“What happened here?” Kait gasped.
Keirn
walked over to the skeleton and picked up the key. He then turned and walked
down the stairs, the others following behind. The key fit easily into the lock
on the iron door but it took their combined might to push the rusted hinges
open. With a hellish screech the door gave way, revealing the host of skeletal
bodies within. They were all clearly human, laying atop metallic odds and ends.
Keirn
cautiously entered, taking care to step around the bones as best he could.
There were too many though, and the sickening crunch of cartilage filled the
room. Kait reluctantly followed, but Calos refused to enter, standing and
watching with horror filled eyes.
Kait
noticed that numerous coins littered the ground, along with simple pieces of
jewellery.
“I
think many of these were women,” she said, aghast.
Keirn
rummaged around the nightmarish scene for a bit, but abandoned the bodies and
instead focussed on the walls. Ledges ran the length of the walls, and after
running his hand across them he found they were covered in soot and charcoal.
The stone walls were covered in black flakes as if they had been burnt.
“I
think this is some sort of oven,” Keirn muttered.
“Then...
these people were burned alive?!” Kait cried.
“I
don’t think so. The bones aren’t blackened. I think they were just locked in
here.”
“But
why?”
Keirn
didn’t answer. Instead, he cocked his head to the side, then pushed the piles
of coal and bones aside. He manoeuvred his way to the corner, quizzically
looking at some recess in the wall. He held his hand before the opening,
feeling the wind blow gently against it. Puzzled, he crouched, peering up the
hole.
“There’s
something up here,” he muttered, reaching carelessly inside. His face screwed
up in concentration before a look of triumph appeared. With a great heave he
yanked his arm free. With a rush of soot a small skeleton tumbled out; the
bones cracking against the cold stone.
Kait
shrieked, jumping back.
Keirn
crouched down again and looked up the hole.
“It
seems this one was trying to crawl out,” Keirn muttered. “I think I see an
opening. Barred, of course.”
“This
is so disgusting,” Kait whispered. “Can we go?”
“Yeah,
in just a second. We should collect the coins.”
“Ugh,
are you serious?”
“They
aren’t going to use them, but I suppose you could ask permission if you’d
like.”
“You
can get them,” Kait whispered. “I think I’m going to wait outside.”
She
turned and quickly left the room, Calos following behind her. The two of them
waited quietly for Keirn to finish his scavenging. Kait closed her eyes but,
try as she might, she couldn’t forget that scene. Keirn emerged shortly after.
“We
should keep looking for something flammable to build a fire,” Keirn muttered.
“I
don’t know, what if there are more buildings like this,” Kait whispered.
“I
doubt that,” Keirn muttered. “I don’t think the town’s big enough to fill up
another.”
It
took a few more hours before they turned up anything useful. The three of them
searched together and Keirn usually inspected the buildings first to insure
there weren’t any more “surprises” lying around. It wasn’t until the sun began
to set that they finally found what they had been searching for. Nestled in the
back of a large fireplace, Kait discovered that one of the stones was loose and
pried it open to reveal a secret stash within. Though they discovered a small collection
of silver jewellery, it was the wooden box and satin lining that were of
greater interest to the party. Between the box and the hidden cask of wine they
found in a stone cellar, they had enough wood to get a decent fire started.
It
was in the inn that the three of them agreed to spend the night. Kait felt it
was far enough away from ‘that place’ that she would be able to sleep soundly.
Furthermore, there was a stone fireplace where they could build the fire. There
was also a sense of propriety that Kait felt; it just seemed appropriate that
they stay in the inn.
After
much fussing with the tinder, Kait was able to get a gentle blaze going. The
three of them gathered around the crackling fire. The sun had already begun to
set, and with it its departure came the arrival of the cold night air. After a
few minutes searching, Kait produced a small pot, some water and enough spices
to make a broth for them to eat.
“I’m
going to be really glad when we find a real village so we can get a decent
meal,” Keirn grumbled.
“Yes,
well, we’ve tried the fruits and meats but those don’t travel well, if you
remember.”
“It’s
good,” Calos said eagerly, digging into the broth.
“You
know,” Kait said cheerfully, “that’s the most I’ve heard you ever say.”
“What
do you mean, he’s said two words before,” Keirn corrected.
“No,
he said ‘It is good.’”
“Technically,
he said ‘it’s good.’ It’s is a contraction.”
“Well,
yes,” Kait said frowning. “But he was communicating three words.”
“No.
He communicated two.”
“He
said three.”
“He
said two.”
“Look,
he meant to say ‘It is good.’ Why do you have to ruin this? It’s a cause for
celebration, he’s speaking more.”
Keirn
shook his head.
“Are
you trying to suggest that contractions are three words? What about possession.
If I say ‘Keirn’s spoon’ am I communicating three words or two?”
“Well...
two I suppose,” Kait said.
“So
why is the contraction different from the possession?”
“Well,
the contraction is expression three ideas. It’s expressing that the soup is
good.”
“That
doesn’t follow at all,” Keirn said.
“How
not?”
“Well,
the possession expresses three ideas. It communicates: the subject, myself; the
item, spoon; and the ownership, mine. I’m not saying the spoon is your’s or
Calos’ or anybodies. I’m saying this spoon is mine.”
“Look,
the important thing is he’s saying more. I don’t see why you have to ruin
this.”
“Because
he’s not saying more,” Keirn sighed. “He’s saying as much as he was before.
When he says ‘It is good,’ I may feel the need to celebrate.”
“Fine
then! Calos, can you please say ‘It is good.’”
Calos
only shrugged.
“Sorry.”
Keirn
laughed.
“Boys,”
Kait grumbled.
She
wiped off her spoon and bowl, having learned before that washing dishes was
often a waste of water. She packed her things away, then wrapped herself up
with her blanket as she nestled down by the fire again.
“Is
it still bothering you?” Kait asked.
Keirn
looked up from his hand.
“I
hadn’t even noticed I was rubbing it,” he replied. A look of concern crossed
his face.
“Look,
it’s probably not going to become infected. Just a few more days and I’m sure
we’ll find someone who can remove it. I mean, it is just a sliver after all.”
“I
know. It’s just that...”
“Yes?”
“It’s
nothing,” he said, retying the cloth around it. “I suppose we should figure out
who’s going to take what watch before we all nod off.”
“What
do you mean?”
Keirn
nodded his head towards Calos. The young man, having just finished his broth,
had curled up on the cold stone and fallen asleep with neither a pillow nor a blanket.
“Oh,
dear. We need to get that poor boy a bedroll,” Kait said.
“I
think he may like it better that way.”
“Miser.”
“I’m
serious. There’s something... peaceful about him when he sleeps. I don’t think
he minds too much.”
“How
can anyone enjoy falling asleep on hard stone or rough ground?”
“You
could always ask him,” Keirn grinned.
“Thanks.
Want me to take second?”
“No,”
Keirn sighed. “I know how much you hate it. Besides, I can fall asleep easier
than you can.”
“You
sure?”
“Yes.”
“Alright,”
Kait smiled. “Try not to sleep too well.”
It
wasn’t that she was worried, there wasn’t anything out there that they really
had to keep watch for. Mostly, they would have to insure the fire remained lit.
Kait was just reluctant to fall asleep while her mind was still thinking about
that room. All through her watch she kept glancing up at the door, half
expecting a skeletal host to be standing there with eyes full of anger because
the three of them had done nothing to save them.
Through
the night she kept her bow and arrows by her side. But there was nothing in
that small village. There was no howling of distant wolves, buzzing of insects
or neighing of nearby horses. It was strange to spend a night in an inn and
have nothing but the soft snores of her companions to listen to. She
entertained herself by watching the hypnotic flickering of the fires, though
while they danced before her she could feel sleep slowly sweeping over her.
It’s
a terrible thing, trying to keep oneself awake when the body attempts every
trick to make it rest. She recognized the first warning signs, the steady drop
in her breathing and the drooping of the eyes. The cold seemed to penetrate her
blanket, though it was really just her body beginning to shut down. She fought
as best she could; snapping her head back every dip it took. She tried counting
the number of times her chin touched her chest: 1... 2... 3...
It
was the light tapping on her shoulder that brought her crashing back to
consciousness. Keirn wordlessly pointed towards his discarded bedroll and she
complacently complied. It was so much easier letting the night swallow her up
once she was lying down, her head resting on a thin layer of crushed feathers.
She
didn’t know what brought her out of that conscious less abyss. Her eyes seemed
to be open long before she, herself, awoke. The first thing she noticed was
that the fire had burned down to a dying smoulder, casting deep red shadows as
the last few flames burned beneath vanishing embers. She immediately noticed
the pile of firewood laying untouched near the untended flames and a part of
her recognized the immediate signs of trouble.
She
sat upright, looking around for her brother. She didn’t see anything at first,
but she heard something. It was a ragged, almost ravished breathing that pulled
her eyes to the dark corners of the common room. There, light by the hellish
reflections off the stone walls was a dark form feverishly working with some
nightmarish fervour.
“Keirn?”
she whispered, but the form didn’t respond. She pulled the sheets slowly back,
her mind shaking the shackles of sleep as best they could. Her eyes seemed
driven by another consciousness as they pulled themselves from the form in the half-darkness
to the puddles on the floor.
She
gasped.
Blood
gathered in tiny pools leading from the fire side to the corner. She reached
for her weapon, her mind conjuring terrible images of carnage and cannibalism.
Still heady with the draught of sleep, she shrilly called at the monster in the
corner.
“What
do you want?!”
Its
face looked at her; a face framed in crimson frenzy.
“I
have to get it out,” it grunted.
She
noticed then, the sharp knife in its hands. Blood ran in small rivulets down
its arm, staining the sleeve and dripping onto the floor. Back to its work it
turned, hair matted by sweat and dirt hiding it from her.
“Keirn?”
she whispered.
Something
stirred near her and she took her eyes from the form just long enough to see
Calos stirring. He wiped tired eyes with clenched fists before looking at the
terror unfolding. Confusion gripped him as he lay motionless witnessing the
scene unfold. Kait turned back to the individual, slowly peeling her blanket
completely off and getting to her feet.
“Keirn...
please stop,” she pleaded. The form continued its crazed cutting, a fresh
squirt of blood shooting out and striking the cold wall. Kait felt her stomach
flop.
She
slowly approached, making sure to step around the small puddles on the floor,
fearful of touching the scarlet drops. She didn’t want to startle him, fearful
of what he may do and unsure of what she should do.
“Keirn...”
She
reached out, finger tentatively pressing through the air. He continued to
ignore her, continued his cutting and slicing. Shaking, she laid her hand on
his wet shoulder; damp from perspiration. He stopped, turning to face her
again. Her hand recoiled and they both froze, eyes locked between fear and
madness.
He
bolted, skirting along the walls away from her.
“Stop,
please!” she called.
He
made for the door, blood splattering against the floor.
Calos
was on his feet, barring the exit and he swerved, ending near the fire. No one
moved, all eyes watching each other. Minutes passed with the soft popping of
the embers.
Seemingly
satisfied that no one was moving, he returned to his hand.
Kait
cried, running forward as he held the knife aloft, bringing it down with crazed
certainty against the offending digit. He howled with pain as the blade cut
through flesh and released a new spurt of blood against the floor. Amongst the
dark drops clattered something more chitinous. With the foreign object removed,
the weapon fell from his shaking hand, the iron clattering against the stone.
He slumped against the stone wall with breaths coming in heavy bursts.
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