an invitation to get dressed in what I had brought as well. I grabbed at my clothes harshly, tearing off my shirt as I muttered, “If you’re so damn powerful, why am I coming with you?”
She turned to the side so I could have a little privacy, something I would have to relinquish by traveling with her. She crossed her arms, un-amused. “Because, you never put all your eggs in one basket. I need an extra pair of eyes.” She sighed as if I were taking too long. I tugged at my pants rapidly, my speed only fueled by frustration. “I’m smart enough to only bring one though.”
“So, it’s fine if I die, that’s what you’re saying?” I felt like yelling as I did up the tie at my waist, but I didn’t think it wise since small flames were still licking at her fingertips.
“Believe what you want, but if it were fine for you to die, I wouldn’t have killed that boy.” She turned back to me, obviously not caring if I were dressed or not. Thankfully, I was. She looked at me placidly, bored, as usual. “Ready to go yet?”
I didn’t bother answering, I just started to walk in the way I assumed we were to be going. Towards the mountains… I knew that much. I wasn’t completely useless.
“Silent treatment.” I heard her say, obviously walking behind me. “Mature.” She caught up to me, walking leisurely next to me, her feet were bare. I noticed, the bottoms of her feet dark brown from, what I assumed, were daily doses of shoeless treks.
“Put some shoes on.”
“No.”
It was silent. I took in a few deep breaths to calm myself, my frustration fizzling away slowly. She was quiet as death itself as she walked beside me, her feet didn’t even make sound as we trod through the forest side by side, an unlikely duo.
I didn’t know what to say to her… Here we were, alone, I could say anything I pleased. This was the girl who kept me away from what I really wanted, this was the girl I openly hated for years on end, and this was the supposed treasure who I wasted everything for.
But nothing came out of my mouth. I stayed silent, my eyes focused forward. I had lived under the same roof as this girl for four years, but I knew very little. I didn’t know anything… What I thought I knew had been erased over the past few weeks, and everything was confused in my head. I glanced at her, she looked the same as always. Nothing changed, nothing new.
I knew we weren’t to be reaching a town until the next evening, we were to be making a camp as soon as night fell upon us. It was too risky to travel at night. I stopped us when I saw the first stars appearing in the sky. “What are you doing?” She glanced at me, she hadn’t stopped walking even when I announced very clearly what I was doing. Making camp for the night.
I sat down, my legs sore, leaning against a tree. “We’ve gone far enough today, no traveling at night. It’s in my contract.” There was no contract, but even I knew how easy it was to attack travelers when they hadn’t any wits about them. The night had a way of stealing the things you once knew and replacing them with uncertainty and fear. I wasn’t planning on risking it.
“No, keep going.” She started to walk again.
“Look, you may be some supernatural… thing… but I’m not. I need rest just like every other human.”
She stopped again, thinking. She turned to look at me, I was reclining very comfortably against the tree. “Thing?”
“You’re sure as hell not human, are you?”
“Suppose not.” She walked back towards where I was, sitting across from me, relaxing against a tree of her own. “If I’m not human, what do you think I am?”
“I’m not one to say…”
“Don’t play me for a fool. Everyone has their opinion about me. This is your chance.” She looked at me calmly, stretching a bit. I stayed silent for a moment, trying to figure out which words were best for what I thought she was. I had remembered using the words witch, demon, and evil… She stood up suddenly and I almost fell over. “We need wood, I’ll be back. You set up here.” I nodded, grateful not to have to tell her everything I had been thinking.
I made two crude sleeping spaces, each contained a small pillow and tattered blankets. It wasn’t luxury, but it was better than sleeping on the cold earth floor. I also doled out a few rations of the food we brought, dried meats and fruits. Yet again, no luxury, but it was sustaining.
She came back soon, dry pieces of wood stacked in her arms. She didn’t address me again until she had the wood set in the position she wanted between the two “beds”. She sunk down onto her bed, sending a few stray flames to the pile of dry wood until it lit immediately. I inched closer, the night grew cold with each minute that passed and I was grateful, for once, that my element to protect was fire.
“Now, tell me, what am I?”
I looked up at the stars, thinking maybe they would spell out the correct answer for me. They didn’t, go figure.
“I don’t know.” I scratched the back of my head uncomfortably.
She crossed her arms. “Too bad, I thought you had a brain.” Her eyes narrowed in on me. “Sucks for me.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re a pain in the ass.” I glared at her.
“Ah. And how was I a “pain in the ass” to you?” She raised an eyebrow. “You know, I only saved your life.”
“By killing another.” I crossed my arms as well until we were practically mirrors, staring down each other.
“Does it scare you?” Her eyes never left mine. “That I could kill you right here and no one would know?” Almost as if on cue, flames started to dance around my head, getting dauntingly close to my skin. “I could burn you. Easy.”
“That doesn’t scare me.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“What scares me is that you would do it.”
“That shouldn’t scare you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I won’t.” The flames dancing around my face recoiled back to her, she let them weave through her fingers and play around her slim wrists as if they were alive. “You know… You’re wrong. About everything.”
I glared silently at her.
She looked at the small flames jumping from hand to hand, smiling softly. “What are your orders, exactly?”
“Why?”
“Indulge me.” Her eyes shot back to look at me, the flames lighting up her face until it glowed orange. Her grin looked sinister and her eyes almost appeared black, the entire woods around us dim and full of shadows.
“I was told to bring you to the mountains on the night of your eighteenth birthday. Thought that was obvious.” I looked at her skeptically, not trusting her. I didn’t think I’d ever trust her, there was too much of her that was wild and she never played by the rules. I was taught to be weary of those traits.
“And about bringing me back?” She raised her eyebrows, waiting intently for my answer.
I had to think for a moment. They said nothing about bringing her back. Not a word. I just assumed we’d come back together, I assumed that was part of the plan from the beginning. But, now that she mentioned it, I had never heard anything about how I was to return her. I didn’t answer, knowing she had the answer already. She was playing games with me.
“I’m not playing any of your games.” I stated flatly, laying down in my makeshift bed. I rolled on my side, away from her, so I didn’t have to look into those soulless eyes. I pulled the covers up to my chin and lay there stubbornly, waiting for either sleep to capture me or for her to argue more. She seemed very serene, though, so I wasn’t in for a fight.

I had never seen her like this, never spoken with her like that. I always had to remind myself that she wasn’t truly human, she wasn’t… She was a thing, expendable. I had to keep reminding myself of that, I had to make myself more like stone so I would stop thinking about her in such a human sense. It would be my downfall if I didn’t stop.
I woke up and she was still where I had left her, still awake and still staring blankly where a few dying embers were desperately struggling to find life once more. I doubted that she got any sleep at all, though she looked just as she did yesterday. If I were to go without a night of sleep, I was sure I would at least look run down. But she just looked… the same way she always looked.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “How’d you sleep?” It was worth a try to ask…
“Brilliantly.” She stood up. “Ready to go?” To be honest, no, I was not ready to go. I was still half asleep and the sun was barely peeking out from the hills in the far distance. I shivered and nodded anyway, groggily packing up everything once again. I could see my breath in the frosty air. When the sun was in the sky once more, it would be searing hot… Until then, I pulled a jacket I had brought with me out of my bag. I tugged it on, heaving my bag on my back. She stared at me for a second and I avoided her gaze awkwardly. I didn’t know how to handle girls in general, and she wasn’t just any girl… She was a girl that daunted me to the point of anger and frustration until I had no choice but to fall back into being embarrassed.
I hated being embarrassed.
“Cold?”
“Nope.” My teeth were chattering softly but I clenched my jaws together to keep her from knowing.
“You’re a bad liar.” She held out her hand to me. I just stared at her, raising an eyebrow. “What the hell are you staring at?” She glared but didn’t move her hand. I seriously didn’t understand how her hand was going to help me unless she was planning on setting me on fire. I gradually took her hand as well, feeling surprisingly hot flesh meet mine. My shivering stopped almost immedietly as if fire were heating my veins. Not painful at all, it was as if I had my own heating system. “Better?”
I nodded, blushing a bit. I hoped to god it was just because I was warm. I took a tighter grip onto her hand and noticed her face flush softly. I stared ahead, “Don’t worry, the sun will come up soon and you won’t have to hold my hand.” I swallowed hard and licked my lips.
“Right.” We started to walk awkwardly, my shivering had stopped within moments and I was now comfortably warm inside and out.
“I guess you never get cold, do you?”
“Guess not.” She smiled. “I guess it’s lucky I got fire.”
“Guess so.” I cleared my throat. “You didn’t sleep last night… Did you?”
“Wow. You’re a genius.”
“Why not?” The tension was slowly starting to drain as we spoke like regular people, no fighting, no fire, just normal. It was refreshing and sort of relaxing. I hadn’t realized that she could be calm…
“Don’t need it.”
“Why?”
“You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?” She didn’t sound entertained, but she also didn’t sound bored either. I felt like I was the only one who got to talk to her and be treated as an equal, and I didn’t know why. “Next question.”
“Why did you save me?”
“Next.”
“No, answer this one and I won’t ask any more today.”
“I don’t know why I saved you.”
“You’re a bad liar too.”
She glared at me. I smiled at her, which really just made her glare more malevolently. “I saved you because you didn’t deserve to die. Fair?”
“Daniel didn’t deserve to die either…”
“That’s where you’re an idiot. He would’ve killed you without a second thought. He would kill a man who spared him. That,” she looked me straight in the eye, “is cowardice.”
Cowardice. That word struck a cord within me. A coward. “You don’t like cowards, do you?”
“Hate them.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “What happened to no more questions?” We had come to a road and the sun was above us, but I was still holding her hand without a second thought. It was comfortable and familiar in a way I couldn’t describe so I didn’t end it. “You saw my parents?” I nodded. “They are the picture of cowardice.” Her tone changed from casual to almost a hiss. It was as if there was poison in her mouth and it tasted so vile she wanted to gag.
“Those people used a 5 year old girl to get what they wanted.” There was so much anger radiating from her, her eyes started to glow gold and her grip on my hand was starting to get painfully hot. “They used me, they used me to get rich. I didn’t know, I was five, I didn’t know what was happening when they sold me to the castle. They sold me. I remember, I am worth exactly one house and three hundred and fifty three dollars.” She was shaking, she was so angry. I didn’t know what to say… This girl I had hated so much had reason to hate the castle she lived in.
The castle I always assumed was a luxury to her, when in actuality, those tantrums. All those tantrums… Her parents didn’t visit her once.
She stopped in the middle of the dirt path we were on and let go of my hand. I stared at her for a moment, for once pitying her. “Three hundred and fifty three dollars. That’s what my life was worth.” She took a shaky breath and bit her lip, struggling to control herself. This was the most human I had ever seen her and the way she shook made me want to comfort her, because… She was only human. She looked up to me with her glowing eyes, tears starting to pool. “Tell me, Caleb, how much is a life worth?”
I stayed silent and reached out to touch her, to hold her the way I was compelled to do. She brushed my attempt away. “I’ll burn you, don’t touch me.”
“Look at me.” I don’t know why I was rising to the occasion suddenly, but I was. “Hope.” She looked up at me, her tears were turning into gold as well and it was stunning to look at. “Nothing can determine what a life is worth.” She was shivering so much, I didn’t know if she had ever said what she was thinking before… My bet was this was the first time someone listened. “But your life, your life is worth so much more.”
“No, I’m only worth what they tell me.” She tried to take a deep breath but it turned into a small sob. This reminded me of a little kid, of a little kid grasping at straws for reasons why bad things happen. And I had no answers for her…
“Then listen to me, listen to what I tell you. Your life is worth the world. Okay?” I hugged her, I don’t know what compelled me to hug her, but I did. I did the unthinkable in the eyes of so many, even in my own eyes. I held close the monster from my childhood, I held close the most dangerous thing I could think of, and I held close a demon in her own right.
And she didn’t burn me, though her body felt like it was boiling hot. I assumed she couldn’t control it, even as she hugged me back. I didn’t think anyone had even touched her for years in the castle, everyone was so afraid.
I let myself not be afraid for a few brief minutes until she pulled away, wiping the golden tears from her face and swallowing hard to regain her composure. I stood across from her, everything I had known was wiped clean.
She glared up at me, her eyes returning to normal. “If you tell anyone about this, I really will burn you.” Never mind, hello childhood memories.
“I won’t tell a soul. Now let’s get going.” She nodded, she seemed shocked that I listened. She seemed even more shocked that I had hugged her fearlessly.
There’s a first for everything I guess…

We started walking again, silently, the difference was that this was a gentle silence. A necessary silence. I liked it. We were twelve miles away from a small city that had been defending itself against religious uprisings for about three years now. I wasn’t sure how bad it was, but I knew that there had been many waves of uprisings and people had died…
I would never understand how people could kill based on beliefs alone. To me, killing was something I was trained to do when protecting something, but I never quite grasped the idea of death on demand. I did it, yes, I did what I was told because I was a good soldier when it came down to it… but there was always something nagging away at the back of my mind.
Hope had composed herself again and was walking confidently, her bare feet patting on the ground lightly. She seemed oddly energetic for someone who didn’t get any sleep. Meanwhile, I was dying to crack my back since the ground didn’t exactly make the comfiest sleeping spot.
The city we were supposed to go to first was Fiore, and I wasn’t sure how well we would be welcomed. On one hand, we would be welcomed as heroes, on another, people would avoid us like the plague in case they were murdered for believing something someone else didn’t.
I hated the world sometimes.
I could see the tops of crude buildings in the distance, the sun already all the way in the sky. It towered above us and beat down upon us with such a white hot temper I was sure we would faint. Well, I would faint. I was sweating and my skin shone, hers stayed dry and looked cool to touch. There was no way she could heat and cool herself, it was impossible… She wasn’t human. I hated her once more, just for pettier reasons. Ha.
I could hear voices up ahead at a small clearing, there was a gentle pool of water and a few lazy trees hanging over a bridge. It looked peaceful enough, at least there was water. I wanted water quite badly, having already drained my canteen. I was panting, not used to the warmth. We had barely traveled fifty miles south and it already was unbearably hot for me. The peaceful scene that played out just out of my reach proved to be stellar motivation for me to keep going.
There was a girl, no more than ten years old, washing a cruddy old dress in the relaxed stream of water. She was talking softly and calmly to a boy around the same age who was watching, his feet dangling in the cool water. His face was smeared with dirt and the clean water was slowly washing away the dirt that pasted itself on the soles of his feet. They both looked homeless, the girl’s hair chopped just above her ears in an effort to make life more effortless. Each of them wore rags that could have once looked like regular clothing. They didn’t wear shoes, and their skin was tan like Hope’s from hours spent outside.
The worst part of war, no matter what kind, whether it be religious or political, it was always the children that suffered. Parents died and they were left with nothing more than a war torn world to survive in. They were thrust into a world they didn’t create, and it wasn’t fair… They were the true sufferers.
I wasn’t sure if Hope thought the way I did, if she saw what the world had become… Or if we even thought it had become the same thing. I stayed quiet, so did she.
I could hear them, the boy was louder than the girl. “When I grow up, I know what I’m going to do. I’m gonna become a soldier and fight, they feed you in the army, y’know?” He smiled gleefully and the girl just nodded. “I’ll even get to dress fancy too, you’ve seen what they look like. Looks warm.”
“But they killed your parents…” Her voice was tiny compared to his.
He was silent as he kicked up a small splash of clear water. “So? My parents were stupid… They got themselves killed.” He looked away from the girl’s eyes, which reminded me of a gentle cow. They were big, brown, and peaceful. “I have to take care of us, how can I do that if I get killed to?”
She looked down at the cloth between her scabbed fingers. “I don’t want anything from them…” She bit her lip. “I’d rather die like my parents than give in…”
He splashed water in her face, standing up abruptly. “You don’t know anything! You think that the good guys always win, but they don’t! You’re stupid!” He ran towards the town, leaving the girl with the choppy black hair alone to wipe the water from her face. We reached the bridge silently, the girl at the other end trying to get her face dry.
Hope grabbed the bag off her back, fishing around silently for something. She pulled out an apple, tossing it at the girl when we passed by. The shiny red apple rolled next to the girl and she looked up silently at us. She turned her head curiously, her eyes focusing in on Hope.
“Eat it. It’s food.”
She nodded but didn’t take the apple.
“What?” Hope stopped walking, staring down the girl. The girl picked up the apple gingerly, stroking the bright red skin with her tiny fingers. I could see her bones poking out of her ribcage, each fragile as a twig. If I were as hungry as I assumed she had been, I would have run away and eaten immediately… Instead she continued staring. “What’s wrong with you, kid? Eat.” Hope looked more and more annoyed, and I prayed silently she wouldn’t do something stupid of which she had an impeccable knack of doing.
The girl squinted her eyes softly, her feminine face skeptical of our dynamic duo…
She threw the apple at Hope.
Hope reacted without moving, the apple dropping to the ground in a bath of flames. It sat between the two crackling softly. The girl smiled, never breaking eye contact. “You’re who we’re waiting for, aren’t you?” Hope nodded. She stood up, only barely reaching Hope’s shoulder. “Going through the city?” Hope nodded again, looking wary of the strange nameless girl. “Come with me.”
“Why?”
“You’ll be attacked if you don’t…”
Hope stayed silent, contemplating whether to place our trust in the girl with the cow eyes. “Name?”
“Julia.”
“Why should we trust you?”
“Why not?” She started to walk away, not using the main path but instead going through the long grass surrounding it. I looked at Hope and shrugged, I had no clue.
She sighed and stared at the girl who was already getting farther and farther away, half her body hidden among the deep green grass. “Come on… Let’s go.” She followed and I did as well, the ground squishy beneath my boots. In my mind, I would rather trust a ten year old than an adult…
We struggled to catch up, the ground turning into more of a liquid within only a few steps. The girl was having no trouble as she trudged along, already yards ahead of us. My feet sunk quickly and I struggled to keep up, weighing far more than either girls therefore sinking faster. Death by mud was not something I wanted on my tombstone…