A human stared out at the darkness, apprehension and fear at the front of her mind. The stars were just now appearing, their brightness was easily enough to cut through the fumbling light that dimmed and brightened to a weak pulse, all the while hovering above one of her hands. Beside her padded a small girl who stumbled along past the roots and rocks. Kailin was too tired to properly help her walk anymore, she was too tired to do a lot of things.
The dancing orb of light was far from helpful for seeing in front of the two of them, but the chaos gift was probably the only reason they had survived this long. Monsters didn’t like light, they much preferred darkness so they could hide from sight.
Kailin and her small companion had been alone out here for three days. She’d like to think that was a new record or something, but she felt that most folks who knew anything about survival wouldn’t be counting the days and being pleased with themselves. They would be surviving instead.
It was a total fluke that Kailin had lived through the end of the world, before that there’d been twenty-five years with the only danger to her life being the time a gun-wielding robber had come into the store during her shift. The quakes had been a million times worse, and all odds said that someone like Kailin shouldn’t have lived even close to this long.
Sometimes she could still close her eyes and hear the familiar screams from the first quakes even after thirteen years.
Kailin moved the light above her head with a soft command and let it float there as she continued onward, glancing at the child every few moments while still examining the dark forest with trepidation. Her hand never strayed from her only weapon, the small knife at her side.
The two of them moved forward, knowing that even if they found a place to sleep, the Anomalies and Bursts would find them before consciousness did. Kailin looked up at the moon, and knew that living up until the next Burst was wishful thinking, that was just under two weeks away.
It really sucked to be alone out here.
Hours later, Kailin bit her lip to keep from screaming with fright as a terrible inhuman howl sounded from somewhere far away. She couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like a Sleepless to her; one of the most dangerous Anomalies there was. Something that would tear her apart without a second thought, or even a first thought. But well, most Anomalies could be put in that category.
Unfortunately though, her companion was only four years old; the child stopped in her tracks at the sound and put her hands to her ears. Finally, she began to cry.
Kailin suddenly felt so impossibly tired. She wanted to curl up in a ball and let dreams take her far away from here. She wanted to just end it already, the constant running, the constant fear, the overwhelming terror every time she heard a noise like this one. But it was up to her to get the kid to safety, it was up to her to find a place where Eventide could grow up.
But… yes…it had to be a sleepless stalking them. Only a sleepless could make you this tired. They would steal your energy, making themselves stronger and faster as you became weaker and more tired with every passing moment.
Kailin drew her knife and took deep, even breaths, she had to stay awake, it wanted her to fall asleep; if she was asleep it wouldn’t even need to fight her, she would just die. Out here. Alone, save a single companion too young to care for herself. Without ever having the chance to prove everyone back home wrong. To prove to them that she was more than a useless woman who didn’t even have skills worth keeping her alive for.
She gritted her teeth with determination and fear, sliding the knife across the back of her arm, counting on the pain to keep her awake. Kailin felt it go deeper than she’d intended, but a second later she was already wrapping the cut with mostly clean cloth torn from her pants. She wiped the blood off on the grass and sheathed it. Eventide looked up at her, her dark brown eyes wide with fear as she saw the blood. “Kailin?” She asked softly, “Are you okay?”
It worked though, she felt the tiredness abate into something that she could ignore. Kailin didn’t respond at first, she knelt down and unclipped her sheath, holding the whole knife toward the child. “Eve, I need you to hold onto this for me, alright? If you see any monsters, I need you to run, I need you to keep following the radio signals, alright?” She’d already handed over the small solar radio nights ago.
She tried to keep her breath even, but her heartbeat only increased as the seconds ticked by. Finally, blessedly, Eventide took the knife, her eyes filled with tears, “But you’re hurt! Kailin! You’re hurt!”
Kailin just shook her head, she stared out at the darkness as she ducked into a slow walk—anything faster would trigger the hunt. She wished that the sleepless would ignore them but Kailin knew that the scent of blood would only spur it on. Maybe, just maybe, she could distract it long enough for the kid to get away? Eventide was blinking with tiredness, but she’d actually slept last night in Kailin’s arms as she’d kept on walking, Kailin wasn’t worried about her.
Kailin walked faster, gripping her arm like death itself to keep the pain fresh in mer mind and glancing up at her orb of light every few seconds, checking again and again. Was it still the right shape? Was it going to collapse in on itself again? Now would be a terrible time to lose her only means of giving an Anomaly pause.
She moved into a run despite her better judgment; Kailin felt her warm breath spill out into the cool night air in time with her heartbeat. Eventide followed her, stumbling every so often on rocks and roots.
Survive. Is this what it is to survive?
Kailin felt the tiredness pull further back as she ran. She wasn’t sure if it was the Sleepless leaving her be or if she was simply feeling the effects of adrenaline. She wasn’t sure how she could even know.
All Kailin knew was that she had to keep on running. That was the only way to survive.
She swallowed the bile in her throat as she heard the scream again, her pace sped up as she felt another drain of energy, her steps were wobbly, her mind was spinning… Something tackled her to the ground, she heard a scream, a familiar one, E-Eventide… was she… was she running?
The world went dark, and Kailin Wilson knew no more.
--/--
A shattered remnant of the soul of the world found a fleeing child days later. The spirit sensed innocence that persisted even through the horrors. The spirit sensed a joy inside her, so simple and yet so profound. The spirit, furthermore knew her, as the spirit knew all people in some manner or another.
The spirit examined the child, dirty and bedraggled. Her eyes were haunted, her lips were chapped, her hair was ruined, her skin was covered with scrapes and bruises. She was tired, hungry and afraid, but the child saw the spirit watching her, and she watched back with wide eyes. Curiosity was at the forefront of her mind even after everything over the last few days. The spirit smiled sadly, “Keep going, sister, I know that you can keep going.”
Eve blinked slowly and looked back at the path ahead, before examining the spirit, “Who are you?”
The spirit leaned forward and hugged the child, bringing her close even though Eve could feel nothing of the contact except for a dim warmth in her insides. “I’m someone who cares. Go forward just a few days longer. Once you can no longer take another step, there will be someone waiting for you. Hold on, little one.”
Eve wanted to cry, “but it’s so hard!”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to!”
“I know.”
Eve sat and cried for a few precious minutes, and finally, spurred on by the spirit, she started forward again.
Two armies marched toward each other across a land that was warped and destroyed beyond imagination. Ceder used to think the land echoed the hearts of the people that lived in it, because why else would the world have ended as it had? Ceder had watched good land fall like this though, and he had to admit, there was nothing so calculated about the warping.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He watched the armies march toward each other, both determined to utterly destroy the other, both determined to steal the other’s resources, even though both had precious little. More likely, this would purge both their populations enough for that precious little to be enough for the winter.
It was a horrible tactic for the long term, but the two didn’t seem to care about that. In fact, Ceder thought that maybe they didn’t even realize what their constant war was actually doing, they were too focused on hating each other to learn anything.
Ceder could practically see though as the two armies occasionally glanced toward the arrayed forces of his own fort, who could very clearly have crushed both armies without breaking a sweat. However, the forces of Syon remained where they were, and would continue to do so, guarding the wagons and doctors and making sure the two armies didn’t do something foolish and suicidal. Like say… raid a camp from Syon.
Ceder stood at the head of the forces, right beside a plain green flag driven into the dirt, watching grimly as the two armies began to fight. At the end of this, there might finally be a winner, and that winner would get something. Whether that something was just ‘fewer wounded and dead than the other side’ well, who could really be sure.
Ceder kept watching as they marched forward and finally hit. Archers with handmade bows flung arrows wildly off course, soldiers with clubs and metal poles hit each other until they bled, breaking bones more than killing. He sighed.
The man didn’t look up as a spirit in the form of a woman took shape beside him, he was too used to the experience by now to even think about being shocked, even with her slightly translucent skin. “Ceder.” The guardian greeted him.
“Syon.” He acknowledged back, and then the two of them stood in silence, watching the fight unfurl. Watching and taking witness to the destruction below. Hours passed, the soldiers around them traded off in shifts, each taking turns to watch the battle.
His assistant from nearby came up and replaced the green flag with a red one, folding up the first flag and handing it to Ceder. She walked right past Syon without seeing a thing, most people didn’t see a thing. She smiled though as Ceder took the flag, “It’s almost over, sir, I’m glad you finally left the fort.”
Ceder nodded, agreeing with her. He didn’t often come on these or anything anymore, he probably should, but there were far too many things vying for his attention back home for him to go battlefield chasing. “Go take a break, Reya, I can make sure the doctors know when to go.”
She blinked at him, and took a folded up blue flag from her basket, “alright, but don’t work too hard now, you’ve been standing here longer than I have.”
Ceder inclined his head to her, taking the third and final flag from her hands. “Of course.”
Finally she made her way down to the camp, and Ceder watched her go, making sure she made it. After a moment, he focused back on the battlefield.
“You like her.” Syon said, raising an eyebrow, “Stop denying it.”
Ceder blinked, not even looking up, “Reya is a very good assistant.”
The guardian sighed and looked back at the battlefield, “You’re impossible.”
After another hour Ceder was sure the fighting was over. The forces of one side surged forward in the direction of the other’s camp, and the rest took anyone who could still walk to stumble out of their way.
Ceder hung the blue flag over the pole and pulled it out of the ground, raising it high. The soldiers around him stood at attention, but only a tenth of them moved forward, those with medical training, or those assigned to guard those with medical training.
They moved forward, reaching the battlefield to take first stock of the wounded, and then the real doctors started forward once they received the all clear. Half of this second group had bright blue eyes, or pale skin, another fraction that wasn’t a minority also had white albino hair, but each of them moved forward with purpose, sitting down beside the wounded, asking them if they would consent to be healed.
Many died anyway, this was a reality that Ceder was sad to see, but it was a reality nonetheless. “Why do we need their permission?” He asked Syon softly, “Why do we do it that way?”
Syon was silent for a long time before she turned to him, her eyes were pained, “Because many of them would rather die. Sincerely and truly. They don’t have hope, they don’t believe there’s anything left for them here.”
“Doesn’t that make it more important that we save them anyway?” Ceder asked.
The guardian sighed, still looking him in the eyes, it struck Ceder that she seemed so tired, “Yes. Yes it does.”
There were too many rules, too many bindings that held spirits in place. She couldn’t do anything against a person’s will, for example. So, by proxy, the healers that she gave power to couldn’t either. Ceder frowned as the puzzle piece clicked into place, “That’s why we have so many regular doctors, isn’t it?”
Syon nodded and motioned back to the ruined field below. “I choose even now to be bound like this, but sometimes I want nothing more than to break my word and forget the consequences.”
“And this is one of those times.” Ceder guessed.
“Yes. But it’s not worth it. They will be alright, their souls are intact.” She still seemed sad as she said it though.
In silence, the two of them continued to observe the field. Finally, the wagons rolled up from behind Ceder and toward the field. They were bearing more supplies, but more importantly, they were transportation for the wounded. Some would undoubtedly return to their warring settlements, but many would be instead making the journey to Fort Syon.
The wounded and the doctors climbed aboard the wagons and rolled back to the camp while the soldiers started piling the bodies. They were determined to burn them before the chaos burst tomorrow, so the timing was tight. Ceder was half sure the two settlements had chosen today for precisely this reason, trying to make trouble for Syon without actually making trouble for Syon.
After watching the blaze begin, Syon turned back to him, “Reya should be returning to camp soon.”
Ceder tilted his head, “Reya? Isn’t she at camp?”
Syon smiled slightly, “I nudged her in a different direction, to save someone.”
Ceder frowned, drawing himself up and turning to march down the hill. “Where is she?”
Syon hummed but didn’t answer at first, following behind him as he started toward the camp. “She’s alright.” The guardian assured him eventually.
Ceder wasn’t really listening though, he rushed past the soldiers that ringed the wagons, looking around for the familiar chestnut hair of his assistant. His worried face must have gotten one of the guards attention though, because a familiar tan face came up to him a few minutes later, Martin, the head of the guard. “Ceder? What’s wrong?”
Ceder shook his head, “I don’t think anything’s wrong, but it’s Reya. Have you seen her?”
Martin frowned and pointed to a nearby soldier, “Go track down Reya.” The boy saluted and hurried off, leaving them. Syon inclined her head, and walked off after the boy, leaving just the two of them. Martin put a hand on Ceder’s back, “Did something happen?”
Ceder swallowed slightly, keeping his gaze on the retreating form of the Guardian. “Nothing, just… something Syon said.” Ceder admitted softly.
Martin blinked and stood up straighter, glancing around, “Is she here now?” He asked, his voice was hushed, respectful.
Ceder shook his head, “No. She just left.”
Martin seemed slightly disappointed. “That’s a shame, it’s safer when she’s around.”
Ceder nodded, a bit numb, and jumped slightly as the soldier rushed back, his eyes were wide and his breaths came fast, he took a second to catch his breath before he spoke though. It was telling that Syon hadn’t come back with him.
“Reya! North, that way!” He sputtered for a second, “Come on! I think something’s wrong!”
He led the way, and after a few minutes, Ceder spotted Reya, her hair was a bit bedraggled but her bright blue eyes were sharp enough to spot him before he’d even seen her. She waved, but after a second someone handed her a bowl of porridge and her attention was back on someone else. She crouched down, handing the bowl to a small form.
Ceder rushed in, finally spotting Syon, who was sitting right in front of the child. “What happened?” He asked, focusing on Reya.
His assistant sighed, “I saw something out there after you told me to go on break.” She hesitated, “I thought, well, I’d thought it might have been the guardian.” She flushed slightly.
Ceder followed her gaze to the girl, who was looking at the bowl of porridge like it was some kind of foreign object. “And instead you found her?” Ceder clarified.
Reya nodded, and put a protective hand on the girl’s shoulder. She might have been three or four years old. “It looks like she hasn’t eaten in weeks, and well, there’s a burst coming tomorrow. I carried her back, but I don’t know where we’ll put her, I mean, we’ve got plenty of wounded that we’ll have to house already, and…” she trailed off, realizing that Ceder was watching the child, frowning. “What is it?”
Ceder watched for a moment longer, “Syon is sitting next to her.”
Reya tilted her head, squinting in the wrong spot, “I still don’t see her.” She said, clearly disappointed. Everyone was always hoping to catch a glimpse of the spirit, but no one besides Ceder had ever seen her. At least, before now.
Frowning, Ceder looked at Syon, and back at the child. He furrowed his brow, “She’s looking straight at her.” Reya gasped slightly and took a step back, but Ceder crouched down beside the spirit, but he looked at the kid in the eyes. “You can see her, can’t you?’
The girl blinked, and turned her focus from the guardian to Ceder, “The pretty lady with the white hair?”
Syon smiled slightly, “It’s alright, Ceder, she can see me.”
A weight Ceder hadn’t known he was carrying fell from his shoulders at the words. Someone else could see the spirit. Someone else could see her. He’d never really doubted she was real, but to finally know that he wasn’t insane? Well that was amazing. He grinned at the kid, “What’s your name?” he requested.
She shrank slightly, but responded, “Eventide. I’m four years old!”
“Eventide, eh?” He looked up at Reya, “Don’t worry about finding a place for her to stay, I’ve got a spare room.”
