Finding the King

1. Traitor
The thatching burned, fanned by a cool breeze. A blaze widened to consume the west gable. Due to the lack of rain this season the dry walls would catch quickly. Flaming debris trickled off the roof in splatters of bright orange. Gaining more fuel, the flames burned the dry brown grass at the doorstep.

Kade stood listening to the snap of the fire, followed by a loud crack of a tress faltering. It would not be long now before the house collapsed on itself. More guard came to the fire. Using it to light their torches and spread the flames to other sheds, houses, and stables.

He drew the long saber from its sheath at his belt. Pressing its tip into the ground and leaning on it, resting a callused hand on each side of the cross guard. The fire flicker made the clear bone sword look dark orange at the edges. Swirls of blue and pink moved in the light of the blade.

A man approached from the west. When he became close he spoke hushed, "There are three more structures further up the path. They might be unrelated..."

"No." Kade leaned toward the younger man. Watching the building now hidden in tongues of fire, licking high into the air above it, "Burn them. Search it, take what's to be sold, and destroy all three."

The man left with haste to complete his new orders, disappearing up the path. The house moaning out before the roof collapsed into the home, dust and smoke propelled out. the East wall swayed, its joints failing and fell out into a stable constructed at the side of the house. Both structures now devastated.

Kade rested back on his heels. Golden brown hair fell just over his shoulders, an air of anger radiated from him. Another guard approached.   his hands in his pockets of the same jacket that all of them wore. It was the uniform. A gray knee length coat that had many pockets to hide weapons, and tools, treated to resist rain and flames. This man's neck length blond hair looked orange in the light. He took one hand from a pocket and pushed at Kade's arm.

"What. Devon?" Kade gripped the sword and tipped it over his shoulder. It reflecting dark and bright colors as they passed another burning building.

"I have my thoughts..." Devon's gaze was on the ground passing before their feet, kicking clumps of dirt as they came close. Kade wrinkled his nose, snuffing out the smell that lingered even now, the smell of the rebel camp. Between the wisps of charred wood and smoke the unmistakable smell of the rebel clan that should have been here, had been here, hung.


Devon continued, making Kade's anger burn deeper, "a traitor."


He knew it before his brother had spoke it. The moment they had gotten to the village and found it devoid of life he knew it. Someone had known they were coming and warned the rebels. He and his thirty guard had been the only ones to know their destination had been this defiled clot of houses.

back the captured king. Kade already knew what had to be done.

"You," Devon grabbed at the other man's arm again. "It couldn't have been anyone but your people. we've all been following from battle to scrimmage to rest, but your guard..." his voice broke as another guard past "... someone has infiltrated."

"As if I had not known that already Devon?! The moment we circled this cursed hideaway and found it vacant? I have been mulling over since dusk, deliberating each guard in my care." he took the blade from his shoulder and stuck it a burning building, causing the wall to falter and push inside.

"Grayson will have me take a sitting place among the guard until I find whoever it is." His voice calmed but the anger raged in his chest that he would be losing rank. Drawing the sword out of the ruble at his feet, flame licking at the dirt matted boots that covered up his shins. "I will check them all, and when it comes to light we will kill the rebel that has made their bed in my camp."

Devon now looked out at the stars above, "It's one loss Ka." the man rubbed the check of his long face. "Ey, a bigger loss than we've taken in a while, but still, nothing that can't be recouped with time."

Kade sheathed the sword, " How much time?!" He paced picking up another rock tossing it into the air and catching it. "Straith will have been away from the throne for twelve months this fall." He swung his arm, letting the rock fly off into the trees.

"Calm. He won't lose his title unless he canât be found for two years." Devon's chewed at a broken blister on his hand. His jacket hanging loose that his wrist shown the tail end of the man's calling. Dark black letters scrolled lazily from his arm to the end of his wrist. In Beck it said 'patient calm'.

Everyone had a calling. A reason for their steps in life, a God given purpose. The mark would appear as a grey broken birthmark on the tiniest of child. Becoming darker as the day approached fulfilling that calling. Devon accepted his and worked to spread his collected attitude to others.
But Kade fought his calling with ferocity, hoping to die in battle before it filled out. The gray wisps that covered across his shoulder blades over his back spelled out an oath in common Beck. An oath he never wanted to take. It would mean imprisonment. To rest everything on others, an lonesomeness he would never be prepared for.

The idea of his calling being fulfilled brought unsettling thoughts. Thoughts that he would subside by keeping engaged with their guard duties. "We must find Straith,â   stressing their goal. Never wanting to allude to the idea that they may not accomplish what they had been set out to do.

He wandered away from his brother to camp his own troops for the night. There would be much to sift through, to out the trader in their midst. He would take the first steps down that long road tonight.


2. Jada's Work
Troy had just left that Monday. Stopped by her house and said he wasn't interested in the wedding any longer, hadn't even came past the mat she kept at the foot of her apartment entrance. She had asked why, and everything had been a lame excuse for the truth. She didn't know what the truth was, but none of the answers he had given her were it.

It made the price changes easier, even though she hated the time consuming redundancy. The sheets of tags that marked the prices for the paper products. Kleenex 84 count with lotion price changed from $0.99 to $1.79. Probably because the summer was almost over, soon fall would set in with school and flu season.

Jada slid her fingers between the two plastic pieces that held the sales tag onto the shelf, removing the old one and replacing it with the new tag showing the higher price. A sigh escaped with her thoughts. She couldn't shake the emptiness that settled into her chest, he was such an idiot…

The church should give her everything but the $100 deposit back. No money had been put down for her dress, she probably would just never go back in and hope that store would understand to take the gown off hold and put it back on the sales floor.

Flower patterned paper towels price decline $0.54. The dress shop would probably call though, she couldn't avoided it for ever. The idea of saying it aloud troubling. What words would they be? The wedding is off. He left me. The entire things is over. We tried and it didn't work. I'm not getting married.

Several sheets slip out of her hand to the floor. The two had always been together. Different high schools, met at the DMV when she was registering her bike, him with a friend taking their driving test. Instantly becoming a fixture at her dad’s shop. It seemed she was the only one that didn’t want to be at her dad’s garage.

The proposal had been perfectly romantic. On the roof of Sam Louise's apartment. The very edge of town overlooking rolling hills, the city a ways off, it’s lights looked like colored stars on the horizon. with a ring she couldn't have imagine herself. Jada stopped for a moment. Fishing the ring out of her hip pocket, it sparkled in the florescent lights.

Why would he have giving such a ring if he was just going to call it off? Surely you don't put down several thousand dollars and then not even ask for the thing back. Maybe it was just a fake. One off the rack in the Walmart jewelry department, the Lord knew she wouldn't be able to tell the difference, they had some pretty genuine looking rocks on that $8.95 stand.

The pager startled her, "Another checker to the front, please!" Jada tucked the ring back into the pocket, shoving the price change tags into the front of her apron that hung off her hips. She sighed again, but it came from her nose in steady streams. With quick steps she corned the isle and sauntered up to the register. A line of 10 people trailed off from the stores first check-out. With a habitual motion she let herself into the second stall and signed in to the old black registered. Its green screen flickered to life.

"I can help someone over here." She breathed out a practiced voice. Jada was pretty sure she could fake the 'happy' cashier through anything.

"Did you find everything alright today?"she asked, Smiling broadly.

The ladies bracelets jingled while she stacked cans of vegetables on to the conveyer and snorted, "this is the THIRD WEEK," the women glared over her bifocals, "that you have been out of canned salmon." two thin, wrinkled fingers pressed a green slip across the counter. "I received this rain check the first time I was in when the sale was still running. But it doesn't do any good if you never get the product again!"

The scanner beeped steadily as four boxes of cereal followed by a container of prunes, and cat food passed by its flashing red beam. Many of the older clientele had been upset about the shortage of canned salmon, either that or that they were no longer stocking the three inch water proof band aids.

"I understand, the manager has said that we can offer the store brand can salmon in place of the brand name for a dollar savings if you like." Jada scanned the coupons for the bran cereal.

"NO, I don't buy store brands." They elderly lady's glare burned more than before.

Jada smiled, "I understand. We hope to receive the brand name on the next truck coming on this upcoming Tuesday. Was there anything else today?"

"No."

"Then your total will be $39.54."

The next four customers passed quickly. An energy drink and magazine to the lady on her cell phone. A guy in dark glasses and a mullet bought a case of cigarettes. A women pushing two kids bought milk, ketchup, and diapers. Then left the Reese with teeth marks through the package on the counter. Teenagers buying candy and pop, probably to sneak into the movie theater just a block over.

With a couple of keystrokes Jada logged out of the register, retrieving the price changes from her apron and headed back to the paper goods, but before passing three aisles the other cashier caught her.

"Hey, Jada! Would you give me a smoke break?"

She didn't turn to look at the other cashier immediately, but thought it through and decided she didn't want to deal with people today. Circling back to the checkout she made eye contact with her short co-worker with curly hair but stepped no closer, "have you asked Renee yet? She is manning the cosmetics counter, maybe she could, Sheri."

Sheri stood up on her toes trying to see over the magazines if Renee was busy at her register before lifting the beige phone from its receiver and paging, "Renee to the front register please."

Still watching the other cashier, Jada turned into the isle almost crashing into the store manager, Al. "Oh, Jada, you'll be perfect."

She held the price changes out in front of her, "Al, whatever it is, I've barely started on the tags."

the balding man waved a hand in front of her like it was no big deal, "Someone from corporate is coming by tomorrow morning and there is one more bay in the stockroom to clean. It won't take you to long, your a pro! Let me show it to you."

He had started leading her down the pet food section to the gray metal door at the back wall. The keypad beeped as Al pressed in the code, the door swinging open. "This is of first importance because the meeting tomorrow is about stockroom cleanliness, but the price changes must also be done before your shift is over." The broad man held the door open for her to pass as he gave his best manager, encouragement, teamwork means we all put in a 100% smile.

"Before my shift ends?" The motion sensing lights in the stockroom buzzed on high above them.

"mm-hum," he nodded and took lead again heading to the end of the long room, more lights flicked on as they neared. This wouldn't be so bad. She had just done the food section, the paper section, the pet bay all in the last few weeks. Whatever it was, it would be quiet here in the stockroom. Besides, it always felt good to clear out a bay, like accomplishing something.

Just as an agreeable attitude settled into her mind, Al stopped in front of the cleaning isle bay. The horror movie scream echoed through her thoughts. He pointed with his pudgy fingers, "This..." to the third shelf 15 feet off the ground motioning down to the floor, "is a mess. Nobody has been filling from this section since Judy left months ago."

That was because the cases come with 3 bottles of 112 load laundry soaps or 24 bottles of pine-sol. Everything was heavy and came in quantities that wouldn't even fit on the shelf. Twenty-four bottles pine-sol?! Did we sell two a week? two a month?! So ten fit on the shelf and the other fourteen sat in the stockroom in a torn open box for eternity.

How Judy ever did it she didn't know. Maybe she didn't. By the look of it, this bay may not have been cleaned out in years. Jada groaned like it came from the pit of her stomach. "Yep, I'll get started."

"that a girl. Make sure you go to help if the other register calls for cashier assistance, and don't forget about those price changes." He turned heading back to the gray door, "If you have any questions make sure to ask me in the next 15 minutes. I leave here at 4," out before she could respond

Thinking to herself pushing dark hair out of her face to behind her ears. This was God karma. If she had just done Sheri's smoke break, Renee would be back here and she would be out front checking out soda and adult diapers.

But it did no good to put off the cleaning and began with the bottom shelf dragging off all the cases of dish soap to a utility cart. Thirty minutes later, three cashier helps, and one elderly man wanting to know about suppositories for his wife, the bottom shelf was cleared. Now maybe she would move the heavy laundry detergent down and put them on the bottom shelf.

Her voice sounded loud in the empty space as she grumbled, "this is filthy," and gripped the edge of the slotted metal to look under at the cement floor, "has no one swept under these shelves since they built this store?" She wished they played music in the stockroom to help fill the dead air.

The shelves where 3 feet deep and maybe 4 1/2 feet long. Two sat side by side along the bottom of the bay. With a good tug the first one came up, followed by a loud crash and it fell to the ground again.

"Ooohhh, ew." she shook her hands in disgust, and started to edge her foot under the shelf to flip it over when the door to the room flew open letting Renee in. The lights that had turned off buzzed to life again as Renee set off the motion sensors.

"Whats all the noise?"

"I was cleaning under the bay and found a mouse."

Renee seemed interested to see the mouse, "where's it at?"

Jada shrugged, " I probably scared it away when I dropped the shelf."

Renee bent to retrieve the shelf in the same way getting it to her waist, letting out a shriek, and dropping it again. The shelves bottom now facing up showed a sticky trap stuck to the edge with a dead mouse in the center.

Jada gave a mischievous smile, "oop, never-mind, there he is."

In return Renee leaned over and shoved her in the arm smiling too, "you are a brat."
Jada giggled walking down to the end of the bays to get a shelf peg. Renee was rummaging through her pockets for disinfectant. "so he left, huh?"

The box full of pegs clattered together as Jada looked for a damaged peg she could use to throw away the tiny mouse carcass. How did Renee know? She hadn't told anyone. Not even her dad, which she probably should since he had just told her he would be paying for the photographer.

"Yes." That was simple, one word. She would get through this. "how did you find out?"

Not really caring to talk about the subject she crouched to pick at the mousetrap with the metal bar that toothbrushes use to hang from.

Renee squeezed disinfectant into her palm, rubbing her hands together, "you know that new tech in the pharmacy?"

Rick. Rick was Troy's roommate. She knew he was applying but never thought he'd make it. "How did he ever get hired?"
Renee picked one foot off the ground and dramatically draped an arm over her forehead, "Probably because he's dreamy."

he sticky trap came loose and Jada stood rolling her eyes at Renee. She walked to the far wall and Tossed the trap, mouse, and toothbrush peg all into the trash crusher. "can I have some disinfectant?"

"sure, lemongrass or peach?"

"peach. He's only dream if you can forget how dense he is." she became thankful they were talking about Rick instead of Troy.

Renee let out a half laugh, "okay, I did watch him try to file scripts earlier and it was sad. It's just the alphabet. But the little old ladies like strapping men selling them their medications."

"probably, but that is mean to say."

"you just said he's dense."

"That's the truth. the fact you think our customers are that shallow is mean."

Renee giggled.

Jada swept the floor of the bay while Renee lifted the next shelf cautiously to check for more sticky traps or mice. Seemingly pleased she tugged the slatted metal off its base and laid it with the other shelf. The door opened with purpose.
"RENEE!" it was Terrance, the evening manager, "where have you been?!" The manager was tall and skinny but he boomed like thunder, both ladies jumped.

Renee answered timidly, "Jada...found a...mouse."

"I just sold perfume to Mrs. Cadwalters!" She was so picky. " you are paid to be in your department!" She was the wife of the man who owned the hotel just three buildings down. She must have ripped Terrance up one side and down the other. He was usually such a calm manager. Renee gave an 'I'm in trouble look' over her should to Jada before streaking out the door with Terrance. Even after the door closed she could hear him scolding her.

In the quiet again Jada picked up the broom listening to the scrapping of its bristles against the cement floor. In the thick dust there were old signs, a can of tuna that she bent and picked up. "Expired in 2002?!" A couple hooks for the sales floor, and a blue piece of glass or metal. Still crouching above the dust she sat the tuna on her cart and picked up the blue object. It was caught in a mess of clear packaging tape.
her long hair tumbled over her shoulder again and she swept it back quickly not to get it in the dirt. Jada started to untangle the mess picking off a good couple inches of tape that came with two large dust bunnies.
The thing looked like it belonged on something else. More tape came off revealing a swirly pattern of shiny metal. Now that it was almost clean, she didn't remember seeing anything that looked like this in the store. But the tuna had expired in 2002, so who knows how long this had been under the bay. A thin metal loop inside of a another loop with one edge broken off. It was pretty. With the top piece of tape stripped off, it was clear that it was a color of blue she had never seen before, as if it reflected a sky to something amazing. Bringing her other hand up with intent to pluck the piece off of the fuzz covered tape, her fingers brushed the cool metal, and everything changed.