Traveler - Chapter 4

Devils Among Us
Chapter 4

Kallin and Kara sat next to each other on separate chairs in an extraordinary room. Kallin suspected it was a bedroom as there was a bed behind a thick red curtain on one side of the room. The walls were beautifully decorated with magnificent paintings of all sorts, even a couple paintings that Kallin thought he recognized from home created by modern artists. A few intricately woven tapestries hung on the walls alongside displays of all sorts of weapons, including a couple firearms that appeared to be out of some sci-fi movie.
At a long rectangular table, covered with a red and gold tablecloth, sat the very well dressed man whom Kallin was told was the king. He was a burly man, but not excessively large. A thin beard covered his face and red and gold clothes adorned his body. Kallin especially like the fancy red cape he wore with its gold designs that seemed to match those that were on Kara's clothes. Jansen sat in a chair next to him as they talked quietly and frantically, but loud enough that Kallin and Kara could still hear what was being said.
"If it be manifest in him as well at such a young age, I feel we should stop waiting on Zhal an' explain an' act," Jansen said.
"We can't act prematurely," The king said. "Zhal is the only one knowledgeable enough about affairs with the demenimps to act accordingly."
"How about Corfus?"
"Corfus might be able to depending on his last communication to Zhal's world. We must be careful though. To expose the marci-farec here at this time of all times is most dangerous."
"Aye, I be hearing the demenimp rumors, but..."
"They are not rumors. Corfus has confirmed it, just yesterday in fact, which is why you didn't know yet. Fire is lurking around this kingdom somewhere."
"Are ye sure it be Fire? One that powerful sent here?"
"We're sure. Apparently, they're looking for signs of marci-farec around here. Something has drawn them here."
"Would this have to do with Air?"
"Maybe, but I prefer to not to speak on that one. We took far too many precautions to place blame there just yet."
"I understand. To Corfus then?"
"Yes Jansen. Take them to him and he'll explain what he can. We'll move forward from there."
Jansen nodded, stood up, and waved to Kallin and Kara for them to follow him.
"Wait," The King said as he stood up. "Kallin. It is good to finally meet you. Your Father was an excellent man."
Kallin stared at him for a few seconds before responding, "Does everyone except for me know everything about my Father?"
"I don't," Kara said.
"Your father and I have done many things together," The king said. "We were friends for a long time. I'm surprised you didn't know."
"He disappeared when I was too young to remember anything," Kallin told him.
"Understandable. I know he wrote in many journals so I thought you might have read of me in there. Did your mother ever mention my name?"
"I don't think so," Kallin said. "What is your name?"
"My apologies," The man said sincerely. "In the rush of thoughts going through my head, I completely forgot introductions. Most people here call me King Darkun. I ask that you not worry about such formalities and just call me Darkun."
"Darkun," Kallin repeated. "I think I've read that name before. How do you know my father exactly?"
Darkun forced a smile, "Let's just say we worked together. Events caused us to meet and we found that he and I worked remarkably well in our trade with the other."
"What trade was that?" Kallin asked, trying to pry as much information as he could out of this man.
"If we have time, we'll talk later," King Darkun said. "I have business to attend to and I have need of Jansen. Once you're done escorting them of course."
Jansen nodded and left the room. Kallin sighed as he and Kara followed Jansen out the door. Kallin tried to make conversation with Kara as they walked.
"So, that was your Dad in there, right?" Kallin asked.
"Yes," Kara responded, keeping her gaze forward.
"Then that makes you a princess." Despite her being a princess, Kallin felt no different around her than anyone else. "That also means that you are privileged to information, right?"
"Sometimes."
"Then, you do know what's going on here, right?"
"No."
"If you did, would you tell me?"
"Maybe."
"Can you tell me why your Father has guns on the wall of his medieval castle?"
Kara gave Kallin a confused and inquisitive look.
Jansen spoke up as he led the two down a set of stairs into the basement of the castle, "The guns were given to him as gifts from a soldier on the planet Kismet. You'll probably see it someday."
Kallin turned to Kara, "Does anything here make sense to you?"
"Not since I saw you for the first time and somehow I knew your name and you knew mine," Kara said.
"Good, I'm glad it's not just me."
They followed Jansen in silence to a large wooden door at the end of a long hall. The hall was lit only by a few torches and Kallin could swear he saw rats scurry about as they walked by. Jansen pushed the door open and beckoned Kara and Kallin in.
Inside, Kallin had a hard time seeing because of poor lighting. Countless candles littered a wide table in the center of the room and a couple dim torches cast firelight onto the walls. Shelves lined each wall and were overflowing with books. Even the floor was cluttered with books and papers of all sorts.
Jansen quickly was at the table next to a very large man. The larger man looked to be over six feet tall and was solid muscle. He was completely bald with a long gray beard and even in the dim light, it was apparent that his clothes were a bright blue and green.
Jansen and the other man began conversing in a language that neither Kara nor Kallin could understand. After several minutes of the two men exchanging foreign words, the larger man looked up at Kallin and Kara.
"Kallin, I'm Corfus." The man stated in a deep and gruff voice. "You might be able to say I'm the local know-it-all. I need to look into a couple things and it's going to take a while. You can leave that knife and ring here if you'd like so you don't have to carry around everywhere. Don't worry, I wont touch it. It will be safe. Kara, if you wouldn't mind showing your new friend here around and keep yourselves occupied until tomorrow afternoon, I'll have things ready for you two tomorrow."
Kallin nodded and set the box down on the table, curious as to how Corfus knew of its contents, but not caring enough to ask. This entire experience was strange enough and it only continued to become more unusual.
"He's not my friend," Kara said. "I only met him ten minutes ago."
"Then you better get to know each other well because you wont have much choice later," Corfus said and he waved one of his large hands to usher the two out of his room.
Kara let out an irritated breath and walked out.
"Come on," She said to Kallin.
Kallin looked at Kara, then at Corfus and Jansen, then back to Kara and he followed her out closing the door behind him.
"What was that about?" Kallin asked Kara.
"I probably don't know any more than you do," Kara told him, her tone clearly expressing her annoyance with the situation. "I do know that there's no way Corfus will talk about anything unless he wants to. If he doesn't want to talk, then he's as good at conversation as the stones in this castle."
"So, what do we do now?" Kallin asked.
"I was on my way to get something to eat before you and Jansen interrupted me. Are you hungry?"
Kallin hadn't thought about food for hours, if not a couple days and now that it was mentioned, he seemed overwhelmed with hunger.
"Food would be nice," Kallin said as his stomach growled audibly.
"Then come on," Kara said and she led Kallin through the halls of the castle and out the front gates.
After walking through a beautiful courtyard, They emerged into the village that Kallin remembered seeing as he exited the forest. The roads were fairly wide but were still crowded with small buildings that appeared to be made of stone, clay, wood, or a combination those things.
Kallin found it strange that Kara, being a princess, would just walk out the front gates of the castle and into the village with no escort, no guards, and without informing anyone. It was certainly not something he would expect from somebody with royal blood. Yet, she seemed to walk through the village with eagerness. She appeared to become less tense as she entered the village and a happy smile graced her face. They passed many of the small homes and cottages with their residents lingering outside, and each of them smiled and gave a friendly nod, just short of bowing, to Kara. Kara returned every smile and even nodded or waved to each person that they passed.
As Kara led Kallin through the streets, he became confused at the contradicting image she now portrayed of herself. Inside the castle, she seemed constantly irritated, and always had a straight look on her face when she didn't have an annoyed scowl. Yet, out in the streets here, Kara was visibly less tense and wore a smile that seemed to make her more beautiful.
They emerged into a part of the town which seemed to be a central market. It was less crowded with houses, but was instead littered with wooden stalls of all sorts. The merchants had countless wares displayed on their carts including varying foods, farming equipment, clothing and scratch cloth, weapons primarily designed for hunting, and even a couple stalls with toys for children. It seemed that each stall was crowded with at least half-a-dozen people and plenty more walked around. In the center of this market square was a large fountain with wide edges, providing a comfortable space for people to sit.
While wandering from stall to stall, looking for something that looked appeasing, Kara was continually greeted as if she was just a good friend to everyone in the town. A few people greeted her as "your Highness," which seemed like the more appropriate way to Kallin, but most called her by name. Very few acted as if she were part of any royal family, but instead treated her as if she was part of their own family. Although this was not the sort of treatment he expected to be given to a princess, he wasn't opposed to it.
"Kara, my dear, welcome," Said a heavyset man behind a cart full of hot food.
"Hello Gromick," Kara said with a slight chuckle in her voice.
"Hungry today?" Gromick asked with a broad smile. "It's all fresh off the fire. Just finished cooking a batch a few minutes ago."
Gromick handed a wide wooden tray to Kara full of a delicious looking meat dish.
"Could I get a second one?" Kara asked indicating Kallin.
"Ah, ye've got yourself a friend?" Gromick asked as he prepared a second tray.
"He's more of a guest of my Father's," Kara answered. "He's the one that came out of the forest."
"Oh? Is he now? Well, then I gather he'd be fairly hungry as the forest roots don't taste too good, nor do they set well in the stomach." Gromick then piled an extra portion of food on the tray and handed it to Kallin along with a wood two-pronged fork.
"Thank you, but doesn't this cost anything?" Kallin asked.
"Yes," Replied Kara. "And I've tried to pay many times, but very few people out here will let me pay them."
Kara shot Gromick a dirty, but also joking, look with her last statement. Gromick laughed loudly and shooed Kara and Kallin away so he could help someone else.
Kara led Kallin to the fountain where they sat and ate their food.
"Everyone seems to know you well out here," Kallin commented.
"I come out to the market a lot," Kara said.
"That's not something I would expect a princess to do."
Kara's mood visibly dropped at his comment, "I do it anyways."
"I'm not saying it's bad. Just unexpected."
"Everyone in the castle thinks it's bad," Kara said, obviously upset at the idea.
"People seem to treat you well enough though," Kallin observed. "Almost as if you're not a princess. It's quite different from what I've seen on T.V."
"T.V.?" Kara questioned.
Kallin looked at her as if she was insane before he remembered that they didn't even have electricity here.
"T.V." Kallin said to himself trying to think of how to explain it. "That's a hard one. It's a machine from my home that shows images of people doing all kinds of things."
"Like paintings?" Kara asked.
"No. The people don't look drawn or painted. They look as real as anyone but they're not still pictures. They move around and do things almost like they're tiny people trapped inside this little metal box."
Kara stared at Kallin with a look of disbelief, "You need a doctor."
Kallin let out a short laugh, "I think so too. If I ever get the chance, I'll show you exactly what I'm talking about."
Kara shook her head, "Anyhow, most people do treat me well. At first, I would sneak out of the castle all the time and people would make a huge fuss over my being in public with no escort. After several years of sneaking out though, the people in town seem to be protective of me and don't give me so much of the royal treatment anymore."
Kara set down her plate of food which was almost gone now and clenched her fists almost angrily as she looked ahead, "Most people treat me well. Not all of them do though."
Kallin looked up to where Kara was obviously directing her thoughts to. Coming towards them was a group of about ten boys, all of them appearing well muscled. They pushed their way roughly through the crowd and approached Kara. The group seemed to be led by a very large boy with blazing orange hair and a naturally mean look to his face despite his cocky smile.
"Good afternoon your highness," The boy said as he kneeled mocking in front of her. "Perhaps today is the day you will finally kiss me? Maybe even accept my hand in marriage?"
"Not likely Erif," Kara said angrily.
With remarkable speed that shocked Kallin, Kara threw her plate along with its remaining food towards the boy's face. Erif, just as quickly, moved aside and the plate hit one of the boys that was obviously with him. Erif laughed and stood back up, towering over Kara and Kallin.
"Tell me," he said as he looked at Kallin. "Is our princess's romantic tastes oriented more towards filthy peasants?"
Kallin said nothing but only stared at the boy in front of him. He felt something unusual about this boy that he did not like, and seemingly without reason, he felt his adrenaline pumping.
"Get out of here Erif," Kara snapped at him. "You're not welcome here."
"I don't recall ever needing a welcome to go anywhere here," Erif said. "Come on Princess. Let's you and I leave and go start our own kingdom. We can even rule this world and have lots of pretty little princes and princesses."
Erif grabbed Kara's wrist and pulled her up to face him. With amazing speed, Kallin was up and grabbed Erif's wrist. As he did, the adrenaline continued to surge through his body. An unfamiliar feeling also ran through Kallin when it did. A gradual warmth seemed to flow from his chest and flood him wherever it could. It was a soothing feeling that made Kallin feel unusually calm and also more confident.
"Let go of her," Kallin told Erif.
Erif slowly opened his hand and let go of Kara. He then turned and smiled at Kallin, who still held his wrist.
"You're feeling awfully brave there, aren't you?" Erif said mockingly.
Kallin said nothing, but noticed that Erif's eyes seemed to change color from a brown to a yellowed color.
"I think peasants like you should mind your own business," Erif said as he nodded to one of his friends.
Kallin saw the large boy move out of the corner of his eye and let go of Erif so he could step away from the menacing group. As he stepped back, a heavy fist connected with the side of his face. Kallin felt the impact, but felt no pain from it. Kara screamed out as he was hit, but stopped when she saw he didn't move. It was a heavy blow that should have landed Kallin on the ground unconscious, yet he stood, barely flinching. After the hit, the warmth that Kallin felt growing in him earlier surged and it turned into a searing hot feeling throughout his body.
"Who are you?" Erif asked.
Erif pulled a long knife out of his belt.
"I don't think we can let you live," The now angry boy said.
Without thinking, Kallin moved to the side and one of the boys tumbled to the ground who was poised behind Kallin, obviously with the intent of bringing him down. As Kallin moved, another boy jumped at him from the side with a knife in hand. Kallin grabbed the boy's wrist, twisted his arm painfully so the knife fell to the ground, and kneed him in the stomach, dropping the boy.
"Kallin!" Kara shouted out.
Kallin said nothing, but gave her a look that told her to stay out of this, and she backed away a few steps.
The people in the market cleared away quickly, retreating behind the vendors' stalls.
Two more boys ran at Kallin, both with knives drawn. Kallin jumped towards them, and avoiding the blades, gave them both an uppercut to the chin which sent them flying about ten feet.
Kallin stopped to try and think about what he just did. He did not know how to fight and had never taken any martial arts classes. He felt as if something foreign was piloting his body with an unusual strength and speed. The fact that he could send two boys flying backwards ten feet also shocked him.
Kallin realized he shouldn't have hesitated to think as someone jumped on his back and put their arm around his neck in an attempt to strangle him. Kallin grabbed the boy's arm and pulled it easily from around his neck and effortlessly threw the attacker into the side of the nearest building.
"All of you stop or you'll get killed," Erif shouted to his gang.
Erif then stepped forward with his knife and shot an arm towards Kallin so quickly that his fist couldn't be seen. Kallin didn't think, but let whatever feeling was coming over him to take over. Kallin felt his body move faster than the incoming fist and he dodged it easily. Repeated strikes were thrown at Kallin, each of them with unbelievable speed. Kallin easily dodged each hit. After several unsuccessful punches were exchanged between the two combatants, someone jumped on Kallin's back and attempted to pin him with one arm and pulled a knife out to stab him with the other. Kallin spun around, placing his new attacker between himself and Erif. Immediately the attacker let go of Kallin and fell to the ground limp. Kallin spun back around to see Erif pulling his knife out of the back of one of his own boys.
"Foolish," Erif said, throwing the accusation at the boy on the ground.
Erif again attacked Kallin with a heavy punch. Kallin stepped aside and punched him in the stomach, launching him back several feet. Kallin felt the overwhelming heat inside him intensify and he lost all control. Kallin jumped at Erif with a foot extended, intending to land it on the boy's chest. Erif rolled aside, and Kallin's foot sunk into the ground about six inches. He then pivoted on his foot, throwing a kick behind him to where he knew Erif to be. The kick landed and dropped Erif to the ground. Kallin grabbed Erif by the neck and easily hoisted him off his feet. Without thinking, Kallin then thrust his hand all the way through Erif's chest, and dropped him to the ground.
Kallin jumped back as he realized what he had done, and the intensity of the heat inside him dropped. Erif, rose to one knee and began laughing.
"Now the secret is out," Erif said with a broad smile.
Erif had a hole in his chest where Kallin's hand had passed through. From the hole, Erif did not bleed, but instead a thick black mist rolled out and covered the ground. Immediately, Kallin visualized the creature that attacked him in his house and how the same black mist rolled from the cuts on it.
"I've learned what I needed," Erif said with a content smile as he stood upright.
Erif clapped his hands together and a black orb formed between them. As Erif spread his hands, the solid black sphere grew in size and eventually enveloped Erif so he was no longer visible. Kallin jumped to the orb and tried to grab Erif so he wouldn't lose him. Kallin's hand passed through the black sphere and seemed to tear it, causing it to dissipate. Kallin could grab hold of nothing, and when the black sphere was gone, Erif was nowhere to be seen.
Realizing the fight was over, Kallin relaxed his body and the unusual warmth left him. As it did, Kallin became weak and felt the pain from several cuts he could now feel on his body from knives he didn't know had hit him. Kallin dropped to both knees, completely, and suddenly out of breath. He looked up at Kara who had a terrified look on her face. Kallin then fell to the ground unconscious.

Note: See my portfolio for previous chapters. If you want to read more after this, leave feedback and I may be willing to post a couple more chapters.