The constant, jarring movement of his body began to pull at Nihlen’s consciousness. It was so uncomfortable, and the roaring sound that accompanied it was just too much. He opened his eyes to find he could only see half of what he normally would.
His hand flew up to his face, and he felt a bandage over his left eye. Did I get injured? He asked himself, but slowly the memories were coming back. My eye was bleeding, and my head hurt really bad… But it seems to have stopped for now…
Where am I?
He was on a horse, riding through the forest. He turned around to see a woman in the saddle behind him.
“You.” He said, rather dumbly, unsure of what else to say. “What is going on? What happened? Why are you two suddenly running with me?” Nihlen asked, simply dumbfounded by the current situation. The haze in his mind had cleared, yet his confusion was almost as heavy.
“I’m sorry.” She said, looking him right in the eye. “I’m very sorry.”
Nihlen looked from her, to the man riding next to them. It was the one called Cal. He stared back at Nihlen, but he had a look of anger on his face, as if he’d love nothing more than to throw Nihlen beneath the galloping horses.
“Why would you save me though?” Nihlen asked, looking back at Marina. “Even if the deal you thought you were going to make turned sour for you, why would you flee with me? You could have left me behind and ran yourselves. I am sure they would not have pursued you if you’d left me behind.”
“Because I can’t do that.” She said, looking away from him. “I have my beliefs, and I got you into this mess. It’s my responsibility to make sure you get out of it alive.”
“I don’t know why you are so compassionate for this one Marina. We’ve robbed those like him our entire lives. Not that I want to agree with such a person, but we should just drop him here and flee ourselves! Why should we die for someone like him!?” Cal roared, his voice ringing around them from its volume.
“Because I don’t want anyone to die!” Marina screamed back, even louder than Cal had. A deep silence fell after that as they slowed the horses.
“I don’t want anyone to die ever again Cal. I don’t want to be the cause of something like that. Regardless of the bad things I’ve done, I will not be a party to murder. That’s something people can never get back…”
Nihlen stared at Marina. Her compassion was true, and his instincts had been on target.
“So your name is Marina. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Nihlen Draven, First Prince of Draven.” He bowed his head to her as much as he could from their awkward positioning.
“I am Marina Elderol, and he is Cal Vaciri.” Marina said, motioning over toward Cal.
“It’s a pleasure to make both of your acquaintance.” Nihlen said, bowing toward Cal.
“Are you kidding me? Pleasantries in this kind of situation? And Marina! What’s with being so friendly with this guy? Giving our full names? You want to get this guy back alive just so he can have us arrested? You’ve gone off the deep end!” Cal roared once again.
“Do you really believe I’d have you arrested after saving my life? Just because I am nobility? Or even royalty? Is that how you think I would repay someone who has helped me?” Nihlen asked.
“It doesn’t matter what you think. You’re a noble! Trash! There will never be safety for us again! We would at least have a chance if we dumped you off here! But to save you is to die!” Cal yelled, his face turning red in anger.
“You both seem to believe I judge you without knowing anything, but aren’t you doing the same?” Nihlen asked.
Cal stared at him hard, his face beginning to turn purple. “Cal, I want you to scout ahead. We need to figure out where we are going, and stay ahead of anyone who might be trying to catch us.”
Cal continued to stare angrily for several moments, then kicked his horse into a gallop, flying ahead. Marina started her horse walking after him, moving slowly forward through the trees.
“You both seem to hate nobles very much.” Nihlen said, looking over his shoulder at Marina.
“We do.” She said simply, looking straight ahead instead of at him.
“I can understand-” Nihlen began, when suddenly the horse stopped.
“Stop right there. I am going to save you, but there is something you need to know. I feel how Cal feels. I hate all nobles. Don’t go trying to say that you understand how we feel, because you don’t. You have no idea what we’ve been through, what has happened to us, or why we feel the way we do. You can’t say you understand until you know the reason why. Only fools say things like that.” She said, still not looking at Nihlen.
“Why don’t you tell me about it then?” Nihlen asked, turning around to face forward once again.
They rode on in silence for a time, alternating between galloping and walking. A few hours after they had last spoke, Marina suddenly began talking.
“Cal and I are both from a city called Brisk. The nobles of the city, like most of Rinh, are very hard on the common people. They demand outrageous taxes, and when you can’t pay up, bad things can happen. When I was just a small child, my father was unable to pay a debt he owed to one of the noblemen. He was killed, and the rest of my family was taken to work in the manors of the rich. We were all split up, and I never saw any of them again. I met Cal at the manor I was taken to. Our situations were nearly identical. As we began to grow older, we became angry with how things were, and how we were being treated. So we ran away. We lived on the streets, doing whatever we had to, to survive. Always barely getting by, and living in fear. Never knowing when someone was going to try to hurt us, or take what little we had. It was…” Marina trailed off, her voice breaking, and silence going over them once more.
And I tried to say I understand… Nihlen thought, wanting to kick himself for being so foolish. There’s no way I could understand…
On they rode in silence. Nihlen wasn’t sure what to say to her. Her rage at people of nobility was quite understandable. Even though he himself didn’t do it, it would be difficult to believe in anyone of similar ilk.
“I didn’t go through any of that.” Nihlen said suddenly. “I didn’t wander the streets wondering where my next meal would be, or when. I had a loving family, and a warm home with everything I could ever want…” Nihlen started, though hearing out loud like that may actually have been stupid. He may have just made it worse. “I spent everyday of my life being groomed to become my father. Studying countless subjects for countless hours. Learning everything there is to know as fast as it could be crammed into me. Days on end of hearing my sisters play, while I had to work to become king every day. I used to think that was hard. I used to think that I was getting an unfair deal…” Nihlen said, pausing for a moment. “But I wasn’t. The problems I had before all of this pale in comparison to what you’ve had to go through. I was a fool to act like I did toward you. I’m sorry that you had to go through what you went through. I couldn’t even imagine never seeing my family again… But you know, we are not all evil. Do you know why Draven and Rinh are hostile toward one another?” Nihlen asked, looking back at Marina once again for the first time in hours.
She shook her head, looking toward him. “I don’t know really even know much about my own nation, or Draven. I’ve never left Brisk before today. I just know people of my land dislike people of your land. They never really talk about why.”
“Well, since we have nothing better to do, let me tell you a story.” Nihlen said, facing forward once again.
“Long ago, the nations of Draven and Rinh were one big nation, called Askrah, as this island is still called. For many generations it remained like that. About five hundred years ago though, a problem arose within the royal line. There had always been one son. No matter how many children the royal family had, there would always be only one boy. At this point, however, the Queen of the time bore twins. Two boys. Both boys were raised and groomed to become king. When it came time for the current King to pass on from this life, he didn’t have t
he heart to choose between his sons. So he divided his kingdom in half. Each son was given half of the land to rule, and the split became permanent. As the years carried on though, the two royal families began to change. Draven stayed as close to the original path of the Kingdom of Askrah as possible. The nation treats its people well, and we are considered quite powerful throughout the rest of the world. Rinh, however, has decayed over time. Ties between our kingdoms became rocky around two hundred years ago, when the king of Draven disagreed with the treatment of the common people in Rinh. Tensions rose between the two nations, and civil war seemed inevitable. However, the King of Draven eventually agreed that he had no say over the kingdom of Rinh. It was decided that the Dividing Wall would be built, to ease the tension between the two nations, and establish an official boundary. Since then, relations between our nations remain stressed at best, and Rinh continues to fall deeper into despair, collapsing on itself.”
Nihlen paused for a minute, feeling unsure. Did that sound arrogant? I did just insult her homeland repeatedly…
“I saw it.” Marina said suddenly. “Traveling here, and our time in the capital city as we headed for the palace. All the cities were built nicely, and were very clean. Beggars were rare, and I didn’t see dirty children looking for scraps of food. The change was immediate when we crossed the Dividing Wall. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, and it made me even angrier that such place existed, and I wasn’t allowed to be a part of it. That no one did anything about how things were where I grew up. I hated the nobility even more, like I was being taunted by it.” She said, ending in almost a whisper.
“I remember once, my father was really upset. I was still young at the time. I asked him what was wrong, and he said he had just returned from Rinh. Anytime he’s traveled into Rinh, he always comes back angry. My father doesn't like to turn a blind eye to your land, but he is not the ruler of your land, so what he can do is limited.”
They rode once again in silence. Evening was approaching, the sky between the branches painted shades or red and orange. Hooves in the distance drew Nihlen’s attention, and Cal was rapidly approaching them.
“The end of the forest isn’t far from here.” He said as he reached them, looking only at Marina. “We should make it there by nightfall. We’ll keep riding through the night to the east. If I remember Han’s map correctly, there’s a port town not far from this forest. We can leave the Prince there and then get out of here.”
“Ugh!” Nihlen suddenly grunted, grabbing at his left eye. It hurts really bad again…
Beneath his hand, he could feel something warm. His eye was bleeding again, and a lot with how fast it soaked through the bandage.
“Cal, we have to stop!” Marina shouted.
“We can’t! They could be right behind us!” Cal yelled back. “We have to keep moving, no matter what!”
“He’s right, keep going!” Nihlen said through gritted teeth. The throbbing was growing faster, and the pain increasing each time.
“They’ve caught up to us.” Cal suddenly said, looking back over his shoulder. Nihlen turned to look. Horses had come into view behind them, half a dozen from the looks of it.
Without thinking, Nihlen threw himself sideways off the horse. He slammed into the ground, rolling several times from the momentum.
“Nihlen, what are you doing!” Marina yelled, pulling her horse to a stop.
“It’s too late! Run from here, they're only after me! Run as fast as you can, and don’t come back!” Nihlen yelled, as another throb of pain exploded in his head.
Something is wrong inside of me… Since the ceremony, and drinking that stuff back at the cabin, it's all wrong. What happened at that ceremony? What was all that? He pondered frantically. Then another throb.
“Cal, take her now! It’s what you want so it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Nihlen called, running forward without any further talk.
He heard the sound of their horses galloping away, and continued running forward. With every step, the pounding in his head increased. The pain shot through him like he was being stabbed. Another pain shot through him though, deep in his heart. For whatever reason, a reason he couldn’t even begin to fathom, he did not want to be separated from Marina.
Without thinking, he ripped the bandage off. His eye was stuck closed, but relief suddenly began to come over him. The throbs began to alleviate, and the pain slowly faded.
As Nihlen watched the men approach, his sense of relief vanished. The gravity of his situation was pushing down on him with it’s full force. I’m going to die. This is it, my Path ends in this forest… What do I do?
I don’t want to die.
There was one last throb of pain at that thought, greater than any so far. Nihlen lost consciousness for a moment, but then it was gone, and he was still standing.
The approaching horses began to slow down, and stopped around twenty feet away. One of the men rode forward a little more, and Nihlen looked up. It was the man who had been back at the cabin, Calden.
The five other men around him dismounted, and began brandishing swords and axes.
“I must say this is a rather strange turn of events, Prince of Draven. I never would have guessed this day would end with me chasing you through the forest. Yet here you stand, no longer fleeing. A great and noble Prince to the end, protecting those who saved you with your own life. Surrender yourself, and I shall heed that request. You are what I really want. There is no need to chase down those street children.” Calden said, his voice kind and gentle. Nihlen could see right through it though. This man was definitely nobility.
“As if I would believe your smooth words. You won’t be going past here.” Nihlen said, standing tall. “I may die here in this forest, but I promise you that none of you will leave this forest alive either.”
“A bold assertion, young Nihlen. Standing proud even in your final moments, playing the hero to the end. Your barking is all it is though, the barking of an animal backed into a corner. You may be strong, but you are unarmed, and outnumbered. You are at the disadvantage, and your brave words are all you have.”
“And what disadvantage would that be?” Nihlen asked quietly. He was starting to feel strange. A sensation similar to when he had taken that drink in the castle for the ceremony. But not as heavy minded. His senses were sharp, and he was ready for action. It didn’t feel like himself. It felt like he had suddenly been detached from himself, hanging on only by a thread.
“It will be far simpler to show you. These gentlemen here are no strangers to conflict. They have killed many times in the struggle for survival against others. Get him!” Calden roared, dropping his facade of lightness and kindness at the end of his words.
The men began to circle around Nihlen, menacing smiles on their faces. He was calm though, all he wanted to do was wipe the blood out of his eye. He reached up, and began wiping the blood away. Then he slowly opened his eye.
“What's with your eye?” One of the men asked, taking several steps back. He had a look of complete shock, and utter fear on his face. They turned expectantly to Calden, who had a look of complete shock on his face as well.
“It matters not, your job is to kill him!”
My eye? Nihlen wondered, but it was in a detached sort of way. He shrugged it off, clearing his mind in preparation for battle.
“Are you some kind of demon boy?” One of the five men moved forward. He had an air about him that said he was the leader. “That eye could be nothing but pure evil. I don’t know what you are, but I’m going to charge that guy a hefty sum for sending me after you.” He nodded toward Calden “I accepted the job though, so it looks like we better get to work. Get ready you women! We still have weapons and numbers! Kill the beast!”
Their movements were slow to Nihlen though, and as the fight began, he knew it was already over. From the left, he dodged, grabbing the sword the man held. He kicked his hand off , flipped it around, and stabbed him through the shoulder. The man screamed into the night.<
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Nihlen pulled the blade out of the man, and jammed it in again. This time straight through the neck. Pulling it out as he ran forward, he moved to each man around him in turn. He delivered fatal blows, one after another at lightning speed. Within seconds, all but the leader were dead.
Nihlen began walking forward, his blade dripping blood with every step. The man stared at Nihlen in horror, paralyzed with fear.
“I told you that you would not go past this point. Your friends are dead, and you are all that’s left.” He looked over at Calden, who was backing his horse away. “I will deal with you momentarily.”
“I am afraid that will not be necessary. As much as it pains me, I concede victory this night to you.” Calden said, bowing regally. “This was a most unexpected turn of events, but this is far from over. There is nowhere you can run now, and I will be back to reclaim you in due time.”
“Who are you? Why is it you really kidnapped me? What is it you hope to accomplish by killing me?” Nihlen asked flatly.
“That’s a surprise for later. I must report this strange turn of events to my master at once. Believe me though, Nihlen Draven. You’re already part of something much larger than you can fathom. I am Calden Millsted, and this is farewell. For now.” Calden said.
Without another word, he turned his horse, and spurred it back into the forest.
Nihlen watched him go in a detached sort of way, before turning his attention back to the remaining man.
“Demon!” The man shouted, taking multiple steps back. He hadn’t made a sound during the entire conversation between Nihlen and Calden. Now that Nihlen’s attention was back on him though, he was quite alive again. He brandished his sword wildly, and it shook as he held it. “Stay back monster! I will kill you if you come any closer to me!”
Nihlen put his hand up to his eye. “I don’t know what this is. Maybe I am a monster.” He said, as a smile slowly came upon his face. “And right now, I don’t care. You shout threats at me in your desperation that you clearly can’t accomplish. This pursuit, and the fear, end here.”
Nihlen quickly closed the distance between himself and the man. The man screamed in fright, trying to attack Nihlen with his sword. Nihlen easily caught the man’s arm though, and in one fluid movement, he smashed his other hand into the man’s forearm, shattering it.
“Ugh!” The man cried out, dropping his sword and falling to his knees. He cradled his arm, crying silently to himself.
Nihlen reached down, and picked the man up by the throat. Slowly he lifted the man, until he was holding him above his head. The man pulled futilely at Nihlen's hand with his remaining good one. He chocked and sputtered as he gasped for breath, but to no avail. Nihlen reached towards the man’s belt, and drew his knife.
“Nihlen!” a voice called from behind him. “Don’t do it! Please don’t do it!”
It was Marina. Nihlen didn’t turn around, he continued holding the man, staring up at him, knife in hand.
“These people came after us. It is only fitting they should meet the fate they were willing to visit upon us. That is the way of the world.” Nihlen said quietly, still not turning to see her.
“That’s not the way…” Marina said.“That’s not what you said while we rode together today! You were outraged at things like this! Talking to you, I saw you weren’t a monster! The person I was talking to today would not kill an opponent when clearly he had already won! Let that man go! Let him down and he will flee! He will not come after us again!”
Nihlen stood silently. The feeling of calm detachment began to slowly disappear as she talked to him. His self awareness was returning, and he looked around at the carnage surrounding him. His clothes were stained with blood, and bodies were all around.
What have I done? He wondered, feeling himself slipping into shock. I knew what I was doing… But at the same time it was all a blur. Like someone else was in control…
Nihlen soundlessly dropped the man he was holding, and turned away from him, toward Marina.
Slowly her expression changed. A look of shock and fear began to appear on her face. Just as it had with the other men. Silently she stared at him, her mouth open slightly. Then, just as Nihlen opened his mouth to say something, Marina beat him to it.
Her blood-curdling scream echoed through the night.
Chapter 6
Going Along for the Ride